If you’re using SARMs then you should be using PCT supplements, but unfortunately a lot of people out there don’t bother.
Although they might get away with it, they can also get caught out and suffer the symptoms of testosterone drop. These can be severe and long lasting.
On top of that, if you don’t use a SARMs PCT, then you’re not making the most of the beneficial effects of SARMs, and that plus the drop in testosterone could really hit the gains you can make.
So what I’m going to do here in this complete guide post cycle therapy is tell you everything you need to know in really easy to understand terms. I’ll also tell you what the exact PCT supplements are that you should use, when you should use them, and where you can buy high-quality PCT supplements.
Why Post Cycle Therapy Is Important
PCT is glossed over by a lot of people, and that’s a tragedy because it can really mess you up if you don’t do it.
The thing is, a lot of SARMs (not all of them, as I’ll explain later) are androgenic. That means they are agonists of androgen receptors in muscle and bone tissue.
Because they mimic testosterone, your body starts to naturally produce less of its own. This can in turn unleash an imbalance of estrogen. Estrogen becomes dominant, and testosterone also gets converted into it more.
This can lead to signs of testosterone drop, otherwise known as suppression (HPTA suppression). I will tell you what the signs of testosterone suppression are in a moment.
But the thing is, that drop in testosterone really means you won’t be getting the maximum out of using SARMs, or bodybuilding generally:
- Lower testosterone means your muscles won’t grow as quickly or as dramatically. On top of that, they won’t recover from punishing workouts as quickly.
- Low testosterone means low mood. You won’t want to work out, you’ll feel blue, you just won’t be up for things as much.
- You’ll feel less of a man. Your libido will drop, your confidence will drop. That means you won’t want to look good and do the bodybuilding at all.
- You’ll also lose a lot of your determination and drive. You won’t power through your workouts as well, you won’t be able to lift as much, you won’t be able to go for as long. Your endurance will drop, everything will drop.
So as you can see, it’s absolutely crucial that you keep your testosterone levels high, especially post cycle because that’s when your muscles will continue to develop, and you need to get your mind and body right ready for the next cycle.
How To Spot Testosterone Drop
A big problem is that a lot of bodybuilders out there are just not educated on what testosterone drop feels like.
They do a load of SARMs, they feel like crap, and they just assume it’s bad SARMs. So they stop, and a couple of weeks later they start to feel fine again, and put it down to a bad batch.
It happens again, so they give up and don’t benefit from SARMs.
But what’s actually happening is testosterone drop. These are the key signs you need to watch out for:
- Decreasing muscle mass
- Lack of strength
- Stamina goes downhill
- Increasing body fat
- More fragile bones
- Hot flushes
- Lack of enthusiasm
- Depression
- Low sex drive
- Feeling fatigued
Now those don’t all come on at once, but if towards the end of the SARMs cycle you start to notice one or more of those, then that could be a sign you are having your testosterone level suppressed.
Another key symptom is gyno, or to give it its full name, gynecomastia.
Gyno is incremental, and you may not spot it until it’s too late. It’s when men get high levels of estrogen and start producing breast tissue. Over time it builds up, until it’s irreversible. You have tender and enlarged breasts, that can even leak.
So is absolutely crucial that if the SARMs you are using require a PCT supplement to avoid testosterone drop and the horrors of gyno symptoms, then you need to find the best post cycle therapy for your needs, and use it.
Do All SARMs Require A PCT Supplement?
Here’s the thing. Not all SARMs need a PCT supplement at all post cycle.
Not all SARMs are androgenic. Let me explain how they work.
Proper SARMs are Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators. This means that they modulate the activity of androgen receptors, but they do it selectively. That means they are partial, or full, agonists of androgen receptors in muscle and bone tissue only.
SARMs like RAD-140 Testolone, S-23, Andarine and Ligandrol are fully androgenic.
But then you get the grey area SARMs like Ostarine and YK-11. These are very minor agonists of androgen receptors, and only at high doses. So most of the time you don’t need a SARMs PCT supplement for using them.
Then you have the SARMs which aren’t SARMs at all, and don’t require a PCT supplement because they do not interact with androgen receptors at all, giving us this list of SARMs that don’t (mostly) require use a PCT:
- Cardarine
- Stenabolic
- Ibutamoren
- Ostarine
- YK-11
Can You Use SARMs As PCT For Steroids?
If you are using anabolic steroids then you already up another level from SARMs anyway.
But you can’t just ignore SARMs and think they are safe, and take them post cycle between steroids and get away with it.
Androgenic SARMs on top of anabolic steroids will crush your testosterone levels and cause incredible side effects in just a few cycles.
But what a lot of guys do is use Ostarine. Ostarine post cycle from steroids can be quite common.
The reason is that Ostarine is quite mild. Even at a high dose it only mildly androgenic. But it’s brilliant at protecting your gains, and shredding fat. So it helps to keep things going between your anabolic steroid cycles.
But I would never suggest you just take Ostarine. You must stack it with a proper PCT supplement to make sure you don’t get T drop.
Can Any SARMs Be Used Between SARMs Cycles?
Let’s now turn to using SARMs between SARMs cycles. That may sound a bit counterintuitive, what’s the point in having a break from them if you’re still taking them?
Well, as we’ve already discussed, some aren’t actually agonists of the androgen receptors in muscle tissue at all, they don’t affect testosterone.
In small doses, Cardarine for endurance, MK-677 for energy, and SR-9009 for energy and fat burning, can already help between SARMs cycles. They are not androgenic at all.
Then you have YK-11 and MK-2866 Ostarine, which are very mildly androgenic. So you could take a small dose of either of those to help maintain muscle and cut fat.
I’ll be honest guys, I wouldn’t recommend it often. The reason as your body needs a break. You don’t know what the long-term effects are going to be, so you need the breaks to let it recover, and see what effects everything is having.
Three Best PCT For SARMs
I hope you can now understand a bit more why SARMs PCT is so essential, and even more crucial on steroids.
But what is the best PCT for SARMs? And do you need a more powerful one for steroids?
Well, it all depends on how androgenic what you are taking is. All steroids are, you need the strongest PCT supplement when you use them.
That’s not the case though with SARMs, and you can get away with a weaker one most of the time, unless you are taking the highly androgenic SARMs like RAD-140 or S-23, or you’re taking very high doses, or you’re stacking several together.
These are the three best PCT supplements for SARMs:
1. Nolvadex (Tamoxifen)
Nolvadex is the most common brand name for Tamoxifen, which is the generic name for this SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator)
It’s the most popular because it’s the most easily available, and it’s the milder of the two most popular ones which makes it suitable for most guys.
It’s official purpose is to treat breast cancer, to stop the production of estrogen. But in men, it binds to estrogen receptors and stops the production of estrogen, including the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
This gives your body time to recover its own levels of testosterone production without being overwhelmed by the dominant estrogen and its effects.
Average dosage range for Nolvadex is around 100 mg per day. It’s advised to do a post cycle recovery of at least four weeks, although I’d always recommend you do a gap between cycles as long as the cycle itself, and taper down, but a lot of guys don’t do this because it requires discipline.
2. Clomid (Clomiphene)
Clomiphene is the second most popular type of PCT supplement out there. It’s more powerful than Nolvadex, and works in a different way.
It’s mostly known under the brand name Clomid, although just as with Nolvadex, what you will be buying is generic reproductions from the grey market.
Clomid works by increasing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). In men, this has results of lifting sperm production levels and testosterone production levels.
It’s more aggressive than Nolvadex, and isn’t needed for most SARMs. But it is usually the first choice for guys on steroids.
However, if you are using high doses of androgenic SARMs, stacking several together, or specifically using the most aggressive androgenic SARMs I have previously mentioned, then having Clomid available (even if you don’t use it straight away) is a sensible strategy.
Average dosage ranges for Clomid are between 20 mg and 40 mg per day. Often people start at 40 mg for about four weeks, and then taper down to 20, and then down to 10 for the last couple of weeks.
3. Rebirth PCT
Rebirth PCT is not a harsh synthetic chemical like Nolvadex or Clomid.
It contains natural ingredients that have been scientifically linked to either lowering estrogen, or raising testosterone.
Now let’s be straight here, it’s not going to be anywhere near as effective as even the milder Nolvadex. But it does have a positive effect.
So if you’re using say just Ostarine, or a low dose of another SARM, and you don’t need Nolvadex, but you do feel a slight testosterone drop, or you want to guard against it, then rebirth could be the way forward.
It does contain a high dose of D-Aspartic acid, which is been linked in studies to raising testosterone levels by up to 42% in healthy men. So this stuff isn’t useless, far from it, and it contains only natural ingredients.
Rebirth PCT is as easy as taking six capsules every morning. You can up that total slightly if you got higher suppression. You do that for at least four weeks, but I’d suggest at least six if you do feel your T levels dropping.
Where To Buy The Best Post Cycle Therapy Supplements
Let’s finish this guide to SARMs PCT supplements by telling you where you can buy them at the best prices, 100% pure and safe to use.
In terms of Clomid and Nolvadex, they can be both bought, along with high-quality SARMs, from Swiss Chems. Swiss Chems are trusted by many, I’ve ordered from the load, and they verify the purity of everything they sell, both SARMs and other supplements.
Nolvadex costs $119.95 for 100 capsules. Each capsule doses 20 mg, for a total dose of 2000 mg.
Clomid is $109.95 for 100 tablets. Each of those dose is 25 mg, with a total dose of 2500 mg. I do find this strange though, that the stronger Clomid actually costs less. Perhaps it’s because they can charge more for the more popular Nolvadex.
Rebirth PCT can be bought directly from the company website here.
A supply of 180 capsules, a 30 day supply, costs $69.95. If you don’t need a full SERM like Nolvadex or Clomid, then it really is a great option.