Hey Gentleman! Im 29 yrs old (5'11, 210lbs and about 15-18%bf). Ive done several steroid cycles starting at 18 up until about 3 years ago with quite a lot of variation in terms of length of cycle, type of steroid, max dosage and stack combinations. Lately however, ive become more concerned with preserving my sperm for fathering children within the next few years as well as avoiding any libido problems. I do still wish to use steroids on occasion. My latest idea is to simply dose 200mg test Propionate + 200mg tren acetate every 2 weeks in the hopes of avoiding reducing my endogenous test levels too much whilst still enjoying a fraction of the benefits of steroid use. Ive been doing this for a couple months now and am certainly noticing a difference from training naturally for the last 3 years. But my concern is endogenous test levels. Is 2 weeks enough time to allow for recovery? Will my endogenous test levels drop at all? Is this large flucutation in test over 2 weeks sustainable over the long term?
Thank you very much for your time, i look forward to your answers
Not too bright, I would say.
You clearly have no clue what you are doing.
Seeing as you have abused testosterone/AAS from 18-26 (8 years) then there is a good chance your T levels never fully recovered?
Have no clue where your natty T levels let alone other hormones sit!
Do you have labs (TT, FT, estradiol, SHBG, LH/FSH, prolactin) to post?
To reap the full beneficial effects of testosterone/AAS whether on trt or abusing such for the sole purpose of enhanced muscle/strength one would need to achieve steady-state T levels within or slightly above the physiological range when on trt or well into the supra-physiological range when abusing testosterone/AAS for the sole purpose of gaining muscle/strength.
Bad enough that some men on trt are still following that outdated 200mg TE/TC every 2 weeks protocol which would have your T levels absurdly high post-injection/during the first few days then slowly declining throughout the week only to have you being back to hypogonadal well before your next injection.
A rollercoaster ride anyone.
This will have a negative impact on energy/mood/libido/erectile function/recovery let alone have you feeling like S**T well before you hit your true trough (14 days post-injection).
Injecting 200 mg TP would be even worse due to the half-life (short-acting ester).
Even when injecting both short-acting esters (TP/Tren Ace) once every 2-weeks which will result in spiking your levels/clearing your system quicker you are not doing yourself any favors trying to minimize the impact on the HPGA and it is highly doubtful you will feel great overall let alone reap any modest benefits when it comes to gaining muscle/strength.
As you should very well know whether one is on trt or abusing testosterone/AAS most would be injecting medium-acting esterified T (enanthate/cypionate) once or twice weekly or short-acting esterified T (propionate) daily/EOD due to the half-lives/achieving steady-state.
Again have no clue where your natty T levels sit and you are flying blind here.
Would not even waste my time following such a protocol
!
Regarding testosterone and suppression of the HPGA.
This is key:
long-term maintenance of sustained steady-state testosterone levels in the mid-normal range, which leads to suppression of the endogenous activity of the HPG axis
Short-Acting Testosterone: Physiologic? Gerwin Westfield, Ursula B Kaiser, Dolores J Lamb, Ranjith Ramasamy INTRODUCTION Pulsatile secretion of a hormone refers to the intermittent secretion of the hormone in a burst like or episodic manner rather than constantly, with the frequency...
www.excelmale.com
TESTOSTERONE PHARMACOKINETICS
The various testosterone formulations have a wide range of dosing intervals including long-acting preparations: subcutaneous pellets (3 to 6 months), injectable IM testosterone undecanoate (10 weeks); intermediate-acting preparations: IM testosterone cypionate/enanthate (1 to 3 weeks); daily preparations: topical/transdermal formulations; and short-acting preparations: oral testosterone undecanoate (twice daily) and nasal testosterone (two to three times daily). All formulations, with the exception of the short-acting ones, have a target of long-term maintenance of sustained steady-state testosterone levels in the mid-normal range, which leads to suppression of the endogenous activity of the HPG axis.
*Pulsatile secretion of a hormone refers to the intermittent secretion of the hormone in a burst-like or episodic manner rather than constantly, with the frequency varying from minutes to hours, determined in part by the half-life of the hormone
*T levels in a healthy male follow a diurnal variation and circadian rhythm, with levels highest early in the morning and subsequently declining as the day progresses, as a direct result of pulsatile LH secretion
*A sustained steady-state level of T, however, differs from the normal circadian physiology of a healthy individual.
*If high levels of testosterone are given exogenously for extended periods of time, this can result in negative feedback to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary, disrupting normal HPG regulation
*As previously noted, testosterone levels in young healthy males follow a circadian rhythm. T levels are highest in the morning and lower in the evening hours. There is significant change within a 24-h period. Testosterone itself acts as a negative feedback molecule to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary. When T levels are high enough, they signal to reduce GnRH, LH, and FSH secretion, thereby also reducing endogenous testosterone production. This occurs regardless of whether the circulating testosterone is endogenous or exogenous. If high levels of testosterone are given exogenously for extended periods of time, this can result in negative feedback to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary, disrupting normal HPG regulation
*Topical gel formulations achieve a sustained mid-normal T level with a once-daily application (8). While the topical gel results in less fluctuation of T levels between dosing intervals when compared to IM T, the sustained T levels result in inhibition of HPG axis activity (9). The inhibition of HPG axis activity is evidenced by the nearly full suppression of gonadotropin levels following treatment with either IM injectable testosterone (10) or topical gel administration (9)
*Nasal administration of T (4.5% testosterone nasal gel, Natesto) allows for rapid absorption through the nasal mucosa such that serum T levels reach a peak concentration in ∼40 min. Once in the circulation, the T is quickly metabolized, with a return to near baseline T levels in 3–6 h (11). Therefore, multiple administrations of nasal T throughout the day (three times daily) maintain normal mean serum T levels over 24 h. The fluctuations in T levels potentially minimize the duration of exposure to exogenous T that is suppressive to the HPG axis, compared to other available T therapies.
*Endocrine systems are regulated dynamically in response to positive or negative stimuli within a homeostatic environment. Modalities of T therapy evolved to extend the dosing interval and maintain sustained “steady-state” T levels. Long-acting TTh can inhibit the HPG axis, which in turn suppresses pituitary LH and FSH secretion, reducing circulating levels of LH and FSH and endogenous T production
*Short-acting T therapy, consisting of several doses of T with a shorter half-life throughout the day, minimizes inhibition of the HPG axis and reduces the impairment of spermatogenesis
