When coming off a cycle you’re looking for a PCT that does the following things:
- Boosts Testosterone
- Increases Testosterone Availability/Free Testosterone
- Blocks Estrogen
- Detoxifies the Liver
- ACTUALLY WORKS
That last one being the most important.
With how the market is at the moment, every supplement and their dog is trying to get into the PCT market, and there’s only a few who are doing it right.
That’s one of the main reasons why I started this website, to make sure guys like you who are serious about their Post Cycle Therapy, have the best chance of maintaining your gains and your health after a cycle.
A good PCT supplement will do a few, but not always all, of the following things:
Boost Testosterone Levels
This is essential after a cycle.
Once you’ve come off your set-up, your testosterone levels are going to be low, or zero.
What you need is something to reset the balance, and get them building back up again. The testosterone boosting ingredients in PCT supplements give your body everything it needs to start restoring testosterone levels and get you back to your optimum rate.
Increasing Free Testosterone
This definitely helps with your recovery.
Up to 60% of the testosterone in your body is used up by a protein called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). It binds to the male hormone and strips it of all anabolic potency. This makes it unusable for building muscle, or for contributing to your health in general.
Certain nutrients in PCT supplements help towards reducing the count of SHBG, which allows more testosterone to circulate freely in your blood stream, and makes for a faster recovery.
Blocking Estrogen
Seriously important.
When you’re on a cycle everything is great. Strength, size and recovery all comes easy and you feel absolutely unstoppable.
This is the testosterone in your system, and chances are, you’re packing a lot of it. However, as your T levels are high, your body has been producing more estrogen to balance it out.
This is bad news. As soon as you come off your cycle, your testosterone levels plummet and estrogen can be the main hormone circulating in your body.
To combat this, most PCT supplements contain aromatase inhibitors, nutrients that suppress the aromatase enzyme which is responsible for the production of estrogen. It’s a good thing to have in your stack.
Liver Detoxifier
If you’ve been using methylated hormones you’re going to need a detox.
Prohormones can put a lot of pressure on your liver during a cycle, and it’s important that you supplement effectively during and after to make sure it has the best protection.
A lot of PCT supplements contain anti-oxidants to make sure your organ gets the cleansing it needs to help it recover from the last few months.
The Servings
This is just a quick note, but very important to look out for:
Ideally, you want to be looking for PCT supplement that has around 3 – 4 servings a day. This allows your body to get a constant supply of the nutrients it needs to recover after a cycle.
Single serving supplements give too much of a window between doses, and holds back your progress as your body reverts back to it’s former state.
The Nutrients
Best Ingredients For Boosting Testosterone
Vitamin D3
Without a doubt, one of the strongest nutrients you can get for raising test levels.
Technically a hormone, Vitamin D3 has been seen time and time again in studies to boost testosterone and promote bone density.
Usually we fail to get enough of this nutrient due to our bodies only being able to synthesize it via the sun’s rays. As many of us spend a lot of our time in doors, the chances of getting the optimum amount are minimal.
In this study, men took 3,332 IUs of Vitamin D3 for just over a year. The results were great. Dramatic testosterone increases were seen across the board on those that took the Vitamin, while no change was noticed in the placebo group.
Mucuna Pruriens (Velvet Bean)
A multi-purpose testosterone booster that you are definitely going to need after your cycle.
After your cycle, your dopamine levels are low and your prolactin levels are high.
With low dopamine things like your attention, sleep and mood can be negatively effected, or worse.
And with high prolactin levels, you can risk side effects of nipples hardening, complete with white discharge (we’re serious).
Not only does this bean help raise testosterone levels, it has also has a compound in it called L-DOPA which helps boost dopamine levels and even lower prolactin.
All of that information, and more can be found in this study right here. It’s an interesting read.
D-Aspartic Acid
This amino acid is another great T-Booster.
It’s main function takes place in the central region of the brain. Here, DAA is used for many reactions which helps create the luteinzing hormone (LH) (study).
LH is the body’s precursor to both testosterone and growth hormone, and what’s more it seems to work better for men with lower testosterone levels or who are infertile – a situation you could be in after your cycle.
In this study, men with infertility took 2.66g of this amino acid every day for three months. Serum testosterone rose on average by 30-60%, seminal counts by 60-100% and 26% of the men also went on to conceive a child. This is dynamite for low test levels.
Zinc
This mineral works in a similar vain to D-Aspartic Acid.
It’s role takes place in the brain, and it’s used for the reaction that helps create luteinizing hormone. If you don’t have enough zinc in your body, you’re not going to be able to produce it.
And without LH, there’s not going to be any testosterone.
This is why it’s always a good idea to supplement this mineral to make sure you’re always getting the optimum amount.
This study shows the connection between zinc and testosterone, and how oral supplementation can help those levels rise significantly.
Whereas this study shows the effect that zinc supplementation has on athletes, in this case, wrestlers. After a 4 week course of intensive training, the wrestlers that took it maintained testosterone levels, whereas the ones that didn’t had their T-count drop due to physical stress.
Best Ingredients For Free Testosterone
Boron
Free Testosterone is vital after a cycle, and Boron is a good way to have more of it.
Typically found in the Earth’s soil, Boron has been proven on numerous occasions to help with the reduction of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG).
As we’ve covered above, SHBG can bind up to 60% of the male hormone and strip it of any anabolic potency. The less of it you have the more testosterone you can enjoy.
In this study, men supplementing boron saw an increase of 29% to their T-levels and amazingly a 39% decrease in their estrogen levels. It’s a very effective mineral.
Magenesium
This is another mineral that helps with the promotion of free testosterone.
Working again with SHBG, Magnesium manages to substitute itself in for testosterone and bind with the protein instead.
Here’s one of the studies that shows how magnesium helps promote overall free testosterone with daily supplementation.
Best Nutrient For Estrogen Blocking
Luteolin
When compared against over 1,430 natural compounds, Luteolin was shown to be the best natural nutrient for inhibiting the aromatase enzyme – the creator of estrogen.
This dietary flavonoid has also been seen to help as an adrogen stimulator, meaning it may also aid with testosterone production as well.
You can read the study about it’s estrogen blocking abilities over here.
Best Nutrients For Detoxing
Stinging Nettle
Stinging Nettle isn’t just helping your liver – It’s your prostate that also benefits.
After a cycle, your prostate can take a serious hit, mainly due to the fact that it can enlarge due to the hormones. Stinging Nettle has been seen to help with that.
After a cycle using stinging nettle can help relieve problems that you may be having with an enlarged prostate. It can alleviate symptoms and has been seen to contain no side effects when it comes to getting the job done and helping with urinary flow. You can read the full study here.
Milk Thistle
This is brilliant after a cycle, a solid liver therapeutic compound.
Supplemented after damage has been done to the liver (i.e. a cycle of methylated prohormones), the Silymarin in the milk thistle protects the organ and prevents further damage.
It inhibits any elements known to cause heptic damage, and continues to keep the liver safe. As an added bonus it also helps towards protein synthesis.
N-Acetyl L-Cycstine (NAC)
Another great liver detoxifier.
NAC is a great anti-oxidant and good to have on board after a cycle. Technically it is the precursor to an anti-oxidant, glutathione, which is made in the body after supplementing it – an anti-oxidant that is heavily depleted after a cycle.
It is a good nutrient to be supplementing after you’ve just come off, and a good one to have in your stack.
The Best Ingredients – Overall Conclusion
These are what you should be looking for in your PCT – they won’t have all of them, but the good ones will have most.
Make sure you check the ingredients on whatever supplement you intend to buy after your cycle, the future of your gains may depend on it.
I’ve reviewed quite a few good ones on this website already. I’ve put a link to my top 3 at the bottom of this article, check it out: