What is the idea behind Cycle Support?
Anyone familiar with anabolic steroids will quickly come across terms like "liver protection," "withdrawal protocol," "OCT," and "PCT." These all essentially mean the same thing—specific supplementation designed to minimize the health risks associated with anabolic steroids.
Specifically, the terms mean the following:
- Liver protection
"Liver protection" means exactly what the word suggests: protection for the liver. It refers to supplements that promote liver health. (The liver is one of the organs particularly stressed by anabolic steroid use.) Click>hereto get to our liver protection supplements! - Drop-off protocol
A "withdrawal protocol" is the medication or supplement program you should follow when you want to stop taking steroids or anabolic steroids. Unlike a course of antibiotics, with an anabolic steroid program you don't simply stop taking the drugs in question. Instead, you replace them with other, gentler drugs for a while. These are intended to help the body recover from the anabolic steroids. Only then do you stop completely (or restart with new anabolic steroids). - OCT
OCT stands for "On Cycle Therapy" and refers to supplements taken during an anabolic steroid cycle to keep side effects at bay. Click>hereto get to our OCT supplements! - PCT
PCT stands for "Post Cycle Therapy" and refers to supplements taken after an anabolic steroid cycle to repair or stabilize hormone levels. Click>hereto get to our PCT supplements!
All of this is summarized under the umbrella term "cycle support." The idea behind cycle support is to provide the body with the best possible support during and after the use of anabolic steroids with "protective measures." A distinction is made between medicinal and non-medicinal products. The former are prescription-only and can only be obtained over the counter. These include, for example, the drugs Clomid (clomiphene citrate), Nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate), and finasteride. They work on a hormonal level and are very effective, but they also have side effects (see below: Do cycle support supplements also have side effects?). Non-medicinal cycle support products, on the other hand, can be ordered from regular supplement shops – at least from those that are specifically geared towards bodybuilding and offer a wide range of products (like GETBOOST3D).
Stopping steroids with cycle support – why is it important?
All anabolic substances that work extremely well are harmful to health – unfortunately, this can and must be said in such a general way. This is essentially due to the fact that they manipulate hormone levels. Specifically, they stimulate the receptors for the male sex hormone testosterone, which results in increased protein synthesis (and thus faster muscle building). However, the stimulation of testosterone receptors also has negative consequences:
Side effects of steroids
- Suppression of the body's own testosterone production
- Increased aromatization (conversion of testosterone to female sex hormone), resulting in increased water and fat retention and growth of the mammary glands in men
- High blood pressure (= greater risk of stroke)
- Increase in liver enzyme levels (= increased liver strain, risk of liver inflammation and liver failure)
- Deterioration of the skin's appearance due to increased sebaceous gland activity
- Growth or proliferation of the prostate (= increased risk of prostate cancer)
The side effects of steroids are not exactly harmless. Fortunately, they do not always occur across the entire spectrum, nor in every user. However, a few side effects are unavoidable – for example, the suppression of the body's own testosterone production. This typical anabolic steroid side effect is practically always present. If it is not combated with suitable supplements, sooner or later you will lose a large portion of the muscle mass gained after using anabolic steroids, because without testosterone, the muscles quickly deteriorate again. An increase in liver enzyme levels is also very likely during a steroid cycle. While high liver values do not cost muscle mass, they do endanger the functioning of the organ.
Cycle support can't prevent these side effects, but it can at least contain them. Cycle support also ensures that the body recovers relatively quickly after discontinuing steroids. Specifically, cycle support supplements promptly restart the body's own testosterone production and also contribute to rapid liver "healing." (The liver can heal itself physiologically, but supplement support makes this easier.)
How does Cycle Support work?
Cycle support supplements work in different ways depending on whether they are OCT or PCT supplements.
As mentioned above, OCT supplements are taken during the use of anabolic steroids. Their purpose is to minimize the strain on the internal organs. Their active ingredients (usually plant-based) can, for example, dilate blood vessels and thereby lower blood pressure, or promote cell renewal in the liver. OCT supplements can also prevent severe hormonal fluctuations. Some of them contain Arimidex or Anastrozole – chemical compounds that block aromatization, the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. This prevents the occurrence of estrogen-related side effects such as water retention or breast growth.
PCT supplements are only used after a course of anabolic steroids. They are intended to restore the body's suppressed testosterone production to normal levels. They contain ingredients such as fenugreek, maca powder, tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia), or D-aspartic acid. They also contain aromatase inhibitors.
Which supplements and active ingredients are part of cycle support?
The term "cycle support" encompasses a number of substances – see the list below. They are available both as individual products and as part of multi-ingredient complexes.
Cycle support ingredients, ranked by the side effects they combat
Liver side effects
- TUDCA:TUDCA, or tauroursodeoxycholic acid, is a highly effective liver protectant. When taking highly liver-toxic anabolic steroids, such as
Methandienone, Stanozolol, or Superdrol, TUDCA is practically indispensable. TUDCA is a typical OCT supplement. - Milk Thistle:Milk thistle is a medicinal plant containing the flovonodol compound silymarin, which supports liver regeneration. Milk thistle extract is included in both OCT and PCT supplements.
- N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC):NAC is an expectorant and also a powerful antioxidant.
- Glutathione:Glutathione or L-glutathione is a tripeptide that plays an essential role in cell detoxification.
Heart side effects
- Hawthorne Berry (hawthorn bush):The hawthorn bush, also known as "thorn apple" or "maypole," is considered a cardiovascular protective plant. It contains bioflavonoids that counteract arteriosclerosis and dilate the coronary arteries.
- Forskolin:Chemically, forskolin belongs to the terpenes. The compound supports the contraction of the heart and thus promotes
its potent effect. Forskolin also has a vasodilating and blood-thinning effect, meaning the substance reduces the risk of blood clotting.
Side effects of the prostate
- Saw Palmetto:Saw palmetto fruits contain many phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol. This phytosterol can support the 5-
Block alpha reductase, preventing testosterone from being converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This inhibits prostate growth, which is stimulated by DHT. Saw palmetto extract also has anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effects.
Side effects hormonal balance
- Androsta-3,5-diene-7,17-dione:This prohormone, also known as Arimistane, is a 7-keto-DHEA metabolite. It inhibits the aromatization (conversion) of testosterone to estrogen in the body, thus preventing estrogen levels from rising too high toward the end of an anabolic steroid cycle. Androsta-3,5-diene-7,17-dione thus helps prevent bloating and other estrogen-related side effects. It's a typical PCT supplement, but is also found in some OCT products.
- Diindolylmethane (DIM):DIM is found in brassicas, among other things, and is a type of natural aromatase inhibitor. DIM also prevents the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. It is also believed that DIM blocks the production of certain estrogen hormones, allowing the estrogen-to-testosterone ratio in the male body to return to normal more quickly after a course of anabolic steroids.
- Ashwagandha, Fenugreek, Maca, Tribulus Terrestris:All of these plants stimulate natural testosterone production in the male body to a greater or lesser extent, thus contributing to the recovery of the gonadal regulatory circuit.
- Zinc:The mineral supports the immune system and has a generally positive effect on hormonal balance.
Do cycle support supplements have side effects?
Regarding side effects, a clear distinction must be made between medicinal and non-medicinal cycle support supplements. Medicinal supplements, such as Clomid or finasteride, definitely have side effects – these range from mood swings to loss of libido. Synthetic aromatase inhibitors also have certain side effects; among other things, they negatively affect cholesterol levels. Non-medicinal supplements, such as milk thistle extract, saw palmetto extract, maca powder, ashwagandha, etc., have no serious side effects.
What should you consider when buying cycle support supplements?
When purchasing cycle support supplements, you should pay close attention to the ingredients list, as product names are not always informative and can sometimes even be misleading. For example, if a PCT product is called "Anti-Estrogen," "E-Block," or "Estrodex," you can assume it contains an aromatase inhibitor.E-Block from Core Labs XThis is also the case; it contains the aromatase inhibitor anastrozolol. This is not the case with "Estrodex," however; the product contains only plant-based phenols. While these also counteract high estrogen levels, they are not aromatase inhibitors.
