You have finished your 4 to 6 week cycle with the prohormone of your choice.

You have gained an impressive amount of muscle mass and your strength has peaked beyond what you could have expected.

You heeded the warnings of veteran prohormone users and supplemented during the cycle with a variety of products that supported your gains while keeping estrogen levels at bay.

Now that your pre-determined prohormone time frame is over, the only thing you have to worry about is fending off fan-girls, right?

Wrong.

The reality is even with the on-cycle support supplements, you are facing encroaching estrogen levels as well as possible liver hepatotoxicity.

Don’t get me wrong, you are well ahead of the game if you supplemented during the cycle, but keep in mind that the stronger the prohormone, the higher chance for side effects.

Post-cycle supplementation is just as important, if not more so, than on-cycle support.

This is when you break out the big guns in order to retain as much of that muscle mass and strength as possible.

Let’s take a look at the supplements that have the primary function to offset any potential side effects while maintaining your on-cycle results.

Is there really a need for post-cycle therapy?

The short answer: Absolutely. Now for the lengthy list of reasons why.

There are several reasons why you need to invest in post-cycle therapy (PCT) supplementation; all of which go hand in hand.

It’s not easy to hear but you are going to lose a portion of the gains you made once the prohormone cycle comes to an end.

How much you keep is going to depend on how quickly you can boost your natural testosterone levels while suppressing the body’s estrogen levels.

This is not an easy task, hence the need for the right post-cycle supplements.

Restoring your body’s natural production of testosterone

• If you are supplementing with a testosterone-driving prohormone, why are your T-levels an issue?
  
  Supplementing with a synthetic form of testosterone effectively puts your body’s natural production on hold.
  
  Your body’s constant need for balance triggers this response once it realizes your testosterone levels are through the roof.
  
  At the same time, it increases your estrogen production. Again, the body likes balance.
  
  On-cycle support will help with the rise in estrogen levels but as soon as that prohormone cycle stops, you’re left with low testosterone and plenty of estrogen.

Ridding the body of estrogen while suppressing growing estrogen levels

• This is where the trouble begins.
  
  It is testosterone, not estrogen, that promotes lean muscle tissue growth and maintenance.
  
  The more estrogen you have, the faster your hard-earned muscle is going to fade way and be replaced with that feminine softness you admire so much in your girlfriend.
  
  You didn’t just spend all that time and money to throw it away, right?
  
  Therefore, your quest is two-fold on a hormonal level: increase testosterone and decrease estrogen. The right PCT can do just that.

Restore your liver to optimal functioning capacity

• You cannot forget about your liver.
  
  It is the filtration station within the body.
  
  One of the many types of services it provides you is estrogen metabolism.
  
  Since you need to boot harmful estrogen from your system, you need the liver back up and running at full speed again.
  
  The problem is that by using a prohormone, you essentially put your liver on double duty.
  
  Not only does it have its usual lineup, such as blood cleaning and bile extraction, to take care of, it must also filter and eliminate the harmful compounds from the prohormone. (Remember, a prohormone isn’t exactly the safest supplement you could be taking.You do so at your own risk.) This increased workload of filtering toxins puts the liver at risk for hepatotoxicity, which is strain and/or damage to the liver.
  
  If left unchecked, it could lead to irreparable damage.
  
  Trust me, you don’t want your liver checking out.
  
  You only have one and you need it if you plan on living to see retirement.
  
  A worthwhile PCT will assist the liver in detoxifying the body while giving it the boost it needs to get back up to speed.

As you can see, taking a PCT supplement is essential if you want to restore order in your body and hold on to the muscle you’ve earned.

Let’s take a look at the PCT ingredients that are going to give you the most bang for your buck.

Top Post-Cycle Therapy Supplements

Aromatase Inhibitor (AI)

An Aromatase Inhibitor is a must-have for post-cycle therapy.

It doesn’t block estrogen production (I’ll get to that below).

Instead, an AI latches itself on to the actual aromatase enzyme, successfully preventing it from converting testosterone into estrogen. High estrogen levels start into motion a vicious cycle of androgen (testosterone) conversion.

Once your estrogen levels are high enough, the more you try to increase your testosterone, the more estrogen you’ll produce via this conversion process.

An AI will prevent androgen conversion from happening, ensuring your testosterone levels are free to return to normal.

• Recommended AI: SAN Estrodex

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM)

A Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, or SERM, is like a smart estrogen-destroying missile with no friendly fire.

It will effectively block harmful estrogens while allowing beneficial estrogens to play their part in your body.

As mentioned above, you don’t just want to block estrogen. You need to suppress its production WHILE ensuring it doesn’t promote the androgen conversion process, turning your much-needed testosterone against you.

Combining a SERM with an Aromatase Inhibitor is going to be the one-two punch combo you need to get your body back on track.

A quick word about ethics: SERMs are typically prescription grade, meaning you need an actual prescription to legally acquire one.

There are some over-the-counter options but these are only advisable if you have selected a mild pro-hormone.

I’m not condoning the illegal purchase of SERMs; however, you should take note that as a general rule of thumb, the stronger your prohormone, the stronger your SERM needs to be.

If you have taken a hardcore prohormone such as Superdrol, then an over-the-counter SERM isn’t going to be strong enough to counteract the estrogen based side effects. I’d advise you to play it safe.

Use a mild prohormone or talk with your doctor.

• Recommended SERM: Estrodex

Natural Testosterone Boosters

Avena Sativa

• Oats, commonly used to make oatmeal and rolled oats.
• High in fiber and protein.
• In its raw form (oat straw), it is a powerful testosterone booster.
• (Research Review from Dusty R.
  
  Green, M.Ed.)

Tongkat Ali

• Root of the tree that is native to Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
• Boosts sexual performance and libido.
• Increases testosterone levels.
• (Study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition)

Ashwaganda

• Plant that is characteristically bright orange with red berries.
• Boosts testosterone levels in men.
• (Study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Forskolin

• Chemical compound in the roots of the plant, Coleus forskohlii.
• Ancient medicinal tool.
• Increases thyroid hormone levels.
• Boosts testosterone levels via production of Cyclic AMP.
• (Study published in the journal of Obesity Research & Clinical Practice)

• Recommended Testosterone Booster: Herbal-T™ Natural Testosterone Booster

ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin B6)

I made a mention of ZMA in the article for on-cycle supplementation and it’s back again as it is one of the most cost effective and research proven ways to boost your testosterone levels.

What’s more, it also gives a huge increase to your immune system.

As I mentioned before, ZMA is a supplement that you need to be taking every day of the year.

Zinc

• Boosts immunity (Study from the Proceedings Of The Nutrition Society)
• Significantly increases testosterone levels (Study published in Archives of Andrology)

Magnesium

• Boosts immunity (Study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
• Supports testosterone production (Study published in Biological Trace Element Research)

Vitamin B6

• Alleviates cognitive disorder symptoms (Study from Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics)
• Improves testosterone production (Study published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry)
• Recommended Brand: Met RX: ZMA

Vitamin D3

• Fat-soluble secosteroid.
• Can enhance absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc (excellent choice to take with your ZMA supplement).
• Can be ingested via food sources (dairy) or supplements (cholecalciferol).
• It can also be produced in the body via direct sunlight absorption.
• Improves testosterone production and increases total testosterone levels.
• (Study published in Hormone and Metabolic Research)
• Recommended Vitamin D: Solgar Vitamin D3 with Calcium and Magnesium

Supplements NOT to Take

Ergogenic Aids

There is still some debate on this.

Ergogenic aids can be summed up as any performance-enhancing supplement from mild (coffee) to extreme (borderline banned thermogenic supplements).

One side of the argument is that you’ll have enough of a boost from your prohormone.

Since growth hormone levels are increasing in your body, you may notice an amplification in aggressive drive.

This seems to be enough for most individuals.

The other side of the debate is that since the cycle is so short, you don’t have much time to pack on a great deal of muscle mass.

Therefore, you need every edge you can get.

Whether it’s on-cycle or post-cycle, proponents claim that most ergogenic aids are going to help accelerate performance as well as recovery.

My recommendation would be to gauge how you feel.

Everyone is going to have a different reaction to prohormones and the support supplements.

If you find you’re lagging in your workout on-cycle and/or post-cycle, then you may need to enlist the help of an ergogenic aid.

Personally, I think the best time to take one is post-cycle as you no longer have the constant flow of increasing growth hormone in your body to provide the same level of aggressive drive.

Save the performance booster for when you really need it, if you end up needing it at all.

Multiple Pro-hormones

Again, another subject for debate.

There are two schools of thought:

• Play it safe with one prohormone.
• Stack for success.

If this is your first prohormone experience, then I’d highly recommend using only one prohormone.

You don’t know how your body is going to react to it.

Stacking will double the risk of nasty estrogen-based side effects and the worst part about it is that you won’t be sure which prohormone is the cause.

What’s more, if a side effect does occur, by using more than one prohormone, you are increasing the intensity of that side effect.

For instance:

• Prohormone A is known to cause the preliminary stages of balding (users claim there is a 50/50 chance it may affect you)
• Prohormone B is well known to cause full on balding (users guarantee you are going to lose your hair)
• Result of using both: You can kiss your head of hair goodbye.

Again, if you’ve never used prohormones before, start with one. See how your body responds.

In the future, if you want to go for a second round, then you can make the stacked judgment call.

If you do go the stacked route, you absolutely NEED a prescription-grade SERM (see above).

There is just no way around it.

Conclusion

After all of the brutal workouts, intense nutrition, and rigid supplementation you’ve put yourself through, you have finally achieved a respectable amount of muscle mass in a short window of time.

Now comes the moment when you must stay just as dedicated, if not more so, to ensure you’re able to avoid any common side effects of your prohormone cycle.

What’s more, that hard-earned muscle mass is at risk.

If you want to restore your body’s functions to optimal levels while keeping your physique, then you must make the investment for post-cycle therapy supplementation.

Don’t let yourself become one of the prohormone horror stories you read about on the web.

Plan ahead and reap the benefits.

Ask A Question

User Questions and Answers

Should I take my cycle support while I'm taking my pro hormones -Zack

Yes, read this: https://www.supplementcritique.com/supplements-you-need-to-take-with-pro-hormones-on-cycle/- Rob

I'm about to take a 8 week cycle of 400mg of Cyponate what can I use naturally during and after to keep testerone levels up -Joe

You can take either Testofuel or Prime Male during your cycle to keep your levels up.- Rob

I want to start a prohormone cycle. I have two different pct.. one is taken during the other after. Should I take both of them -Carl

You should take cycle support for your liver and estrogen control while you're taking the prohormone. Take the PCT with testosterone boosting and estrogen control post cycle.- Rob

Is Man supp . NOVALDREN XT A prohormone or just a test booster. Do I need a pct for this product -Carl

It's technically an Aromatase Inhibitor, for blocking Estrogen, so it's often used as a pct itself.- Rob

Can you take terribulus while using prohormones -Jason

You can. Tribulus would be included in the list of supplements that can help maintain natural testosterone levels during and after your cycle.- Rob

Author: Rob Miller

Rob Miller founded SupplementCritique.com over 7 years ago, and has been the chief editor ever since. He has a diploma in Advanced Dietary Supplements Advisor, and worked at GNC for 3 years. He KNOWS supplements, both inside and out. Rob currently resides in Jupiter, FL, with his wife of 4 years.  Learn more about him in his Bio here. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook, LinkedIn, or find him on Google +. View all posts by Rob Miller