It is fairly common that using Steroids will cause the shutdown of your natural testosterone levels (1), but there are some SARMs that can also cause side effects that will require you to make use of a PCT (Post Cycle Treatment) to make sure you remain as healthy as possible.

In the next 5 to 10 minutes, I am going to break down what exactly a SARM is, how PCTs work, and why it might be a good idea to use PCT for SARMS after you’ve gotten all swole.

What is a PCT?

A Post Cycle Treatment is a protocol you follow after your cycle of steroids or SARMs to deal with the two main consequences.

Firstly, a decrease in LH (Luteinizing hormone), FSH (Follicle-stimulating hormone), and natural testosterone. Two, a well-designed PCT is also needed to control estrogenic side effects.

The reason exogenous testosterone and some SARMS suppress your testosterone is that the body will signal the pituitary gland to stop producing LH and FSH, and as a result, the Leydig cells will stop producing testosterone.

After the exogenous testosterone is removed, Leydig cells take some time before working again, and might need a little boost!

Best PCT Products

• HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin)
• Clomid 
• Nolvadex 
• Enclomiphene 

What are SARMs?

SARMs or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators are compounds that bind to androgen receptors within the muscles and bones of the human body, acting like an agonist.

Unlike steroids which act upon all tissue, SARMs only act upon the specific receptors they are bound to.

Since SARMs are not hormones themselves, they will not have the stereotypical androgenic side effects associated with steroid use.

SARMs are therefore a safer alternative compared to steroids because not only do they not negatively impact health markers, but they don’t shut down the test factory.

How do PCTs work?

A PCT is designed to do two things:

1. Reactivating Testosterone Production

As you suppress your natural testosterone via steroids or SARMs, your LH and FSH levels will fall, and as a grand bonus, your testicles will shrink.

Goodbye summer speedy! Depending on how harsh and how long your cycle has been, the more these levels will be suppressed, the harder it will be to reactivate them to produce testosterone.

This is something you’ll want to do, as low testosterone has been linked to depression, fat gain, mood swings, loss of libido, and worst of all muscle loss. Then, your cycle was useless in the first place!

2. Managing Estrogen Levels

In case you didn’t know, men have estrogen. Also, they need it. Low estrogen has a wide variety of side effects, ask any man on Letrozole.

However, as you use a steroid or some SARMs, your estrogen will begin to rise slowly. The reason for this is an action aromatization.

Testosterone is converted into estrogen via Aromatase, and elevated estrogen has a host of side effects including moodiness, increase in fat mass, gyno (man boobs), and loss of libido.

As the testosterone in your body increases, so does your estrogen. After your cycle, however, you will still have the elevated estrogen, continuing to cause side effects.

How to build a PCT Protocol for SARMs?

SARMs are not usually known for needing a PCT, since they themselves are not androgenic, it’s unlikely they will cause the suppression of testosterone.

There are some SARMs that are however stronger than others and will require a PCT. They are the following, in order of increasing severity:

• Ostarine (Dose dependent)
• Andarine S4
• LGD-4033 Ligandrol
• RAD 140
• YK-11

Obviously, the severity of the suppression is dosing and timing dependent. But, how do you actually design a PCT – what do you need? Well, a few things.

These SARMs have been linked to suppressing testosterone levels, the latter being more suppressive.

SARMs on the other hand, due to lack of research, are a bit more complicated:

SARM	Liver Toxicity	Effects
Ostarine	Yes	Elevated Alt and AST levels (2)
Ligandrol	Possibly	Not at low doses, might be at higher doses
Rad 140	No	Little to none
Andarine	No	Little to none
YK-11	Yes	It contains a methylated group,  making it very liver toxic
S 23	Unsure	A very strong SARM, be careful
MK 677	No	Little to none
Cardarine	Yes	Increases liver fibrosis (3)
Stenabolic	No	Might even decrease liver fibrosis (6)

Good organ support will not only help your liver recover but will also help your kidneys, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other organs as needed, such as Off Cycle Organ Cleanser from Behemoth Labz which has been designed for exactly this task.

Now that we’ve covered what needs to be in your PCT, we might want to take a look at the dosage of these individual components, based on the severity of your cycle:

Cycle Severity	SERM Protocol	HCG Protocol	Organ Support Protocol
Low Severity	Clomid – None	HCG – None	Organ Support – Use if more harmful SARMs were used
Nolvadex – 20mg Daily, for 28 days
Medium Severity	Clomid – 50mg Daily for 30 days and then 25 mg daily for 15 days	HCG – None	Organ Support – Definitely advisable
Nolvadex – 20mg Daily, for 28 days
High Severity	Clomid – 50mg Daily for 30 days and then 25 mg daily for 15 days	HCG – 500 IU daily, for 10 days	Organ Support – A must
Nolvadex – 20mg Daily, for 28 days

This is a very comprehensive cover for PCT. You can adjust these doses as needed, obviously regarding side effects, personal experience, etc.

PCT Side Effects

Clomid is well known to have intense emotional side effects, causing depression, mood swings, and other mental-related issues.

Nolvadex on the other hand has a few gastric side effects like an upset stomach, some people complain about headaches, and some people experience hot flushes as well.

HCG has the typical injectable side effects, pain, and swelling around the site of injection. Other side effects include more gastric distress and an increase in libido.

Do I need a PCT for SARMs?

Yeah, it does seem that way. When it comes to SARMs and steroids, playing it safe is always going to be best really.

Making use of a well-constructed PCT will not only save your glorious gains, but will also keep you sexually healthy, perhaps keep you fertile, and in certain cases help your organs recover from the strenuous few weeks of the cycle.

There are limited drawbacks to this.

When should I start my PCT?

As soon as you finish your SARM cycle. In stark contrast, a PCT after a steroid cycle should only begin around 2 weeks after the last dose has been administered.

Quick tip, because life sometimes gets in the way, I recommend having your PCT ready as you begin your cycle.

Don’t wanna be shrugging your shoulders to your girl and saying “Shipping delay” when she’s ready to hot girl summer, and you aren’t…

How long should I take between SARM cycles?

There is no real answer to this other than, to go get your blood work checked. Have a doctor look at your hormonal levels, your liver values, and other health markers before making a decision.

The next best thing people suggest is “Time on, Time off” – meaning if you had an 8-week cycle and a 4-week PCT, that means 12 weeks off before jumping on again.

Mm… One does seem more scientific, doesn’t it? Yeah, check your blood markers.

What is the best over-the-counter PCT for SARMs?

Over-the-counter PCT products are plentiful. They’re mostly going to be focused on the same three ideas, increasing testosterone production, managing estrogen, and healing your organs.