What are the best supplements for post cycle therapy (PCT)? There are a range of supplements that can be used for PCT – but what are they and are they any good? Keep reading to find out.
Once you’ve successfully completed a course of prohormone supplements, you need to go straight into your post cycle recovery period which includes:
- Maintaining a high level of training intensity
- Continuing to eat clean and take your normal supplements
- Starting (and completing!) your Post Cycle Therapy regime
Ignoring or ‘forgetting’ about PCT is a red-flag newbie mistake. Let me lay it out in black and white – missing out PCT will increase the risk of you developing negative side effects and may reverse any gains you made in the past.
Some of these supplements can also be used as PCT for AAS (anabolic androgenic steroids) however we’re interested in what you can buy and sell legally. So we can’t recommend that you go down that road.
With that in mind, what supplements should you use during your PCT period?
Post Cycle Therapy – What Supplements Should You Use?
1. An Aromatase Inhibitor
An aromatase inhibitor has one main function – to stop your body from producing too much estrogen. Estrogen is the female sex hormone and is associated with side effects such as gyno (man boobs), water retention and crying at films involving Ryan Gosling and a notepad.
The best aromatase inhibitor we’ve used is Arimistane. Look for Androst 3,5-dien-7,17-dio
ne on the bottle – that’s the active ingredient.
I’ve personally had the best effects using Arimistane when I’ve cycled off it from 75mg down to 25mg per day and followed up with a natural testosterone booster (see below).
Arimistane is still legal to buy and sell in the US. For more info, check out our quick guide.
A word of caution – the terms ‘aromatase inhibitor’ and ‘estrogen blocker’ are not exclusively interchangeable. Some estrogen blockers are just herbal concoctions with fancy names and packaging. Only buy Arimistane products with Androst 3,5-dien-7,17-dione on the bottle.
(Click here to buy Arimistane)
2. A Liver Support Supplement
If you’ve been taking one of the stronger oral prohormones and then take an aromatase inhibitor, your liver is still going to be taking a pounding.
We’ve written about the importance of on cycle support as well as the best products you can take to help protect your liver.
Liver support supplements like milk thistle can be bought from Amazon (unlike Arimistane which is technically a mild designer steroid).
Or you could buy an all in one product like Blackstone Labs Gear Support which has a comprehensive on-cycle blend of ingredients.
(Click here to buy Gear Support)
3. A Natural Testosterone Booster
Purists and guys who ‘like totally know science bro’ are kicking off as they read this. They’ll tell you things like ‘Natural testosterone boosters are a waste of money blah blah.’
Maybe they’re right.
But I’m not convinced they are. In fact, I’ve noticed the opposite effect. I’ll take a natural T booster at the end of my PCT (before the normalisation/recovery period).
With certain products I’ve seen:
- Reduction in water retention
- Increased sex drive (Giggity Goo!)
- A mild increase in muscle firmness
I’ve had this with a few products including those with Tribulus terrestris and Bulbine natalensis.
I’ve also had similar results with DS Activate Xtreme which has a comprehensive list of ingredients that may increase testosterone.
My advice would be to try different natural T boosters until you find one you like and stick with it.
(Click to buy Activate Xtreme here)
Best Supplements for Post Cycle Therapy
In addition to these supplements you should continue to eat clean and take your vitamins, fish oils etc. And don’t go on any drinking binges either. That’s a bad idea at the best of times, but mixing alcohol with Arimistante is definitely a no-no.
With natural testosterone boosters, try a few and see what works. I like to run my Arimistane along with on cycle support while cycling down to 25mg a day. Then I’ll go into 4 weeks with the natural T booster before going into my normalisation period.
Have you got anything to add? Leave a comment below or send me an email.
Jack
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Thank you sharing further details about this supplements. I saw most of these on amazon and I am not satisfied with their product description. Thanks for sharing such knowledge.
James, thanks for your comment and I’m glad this post was a help. The labels on the supplements can be pretty confusing so it’s only right that we break them down and tell you what’s actually in them!
Hi what do u think having dda( aspartic acid ) in a pct? Thanks for ur info.
Hey Santi, thanks for reading and for your comment. I’ve used DAA (short for D-Aspartic-Acid) before and noticed a limited effect. I was actually stacking it with a natural testosterone booster product at the time. Where it would fit in this article would be in place of, or to complement your natural T-boost, not replace the products like a aromatase inhibitor.
The science on DAA is pretty good, but only when it comes to inactive males with low T. It has a limited effect on men who weight train. So I wouldn’t ever replace a key part of my PCT with it.