Test Propionate – Why Is It So Popular?
Bodybuilders around the world understand the importance of supplementing their steroid cycles with testosterone, and some rely on it alone for its muscle-building properties. There are many different forms of the hormone from which to choose, but the testosterone propionate remains a favourite among athletes for several reasons.
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Esters – Testosterone Propionate
There are many different types, or “esters”, associated with the hormone. Testosterone is the parent compound, and the ester is a molecular chain attached to the hormone that affects its release into the bloodstream. The longer the chain, or ester, the longer it takes for the parent to become available in the body.
In terms of production, the esters are added in a laboratory in order to control the hormone’s release.
Various esters have certain benefits, and different types are better in certain situations. Propionate has a very short ester and thus makes its way into the body within the first 30 minutes after administration.
Because the propionate half life is so very short, it is incredibly popular among athletes and bodybuilders who want to have the effects of their steroids in full swing during their workouts. Incorporating a propionate cycle is as easy as dosing about 30 minutes before heading out to the gym for a workout and enjoying the increased Anabolism, energy, and stamina.
The Benefits of Propionate
Bodybuilders can choose from a variety of esters for sale. These include but are not limited to:
- Cypionate
- Decanoate
- Undecanoate
- Enanthate
- Phenylpropionate
These have a variety of ester lengths, so while some of them take a long time to release into your body, others work especially quickly. Propionate has the shortest ester of them all, so it gives bodybuilders rapid results without many of the side effects associated with long-ester hormones.
For example, while Enanthate might cause things like significant water retention, propionate does not. The difference between cypionate and propionate is often argued in forums as these tend to be two of the most common and most widely available esters in the world.
Cypionate’s half-life is around eight days, which indicates a much longer ester. Due to this, it will take some time for the compound to build to full potency in the bloodstream.
However, once peak concentration is reached, it is much easier to maintain it with as little as twice-weekly dosing. For the best results, propionate must be used daily, or every other day at the very least.
How to Dose Propionate
It is also important to consider that propionate’s short ester also gives it a very short half-life of just under 24 hours. This means that a day after administration, half of the compound has already left your body. For this reason, you should use it every other day at a minimum, but you can use it daily if you prefer.
The average amount used for performance enhancement purposes varies. Learning where to inject propionate is also vital. It is an intramuscular injection, and the best location is the glute muscles, which are the largest muscles in the body and easily accessible. Simply pinch the area to be injected, insert the needle, inject slowly, and withdraw the needle.
For Maintenance:
If you stack this product with another anabolic steroid just to maintain your levels, 200mg per week divided into doses of 50mg every other day is sufficient.
For Bulking:
On the other hand, if you will use this product to gain lean muscle mass, you will need doses of about 400mg per week (100mg every other day). Some men can tolerate up to 800mg per week (200mg every other day), but you should never exceed this dose.
For Hormone Replacement:
Though it isn’t the first choice for replacement due to frequent dosing, propionate provides men with immediate relief from their symptoms, so many doctors rely on it to help men feel better as their longer-acting forms build up in their bodies.
In this case, the average dose is about 140mg each week, administered every other day in 40mg doses. The chart below shows the appropriate weekly, daily, and every-other-day propionate dosage based on goals. Remember that your dosage may be slightly different depending on your individual needs and response to this particular compound.
| Goal | Weekly Dose | Daily Dose | Every Other Day Dose |
|---|---|---|---|
Why Athletes Prefer Testosterone Propionate
Despite the fact that propionate must be administered every other day as opposed to twice weekly like other injectable forms of booster, it is still one of the most popular options out there. As mentioned, it’s mostly because many men report a sense of improved energy and wellbeing within 30 minutes to an hour after their injections
Some of the side effects associated with this ester – namely bloating, acne, and libido changes – are more noticeable with the propionate ester, but men usually find that the benefits outweigh these downfalls.
Searching can also pose a challenge for many men, and this is especially true for those who live in areas where steroids are illegal without prescriptions. Propionate is one of the most widely-prescribed esters around the world, which makes it one of the most widely available, too. Simply put, some men use propionate because it’s available to them at a reasonable price and provides all the same benefits as any other form, plus some.
Combatting Suppression
If you use propionate for more than two or three weeks, you will completely shut down your body’s ability to produce naturally. Although this is okay for the duration of your cycle, you must use supplements once your cycle ends to stimulate the natural production and ward off side effects such as Gynecomastia and testicular atrophy.
Starting three days after your last dose (or 10 days if you used a long-estered steroid in your stack), start taking a SERM like Clomid or Nolvadex. These tell your body’s pituitary gland to create hormones (luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormone), which in turn tell the testicles to make more.
Testosterone propionate is known among athletes and bodybuilders for being fast-acting. They often take it 30 minutes before a workout in order to reap its amazing benefits, including the massive energy burst and its ability to create lean muscle tissue.
