My first cycle of Ostarine was great. I ended up putting on around 15 pounds of muscle mass, and shredding off around 7-8 pounds of body fat.
Then, near the end of my Ostarine cycle, I had to ask myself: “Do I need to run a PCT for Ostarine? Or is that something I can skip out on?”
Well, in this article, we'll cover:
- Do SARMs Need PCT?
- Does Ostarine Need PCT?
- Different Kinds of PCT
- The Best PCT Protocol
- Where to Buy PCT
This is all from experience, with data and clinical trials to confirm it. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to read our ultimate guide on how to run a PCT for Ostarine.
What is Post Cycle Therapy?
PCT is short for post cycle therapy, but in order to understand what a PCT is, first you need to understand the effect SARMs and anabolic steroids have on your body.
Upon taking Ostarine, or any other selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), your body's androgen receptors are quickly “activated” and told to start building muscle mass.
The problem is, normally testosterone is what binds to those androgen receptors. So, when you're taking a SARM like Ostarine, for example, it binds to these androgen receptors, forcing your testosterone to stay in your blood stream and float around.
When your body sees this, it thinks “we must have an abundance of testosterone, otherwise there wouldn't be so much in our bloodstream.” So, it stops producing as much test.
This is what we call testosterone suppression. Different compounds and SARMs will lead to more or less testosterone suppression, so if you need a PCT is really dependent on your cycle.
How Does PCT Work?
So, as you can imagine, testosterone suppression isn't good. It means after you quit taking your Ostarine cycle, for a period of time, your testosterone levels are low.
That is, until your body can get them back up. The whole goal of a PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) is to push your natural testosterone production back up to normal very quickly.
The benefits of an Ostarine PCT are:
- Normalize Testosterone Levels Faster
- Minimize Side Effects After Cycle
- Keep Estrogen Levels Low
- Keep Your Muscle Mass Gains After Cycle
If you don't take a PCT after your cycle, there's a strong chance that you'll have low testosterone levels for a good 1-2 months before your body can get back up.
There's also a chance you could lose some of the muscle tissue and lean muscle mass you built while you were on cycle, so obviously we don't want that, right?
Click Here - America's #1 Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)
In short, yes, Ostarine PCT is necessary to get the best results. It's not mandatory, but you will get far better results, and it is far better for your health to run a PCT.
The question is, what kind of PCT?
Different Types of PCT
Before we discuss the proper PCT protocol for Ostarine (MK-2866) we first must explain the difference between the two types of PCT's that exist.
The first, is the most common post cycle therapy, consisting of two compounds:
- Nolvadex – A Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM, not SARM) that helps to keep testosterone levels and estrogen levels in check after your SARMs cycle.
- Clomid – Another Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) that increases luteinizing hormone levels, which tells your testes to start producing testosterone.
Now, this PCT protocol is typically used after anabolic steroids, so we do not recommend it as an Ostarine PCT. It's overkill; like killing an ant hill with a nuclear bomb.
You don't need to nuke your hormones for a MK 2866 PCT or SARMs PCT. They don't suppress your testosterone levels nearly as much as anabolic steroids, so something more mild is fine.
The second type of PCT is essentially just natural herbs, compounds, and healthy ingredients that will encourage your body to boost free testosterone levels.
It's far more gentle than the first kind of PCT, and has much less side effects.
Signs You Need Ostarine PCT
While I always recommend my clients to take a PCT supplement after a SARM cycle, the truth is some people might not need one. However, this is a dangerous approach to take.
It's better to take a good Ostarine PCT stack and not need one, than to not take one but end up needing it. Not taking one, but needing one, can lead to some nasty side effects.
If you want to decide for yourself though, here are some signs you need a PCT:
- Blood Work Shows Low Testosterone
- Reduced Libido After Your Cycle
- Low Energy Levels Post Cycle
- Hot Flashes, Mood Swings Post Cycle
- Pack on Excess Fat, Muscle Wasting
- You Took Ostarine in High Doses
If you experience any of those adverse effects after you cease Ostarine usage, then you should absolutely start a PCT protocol immediately. Those are all signs that your hormones are out of whack, and while it will get better naturally, it will take too long compared to if you do a PCT.
Ultimately the only way to know if you need a PCT is to get a blood test and track your free testosterone levels, as well as your other hormone levels. But, when it doubt, take a PCT.
Best PCT for Ostarine
How suppressive is Ostarine? Fortunately, it's not one of the most suppressive SARMs out there, and is actually quite mild. Remember it was initially developed for cancer patients struggling to keep on lean body mass, so it's meant to be relatively mild.
That being said, it's not a bad idea to run a PCT cycle after your Ostarine cycle. This will help you keep the lean muscle and muscle strength you built on cycle.
In my opinion, the best Ostarine PCT is called Testomax. Here's why:
- All Natural Ingredients – Testomax doesn't have nasty side effects like Nolvadex or Clomid does, because it's comprised of natural herbs and compounds that your body uses to NATURALLY increase your testosterone levels and production.
- Effective & Simple – There's no need to over complicate any sort of SARMs PCT, with weird pyramid dosing cycles, combining multiple pharmaceuticals, or more. Just 4 capsules a day of Testomax and you're good to go.
- Works Like A Charm – Unfortunately, I didn't take any PCT supplements after my first cycle, but I wish I did! I noticed a big difference when I took Testomax after my second SARMs cycle. I kept more muscle mass, kept more fat off, and felt WAY better.
Some people say that you should do a Nolvadex & Clomid PCT for Ostarine, but again, that's massive overkill. The side effects alone will do more harm than good.
Testomax is best, and many bodybuilders (myself included) love it, because it's all natural, very gentle, and will encourage luteinizing hormone and testosterone production.
Ostarine PCT Protocol
Just take 4 pills a day of Testomax, for 30 days, and you're good to go. That's it. It will take just over a few weeks, and you won't experience any of those nasty mood swings or side effects that you would from a research compound and drug like Nolvadex or Clomid.
Most people overcomplicate PCT, saying you need to do some weird cycle, it has to be just the right dose, you have to factor in half life, etc., etc., but no need to over complicate.
Just 4 pills a day of Testomax (the maximum amount) and within a month you'll be golden.
Conclusion
In summary, whether you're in professional sports, pro bodybuilding, or just a guy who wants to build muscle and burn fat to look better, it's always best if you do PCT after a typical cycle.
Even if you're taking low doses of Ostarine and have a pretty healthy diet, it's always best to take PCT supplements after your MK 2866 cycle to get your natural production of testosterone back to normal amounts.
The BEST way to do a selective androgen receptor modulator PCT is to get your bloodwork tested, but unless you're a hardcore athlete, that probably isn't necessary.
Just one bottle of Testomax is all you need. 4 pills a day. Based on my own anecdotal evidence, and the blood test results I've seen, that's more than enough to get your pituitary gland back on track, which signals your testicles to make more testosterone.
