Testosterone question

[ThePossum]

Hey guys, I have a testosterone question. Let me first say this is purely for my research and learning. For those of you with whom I have recently corresponded (Looking at you Buen!), I realized that maybe I don’t know as much as I thought I did. After years off and weight gain following a surgery I now realize I need to get my BF% WAY down before I look at AAS. Buen and DG set me straight on that one! So, this question is purely out of scientific curiosity, is all theoretical, and part of my research for the distant future, and I am NOT planning a cycle right now. So please don’t torch me for talking about it!

I’m on TRT. My pre-TRT test level was just under 300. Just had my check and I’m cruising at a level of just over 700 on my steady TRT.
My question is about how the AAS-type benefits increase as related to blood test levels.

If a person is baseline 700, are additional muscle-building benefits available by increasing the level to the 1000-1500 range (which I figure would look like a low-dose test cycle on top of TRT)? Or does the valuable rate of return only increase once you start to go over 1500? Ultimately, does it matter or make a difference (in terms of a steady test level) to see levels at 1000 instead of 700? Or does the man with 1000 pretty much going to have the same benefit as the 700 level since both are pretty much in “normal” range?
I see so much conflicting info on “low dose test cycles” out there.
What is your opinion on low dose test cycle?

 

[RickRock]

Hey guys, I have a testosterone question. Let me first say this is purely for my research and learning. For those of you with whom I have recently corresponded (Looking at you Buen!), I realized that maybe I don’t know as much as I thought I did. After years off and weight gain following a surgery I now realize I need to get my BF% WAY down before I look at AAS. Buen and DG set me straight on that one! So, this question is purely out of scientific curiosity, is all theoretical, and part of my research for the distant future, and I am NOT planning a cycle right now. So please don’t torch me for talking about it!

I’m on TRT. My pre-TRT test level was just under 300. Just had my check and I’m cruising at a level of just over 700 on my steady TRT.
My question is about how the AAS-type benefits increase as related to blood test levels.

If a person is baseline 700, are additional muscle-building benefits available by increasing the level to the 1000-1500 range (which I figure would look like a low-dose test cycle on top of TRT)? Or does the valuable rate of return only increase once you start to go over 1500? Ultimately, does it matter or make a difference (in terms of a steady test level) to see levels at 1000 instead of 700? Or does the man with 1000 pretty much going to have the same benefit as the 700 level since both are pretty much in “normal” range?
I see so much conflicting info on “low dose test cycles” out there.
What is your opinion on low dose test cycle?

Going from 700ng/dl to 1000 probsbly won't give much noticeable benefit because you are technically still in the physiological range. It's generally getting your levels much higher than that that brings the big gains. It doesn't take a big test dose to give that either. Running 300mg of test per week could put you anywhere between 2000-3000 test levels

 

[ThePossum]

Thanks Rick! And that sort of leads into the next question I was going to ask. If somebody is not on TRT, then you assume there is some amount of suppression during the cycle, meaning the injected test is the only source as natural production is shut down, right? So you say around 300 mg could put you at supraphysiological levels. Is that 300 on top of TRT or 300 while assuming there is no natural production? Or 300 total when combined with TRT? Thanks again guys

 

[buen]

ANY amount of injected test (even a trt dose or less) suppresses your natural test production 100%

Suppression isn't on a gradient... there is no such thing as being a little suppressed

It's like being pregnant..you either are or you aren't

 

[RickRock]

Thanks Rick! And that sort of leads into the next question I was going to ask. If somebody is not on TRT, then you assume there is some amount of suppression during the cycle, meaning the injected test is the only source as natural production is shut down, right? So you say around 300 mg could put you at supraphysiological levels. Is that 300 on top of TRT or 300 while assuming there is no natural production? Or 300 total when combined with TRT? Thanks again guys

I don't understand the question. If you are on any outside source of test whether it's a cycle or TRT there is no natural production, so 300mg is 300mg. You aren't adding it to anything

 

[potterfitness]

300 is 300

 

[DylanGemelli]

ANY amount of injected test (even a trt dose or less) suppresses your natural test production 100%

Suppression isn't on a gradient... there is no such thing as being a little suppressed

It's like being pregnant..you either are or you aren't

LOLL perfect example though!

 

[ThePossum]

Cool, I see what y’all are saying. It’s on or off when it comes to suppression. So if on TRT and/or a test cycle, you assume you have no natural production. So then a total of 300mg a week (injected) is enough to go beyond normal physiological levels. Makes sense, as most TRT doses to keep in “normal” range seem to be 100-200 mg per week, so 300 would bump you over the “normal mark”. Then doses of 500 to 1000 put you way over.

 

[RickRock]

Cool, I see what y’all are saying. It’s on or off when it comes to suppression. So if on TRT and/or a test cycle, you assume you have no natural production. So then a total of 300mg a week (injected) is enough to go beyond normal physiological levels. Makes sense, as most TRT doses to keep in “normal” range seem to be 100-200 mg per week, so 300 would bump you over the “normal mark”. Then doses of 500 to 1000 put you way over.

Yes, that is correct. Even 200mg per week puts a lot of people over normal range, and obviously any dose higher than that puts you even more and more out of range