History

Testosterone Propionate was the first testosterone ester invented back in the 1930s. Powerlifting and bodybuilding owe their popularity to the drug. Today, Testosterone Propionate and its analogues are not available at drugstores, however, the drug still heads the rating of sports pharmaceuticals.

Chemical structure

Testosterone Propionate is one of the most popular steroids in bodybuilding. Testosterone propionate aims at the muscle mass and strength gain, but due to some peculiarities of action it is often used during the cutting phase. It is one of testosterone esters.

Testosterone is a hormone serving as a base molecule for most hormonal (androgenic) drugs. A new drug is synthesized by changing a molecule of testosterone (adding or removing atoms). For example, Testosterone Propionate is a molecule of testosterone with an ester of propionic acid attached (the latter one determines pharmacological properties and characteristics of the substance).

Characteristics

  • Anabolic effect – 100% of the one of testosterone.
  • Androgenic effect – 100% of the one of testosterone (high).
  • Aromatization (conversion into estrogen) – high (anti-estrogens needed)
  • Suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis – expressed
  • Toxicity to the liver – absent
  • Mode of administration – injection
  • Drug effect – 2-3 days
  • Detection time – 4 weeks

Effects

  • It initiates gene transcription, whereby changing nitrogen balance into positive one.
  • Increases insulin-like growth factor level in the muscles and liver.
  • Stimulates satellite cells proliferation in the muscle tissue, leading to hyperplasia and muscle recovery
  • It should be noted that all esters have almost the same mode of action, the difference being only in the activity and predominant directional effect.
  • Muscle mass gain
  • Fat burning
  • Better-defined muscles
  • Boosted power performance
  • Increased libido
  • Lower risk of ischemic and coronary heart diseases
  • It has short-term drug effect. Injections are usually given every other day. This is one of the main disadvantages of propionate as compared with its longer-lasting analogues, for example, enanthate. The second major drawback is its high cost (by contrast with enanthate again). It can be applied during both bulking and cutting phases.
  • Another peculiarity of the drug is that, in case of properly administered dosage, the drug causes no water retention or a minimum one. Therefore, Testosterone Propionate does not sharply increase the body weight by 5-6 kg during a couple of weeks (as in case of enanthate application), but the gained muscle mass is drier and better.
  • Once in the body, the drug is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, so that the effect is observed after the first injection. Besides, the drug has a short run-out period. For the above reasons, athletes prefer taking enanthate during the bulking phase and opt for propionate during the cutting one. The drug can be applied by athletes of all levels, from the beginners to the most experienced ones.

Side effects

  • The most common complaints are pain, irritation and redness at the injection site. The problem deepens due to the need of highly frequent injections. Boosted aggression is observed.
  • Side effects of testosterone propionate are associated with its heavy aromatizing property. It converts into estrogens and dihydrotestosterone and, as in case of any other testosterone ester, high dosages may cause:
  • Gynecomastia
  • Acne
  • Scalp hair loss
  • Hirsutism (body excessive hairiness)
  • Enlarged prostate (especially in the elderly)
  • Masculinization (in women)
  • The drug suppresses testosterone production. Usually, in 2-3 months after the course completion there is recovery of testosterone production observed. In case of long-term courses, it is necessary to take 500 IU of gonadotropin once a week, starting from the second one. Practice shows that moderate doses of the drug do not affect liver, kidney or any other internal organs. Women are not recommended to take the drug in a view of its high androgenic activity.

Dosages and Uses

Testosterone Propionate may be used separately for a course, but better effect is achieved when it is combined with other drugs. Those athletes who just started taking steroids are recommended to take 50mg of propionate every other day. More experienced ones can take 100mg daily or even more.

Be sure to take anti-estrogens, for example, Proviron or aromatase inhibitors, as usually, starting from the second week, in order to avoid gynecomastia, water retention and other estrogenic effects. Once the course is completed, the post-cycle therapy takes place (most often Tamoxifen-based). Besides, it is advisable to take cortisol blockers to maintain gained weight. Be sure to follow a mass gain diet and to take sport nutrition.

Cycles (Courses)

Combined Courses

On the cutting phase it is well combined with Stanozolol, Trenbolone acetate, Masteron, Primobolan and some other drugs. Propionate is an integral component of testosterone esters blends such as Sustanon or Omnadren, which allows to immediately feel the effect of the steroid.

Here is an example of a Propionate-based cycle for the cutting phase, which will work for the beginners:

Propionate – 50mg every other day

Winstrol – 30mg daily (starting with 10mg and making it 30mg in the end of the week).

In 6 weeks anabolic steroids should be withheld and in 3-4 days one should start the PCT.

This course demonstrates synergistic effect of the drugs, i.e. the effect produced is better than in case of separate administration. At the same time, there is lower risk of side effects. Some experienced athletes make local propionate injections into target muscles (biceps, deltoids, shin muscles) for muscle mass gain, but the effectiveness of this approach is under the question. 

All forms of steroid produce resorptive effect only, so there is no local effect on the muscle. If the drugs, which were administered intramuscularly, stimulated local muscle cells hypertrophy, there would be asymmetric growth observed (similar to the results obtained after taking Synthol).