Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and NOT to promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultations.
Propionate is a fast-acting Testosterone ester, present in products such as Testoviron®.
Testosterone propionate has the ability to produce impressive gains in the early stages of a cycle.
Although it kicks in fast, it’s not the most rapid form of Testosterone, with Suspension being superior in this regard.
As Propionate is absorbed quickly, frequent injections are required to maintain peak testosterone levels. It is thus recommended to be injected every other day.
Testosterone Propionate injections can be painful for many users, regularly leaving them feeling sore or even having to limp (after injecting in the leg).
One myth about Testosterone Propionate is that it’s cheap. This is because the price for a bottle is typically lower than other Testosterone products. However, Propionate is dosed at 100mg/ml, whereas other Testosterone esters such as Cypionate or Enanthate, are dosed at 250mg/ml.
Thus, if Propionate is priced at $50 and enanthate at $100; Propionate can work out 50% more expensive.
Testosterone Prop Benefits
The general benefits of Testosterone Propionate are typically the same as cycling any other Testosterone ester.
Thus, users can experience roughly 20lbs of lean muscle (combined with some fat loss), when taking Testosterone for the first time.
Strength will also go up dramatically in the first few weeks, then slowly continue increasing until the end of your cycle.
The main difference with Propionate is that results occur in the earlier stages of a cycle, compared to slower esters (such as Enanthate or Cypionate); taking more time to kick in.
However, the end result will be the same no matter what Testosterone ester you take; as they are all essentially the same steroid (they just peak at different times).
Testosterone Propionate Side Effects
The usual side effects associated with Testosterone also apply with Propionate, such as:
- High cholesterol
- Increased blood pressure
- Risk of gynecomastia
- Oily skin or/and acne
- Hair loss
- Testosterone suppression
LDL cholesterol levels rising and HDL levels falling is typical when taking any steroid; however, it’s worth noting that Testosterone is one of the least harmful steroids for negatively affecting cholesterol. Thus, blood pressure will rise, however, if moderate dosages are taken for reasonable lengths of time — this is often manageable.
Bodybuilders can also supplement with fish oil to control BP, taking 4 grams per day throughout a cycle.
Testosterone is estrogenic, thus water retention, bloating or/and gynecomastia are all possible.
Despite Testosterone causing some fat loss (due to its androgenic nature stimulating lipolysis); it is mainly used when bulking. Thus, many users do not mind a temporary ‘smooth’, watery look.
A SERM (such as Nolvadex) may be taken to reduce the risk of gynecomastia. AI’s (anti-aromatase inhibitors) are not recommended as blocking estrogen can worsen cholesterol and blood pressure; due to the female hormone having a positive effect on HDL cholesterol.
Oily skin and acne are possible for some users, which is the result of testosterone’s strong androgenic properties (causing increased sebum production).
Hair thinning on the scalp, or recession is possible due to elevated DHT levels.
Post-cycle, when DHT drops, hair on the scalp may become thicker again; however reverse effect is unlikely in regular, long-term steroid users.
It seems ironic that by taking Testosterone, your natural testosterone crashes. However, this is the reality (as is the case with all anabolic steroids. This occurs due to the body detecting exogenous testosterone; with total levels rising excessively high, the body halts natural production (to try and maintain homeostasis).
Thus, after a cycle ends users are left with shut down endogenous testosterone, needing a PCT to help resurrect testosterone back to adequate levels. An effective PCT can usually restore hormone function in approximately 4 weeks. Without a PCT, low testosterone levels can persist for several months.
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Testosterone Propionate Cycle
Testosterone Propionate comes in bottles dosed at 1ml/100mg.
Beginner Cycle
100mg every other day, for 8 weeks.
Note: Testosterone Propionate generally isn’t advised for beginners, due to painful injections (and having to be administered frequently).
Intermediate Cycle
150mg every other day, for 8 weeks.
Advanced Cycle
200mg every other day, for 8-10 weeks.
Other supplements:
- Fish oil (4g/day)
- Nolvadex (20-40mg day)
Note: Intermediates and advanced steroid users may want to stack Testosterone Propionate with other compounds for maximum results; however, this isn’t recommended for beginners (due to additional side effects).
Testosterone Propionate Results
A first Testosterone cycle can produce the gains as seen above, in regards to muscle size and fat loss.
Users who follow the beginner cycle protocol (above) can expect a similar transformation.
Test Prop Vs Test Suspension
Testosterone Suspension is pure testosterone (no ester), thus it’s extremely fast-acting.
One benefit is Testosterone Suspension will produce faster results than propionate.
However, the downside is it requires very frequent injections (2x per day), to keep serum testosterone high. This is a lot more than propionate’s 2x per week.
Testosterone Suspension, like Propionate, can also be painful to inject.
The only situation where Testosterone Suspension might be advantageous is before a competition, where it clears out of the system quickly.
For example, someone might have a drugs test on a certain date, thus if they used Suspension they could stop taking it a few days before and not test positive. This is because Test Suspension’s detection time is 1-2 days, with a half-life of less than 24 hours.
However, Testosterone Propionate for example can be detected for up to 2 weeks, and thus you wouldn’t be able to use this closer to the competition (if being tested).
Other than for competition purposes and wanting it out of your system quickly, bodybuilders typically won’t use Testosterone Suspension; as there’s no need to inject 2x per day (when you can do so once per week).
Testosterone Prop vs Undecanoate
Undecanoate is the oral version of Testosterone, also known by the product name — Andriol or Testocaps.
Thus, for those who want to experience the benefits of Testosterone but don’t want to inject it; Undecanoate would be the ideal alternative.
Testosterone Undecanoate is also fast-acting, with testosterone levels peaking approximately 5 hours after a first dose.
Despite being an oral, Undecanoate is not liver toxic, being absorbed via the lymphatic route.
The only main advantage to taking Testosterone Propionate is that it’s a lot cheaper than Undecanoate; with Andriol being one of the most expensive steroids on the market.
Testosterone Prop vs Enanthate & Cypionate
Testosterone Enanthate and Cypionate are similar esters in many respects. They both are slow-acting, thus injections only need to be administered once every 4-5 days (compared to once every 2 days for propionate).
Due to Enanthate and Cypionate’s slower nature, results won’t happen as fast as Propionate.
However, Enanthate and Cypionate are known to be more pleasant injections, with users reporting less irritation and soreness.
Also, Enanthate/Cypionate are more affordable esters vs Propionate in the long run.
A bottle of propionate may be cheaper; however, it’s dosed at 100mg per 1ml, compared to 250mg per 1ml (for Enanthate/Cypionate).
Thus, when calculating the cost per ml, Propionate is considerably more expensive.
Cypionate and Enanthate remain the most popular esters for good reason; considering they produce the same results as Propionate, yet are cheaper and less hassle.
Summary
Testosterone Propionate is not a recommended ester, due to it being on the expensive side and often painful to inject.
However, in the right circumstance, users may opt for Propionate if they need it to clear out of their system quickly.
