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Pharmaceutical Name: Testosterone (as Propionate)
Chemical structure: 4-androstene-3-one,17beta-ol
Molecular weight of base: 288.429
Molecular weight of ester: 74.0792 (propionic acid, 3 carbons)
Testosterone propionate, after Testosterone Cypionate and Testosterone
Enanthate, is the third injectable testosterone ester that needs to be
described in detail. This makes sense because, unlike cypionate and
enanthate, both of which are widely used and well spread in Europe,
proprionate is little noticed by most athletes. The reader will now
certainly pose the question of why the characteristics of an apparently
rarely used substance are described in detail. At a first glance this
might seem a little unusual but when looking at this substance more
closely, there are several reasons that become clear. Testosterone
propionate is used on so few occasions in weight lifting, power lifting,
and body building not because it is ineffective. On the contrary, most
do not know about propionate and its application potential. One acts
according to the mottos "what you don't know won't hurt you" and "If
others don't use, it can't be any good." We do not want to go this far
and call propionate the most effective testosterone ester, however, in
certain applications it is superior to enanthate, cypionate, and also
undecanoate because it has characteristics, which the common
testosterones do not have.
The main difference between propionate, cypionate, and enanthate is the
respective duration of effect. In contrast to the long-acting enanthate
and cypionate depot steroids, propionate has a distinctly lower duration
of effect. Testosterone proprionate has a duration of effect of 1 to 2
days. An eye-catching difference, however, is that the athlete "draws"
distinctly less water with propionate and visibly lower water retention
occurs. Since propionate is quickly effective, often after only one or
two days, the athlete experiences an increase of his training energy, a
better pump, an increased appetite, and a slight strength gain. As an
initial dose most athletes prefer a 50-100 mg injection. This offers two
options: First, because of the rapid initial effect of the
propionate-ester one can initiate a several week long steroid treatment
with Testosterone Enanthate. Those who cannot wait until the depot
steroids become effective inject 250 mg of Testosterone Enanthate and 50
mg of Testosterone propionate at the beginning of the treatment. After
two days, when the effect of the propionates decreases, another 50 mg
ampule is injected. Two days after that, the elevated testosterone level
caused by the propionate begins to decrease. By that time, the effect
of the enanthates in the body would be present; no further propionate
injections would be necessary. Thus the athlete rapidly reaches and
maintains a high testosterone level for a long time due to the depot
testo. This, for example, is important for athletes who with Anadrol 50
over the six week treatment have gained several pounds and would now
like to switch to testosterone. Since Anadrol 50 begins its "breakdown"
shortly after use of the compound is discontinued, a fast and elevated
testosterone level is desirable.
The second option is to take propionate during the entire period of
intake. This, however, requires a periodic injection every second day.
Best results can be obtained with 50-100 mg per day or every second day.
The athlete, as already mentioned, will experience visibly lower water
retention than with the depot testosterones so that propionate is well
liked by body builders who easily draw water with enanthate. A good
stack for gaining muscle mass would be, for example, 100 mg Testosterone
propionate every 2 days, 50 mg Winstrol Depot every 2 days, and 30 mg
Dianabol/day. Propionate is mainly used in the preparation for a
competition and used by female athletes. And in this phase, dieting is
often combined with, testosterone to maintain muscle mass and muscle
density at their maximum. Propionate has always proven effective in this
regard since it fulfills these requirements while lowering possible
water retention. This water retention can be tempered by using Nolvadex
and Proviron. A combination of 100 mg Testosterone propionate every 2
days, either 50 mg Winstrol Depot/day or 76 mg Parabolan every 2 days,
and 25 mg Oxandrolone/day help achieve this goal and are suitable for
building up "quality muscles."
Women especially like propionate since, when applied properly,
androgenic caused side effects can be avoided more easily The trick is
to increase the time intervals between the various injections so that
the testosterone level can fall again and so there is an accumulation of
androgens in the female organism. Women therefore take propionate only
every 5-7 days and obtain remarkable results with it. The, androgenic
effect included in the propionate allows better regeneration without
virilization symptoms for hard-training women. The dosage is usually
25-50 mg/injection. Higher dosages and more frequent intervals of intake
would certainly show even better results but are not recommended for
women. The duration of intake should not exceed 8-10 weeks and can be
supplemented by taking mild and mostly anabolic steroids such as, for
example, Primobolan, Durabolin, and Anadur in order to promote the
synthesis of protein. Men who do not fear the intake of testosterone or
the possible side effects should go ahead and give propionate a try. The
side effects of propionate are usually less frequent and are less
pronounced. The reason is that the weekly dose of propionate is usually
much lower than with depot testosterones. A daily injection of 50 mg
amounts to a weekly dose of 350 mg while several depot injections easily
launch the milligram content of testosterone into the four-figure
range. When compared with enanthate and cypionate, propionate is also a
"milder" substance and thus better tolerated in the body. Those who are
convinced that they need daily testosterone injections should consider
taking propionate. The key to success with propionate lies in the
regular intake of relatively small quantities (50-100 mg every 1-2
days.)
Although the side effects of propionate are similar to the ones of
enanthate and cypionate these, as already mentioned, occur less
frequently. However, if there is a predisposition and very high dosages
are taken, the known androgenic-linked side effects such as acne
vulgaris, accelerated hair loss, and increased growth of body hair and
deep voice can occur. An increased libido is common both in men and
women with the use of propionate. Despite the high conversion rate of
propionate into estrogen gynecomastia is less common than with other
testosterones. The same is true for possible water retention since the
retention of electrolytes and water is less pronounced. The
administration of testosterone stimulating compounds such as HCG and
Clomid can, however, also be advised with propionate use since it has a
strong influence on the hypothalamohypophysial testicular axis,
suppressing the endogenous hormone production. The toxic influence on
the liver is minimal so that a liver damage is unlikely (see also
Testosterone Enanthate). What athletes dislike most about propionate are
the frequent injections that are necessary.