Okay, I ordered the third edition of "The Steroid Bible" by Steve Gallaway a while back in the mail and it just arrived today. I've been reading it all day and I've come to a section of the book that I find intriguing. Here is the passage:
"Anabolic steroids are powerful muscle building agents because they promote muscle growth through two effective processes. Anabolic steroids increase the speed at which new muscle cells are produced while blocking the effects of cortisol, a muscle destroying hormone. Muscle cells contain specific receptor sites that are designed to receive molecules with specific shapes. Anabolic steroids and cortisol have similar molecular shapes. As a result, the same receptor sites that receive anabolic steroids receive cortisol. In order for a hormone to exert it's effects it must be received by a receptor site. When anabolic steroids are used, the amount of anabolic hormones present in the blood stream far outweighs the amount of catabolic hormones in the blood stream. Thus, the majority of the receptor sites that can accommodate these hormones are full of molecules that produce anabolic effects. These anabolic molecules produce a two fold increase in muscle production as they keep the catabolic molecules out of the receptor sites, and they increase the rate at which new muscle cells are being produced. The body's natural method for regulating muscle growth is overriden. However, there is a catch.
The body continues to produce catabolic molecules, primarily in the form of cortisol. The level of cortisol in the blood stream continues to increase because the cortisol molecules cannot be processed through receptor sites that are filled with anabolic steroid molecules. Eventually, the number of anabolic and catabolic molecules in the blood stream reach an equal level. When a receptor site frees up it has an equal chance of receiving an anabolic or catabolic molecule. Eventually, half of the receptor sites contain anabolic molecules and half of the receptor sites contain catabolic molecules. At this point further muscle growth is not possible. A plateau is reached."
I thought that was an excellent breakdown of how a plateau actually occurs. My question is kind of difficult to word, but let me try ........ say you are 8 weeks into a 12 week cycle and you reach a plateau. The levels of anabolic molecules that are attached to receptor sites are now equivalent to the level of catabolic molecules that are attached to receptors sites....so when you go off gear and begin PCT, what exactly is occuring to stop cortisol (the catabolic hormone) from dominating receptor sites and eating away all that new muscle tissue that you gained while on cycle? If clomid is included in ones PCT, I know that clomid brings up your natural test production to a level needed to maintain the new muscle you have just gained but is that the reason you keep gains? Is clomid just kickstarting your testes to produce a level of anabolic molecules that is equal to the number of catabolic molecules so the plateau is maintained when coming off cycle? Do you guys understand my question?
If this is indeed what is occuring, then how do other alternatives to clomid act similarly to work towards maintaining gains during ones PCT?
This passage was great in that it helped me understand the science up to the point of reaching a plateau, but I guess what I'm looking to learn is the science beyond a plateau....how do all of these compounds that we incorporate into our PCT (clomid, ect.) actually help us to
retain gains (scientifically)?
