Feedback Control

[GUARDIAN]

This system allows the body to maintain hormonal equilibrium by increasing or decreasing hormone production.

Now LH is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. When testosterone levels fall the anterior pituitary gland picks up on this and thus produces more LH. Increased LH signals the testes to increase testosterone levels and once testosterone levels reach a certain level LH production shuts down.

Does anyone know what this level is?

 

[GUARDIAN]

bump

 

[Tatyana]

Oh man, now you are going to make me dig out endocrinology text books.

One thing, it is probably quite variable, as the range for testosterone is quite wide, and also, the size of the various organs involved are also varied.

While we are the same, with the same 4 little nucleotides that make DNA, the same cells that make tissues and then organs, with the same biochemical reactions and hormonal systems, within this, there is a HUGE amount of biochemical individuality.

 

[nydj66]

Accordong to Dr. Swale (HRT expert), 200mg/week of exogenous testosterone is enough to eliminate endogenous testosterone production.

Now, 200mg/week of test enanthate would be 138mg/wk of base testosterone which is about 4 times the 35mg/week that the male body would produce naturally.

 

[GUARDIAN]

Accordong to Dr. Swale (HRT expert), 200mg/week of exogenous testosterone is enough to eliminate endogenous testosterone production.

Now, 200mg/week of test enanthate would be 138mg/wk of base testosterone which is about 4 times the 35mg/week that the male body would produce naturally.

is there any true advantage of using hcg during your cycle if your exogenous testosterone is well above 200mg ew other than for testicular shrinkage? i hear people's arguments for its use during cycle rather than for pct. they say it is to prepare the testes for clomid and that if you use it during pct it can actually be counterproductive due to the rapid rise in testosterone levels and can further lead to longer periods of hpta.

Thoughts or comments?

 

[nydj66]

is there any true advantage of using HCG - human chorionic gonadotropin - during your cycle if your exogenous testosterone is well above 200mg ew other than for testicular shrinkage? i hear people's arguments for its use during cycle rather than for PCT - post cycle therapy - . they say it is to prepare the testes for clomid and that if you use it during PCT - post cycle therapy - it can actually be counterproductive due to the rapid rise in testosterone levels and can further lead to longer periods of hpta - hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis - .

Thoughts or comments?

I have seen post that state that on long cycles, the number of leydig cells in your testes will actually decrease. I still haven't seen a study to confirm this but it would explain why some men seem to never fully recover from a cycle.

If that's true, it would be a very strong argument for using HCG on-cycle.

 

[GUARDIAN]

I did a little more research and found that when steroids were not controlled substances and doctors could actually supervise cycles they prescribed HCG both during and after cycles.

"HCG was given during a cycle to counteract the effects of high concentrations of estrogen produced from aromatization of androgens. Once estrogen levels increase, the body shuts down production of LH which in turn reduces testosterone output. Taking HCG after a cycle serves to boost the body's production of testosterone."

 

[access]

Tat did you locate anything at all more to add to this?