As with most oral steroids, you should be able to feel its effects approximately 2-3 weeks into the cycle. It is a good thing that you will be taking N2Guard, but I would still limit the cycle duration to a maximum of 8-10 weeks. 12 weeks are a possibility, but I would keep a close attention to the liver values during such a cycle. Regarding the German athletes, it is very hard to tell, since we don't know how was the health of their livers, so don't take them for example.