How Long After PCT To Start Another Cycle (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 6 -12 Weeks

PCT or post cycle therapy is a protocol that forms an essential part of the cycle that is followed after one is done with their performance enhancement dosages of drugs, popularly called PEDs. This helps in restoring the testosterone level inside the body after one has been through the cycle of PEDs like steroids.

Every performance enhancement drug works by depressing the production of naturally occurring testosterone in the body as the production of testosterone after ingesting PEDs is supplemented artificially by synthetic hormones. This synthesized testosterone then replaces the original natural testosterone hormone inside the body.

How Long After PCT To Start Another Cycle?

PEDs work as long as they are being taken regularly by the user. As soon as one stops taking them, the synthetic hormones which were present inside the body as a result of these performance enhancement drugs, immediately leave the body, and thereafter the body has to rely on its system for testosterone production.

Thus, after one has completed their first cycle of PEDs, one should religiously follow all the steps prescribed in the post cycle therapy to recover fast and help the body to restore and compensate for the testosterone production. The efficiency of production of hormones might take time but would gradually return to its normal level.

It might take a few weeks and sometimes even months for the body to attain the normal production level of the hormone as they have been inactive for a long duration while one was under the influence of PEDs. Thus, PCT will help the body to recover efficiently before one thinks of starting another cycle.

It is crucial to wait for a sufficient duration after the PCT is completed before starting another cycle as the body has recently recovered and restored its normal hormone-producing ability. As a general rule of thumb, time off between two cycles should at least be equal to the time one was on the preceding cycle.

Why Does It Take So Long After PCT To Start Another Cycle?

One must undergo post-cycle therapy or PCT after one has been on any performance enhancement drug cycle. Thus, it can be concluded that PCT is indeed a necessity after each cycle. However, if one wants to again start with another cycle, there has to be a time gap after PCT to do so.

There is a lot of confusion regarding the ideal time to wait after PCT to begin the next cycle. This is because not everyone’s duration of the cycle is the same and thus it becomes difficult to determine the accurate waiting time after PCT as it indirectly depends on the duration of the cycle and thus, varies from person to person.

Within the bodybuilding community, there is a general notion that “tIme on = time off”. Thus, one can consider this as a principle to determine one’s waiting period after PCT to start another cycle. However, this is not the only parameter to determine how long to wait to start the next cycle after the post-cycle therapy.

This general rule works in most cases however, one needs to also ensure that their body is functioning at its most efficient level after PCT. One must make sure that the hormone-producing capacity of the body is functioning exactly like it did in the pre-cycle period. This would mark the successful completion of PCT and hereafter one can start thinking about starting their next cycle.

Conclusion

One mustn’t take important decisions like how long to wait after PCT to start another cycle hastily. One needs to introspect and ensure that their body is fully recovered from the previous cycle before starting the next one.

Thus, after successful completion of one’s PCT cycle and after waiting for about 6 – 12 weeks if all conditions are favorable, one can start with another cycle without facing any difficulty.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627301002860
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sms.13592