PROFILE

Sustanon 250 is a popular testosterone blend and is without a doubt the most popular and well known blend ever made. Manufactured by Organon, the idea behind Sustanon250 was to provide the best of short and long lasting ester testosterones in a single injection. This would allow the individual to maintain stable bllod levels of the testosterones horomne with an infrequent injection schedule while simultananeously receiving fast acting benefits.

General benefits of using Sustanon 250 during a cycle are the same as using any testosterone, plus a couple of extra added bonuses due to the ester mix. Sustanon can be used less often than other versions of testosterone while still reaping the main benefits. Benefits like increased muscle mass, increased strength, increased libido and improved recovery after each training session.

Since sustanon is composed of four different ester chains that release at different times, the user does not experience the same abrupt peak and sharp decline when compared to other esters. The consistency in levels of testosterone help to minimize the chances of estrogen spikes and severe HPTA (hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis) suppression.

Although long and persistent use of any form of testosterone will cause side effects, sustanon is considered by many bodybuilders to be responsible for less abrupt sides. Of course, this is a myth, it has the same side effects as any other testosterone ester.

ESTERS

All esters have a half-life, so the release of the steroid from the ester will peak and decline at different times depending on the ester. Think of it as a sharp increase followed by a sharp decline in blood serum levels of the steroid being used. This can be a couple of hours or a couple of days.

Like all steroids, testosterone, on its own, has a very short half-life. As a result, manufacturers of synthetic testosterone use a chemical process to attach an ester chain to the testosterone base. The attachment of the ester chain to the hormone makes it oil soluble, while slowing the rate at which the steroid leaves the body. As a results, testosterone cannot attach to the androgen receptors until the ester chain has been cleaved off from the hormone.

In the end, adding the ester chain makes the steroid more manageable for dosing because the shot frequency goes down to only a couple of times per week. This is compared to several daily shots if the base hormone was being injected. The base hormone, without an ester chain, will be in and out of the body in only a few hours. This forces the user to take several daily shot in order to run an effective cycle or TRT treatment.

In order to maintain consistency in the release of testosterone from each injection, the designers of Sustanon 250 used four esters in the same oil carrier. The intention in mixing four esters is to allow for a cascading effect, using the different peaks and troughs of the different ester to keep levels fairly steady. By combining esters of different lengths, they created a somewhat perfect TRT steroid. The shorter propionate ester will peak quickly, while the mid-length ones like phenylpropionate build up, and the shorter-to-mid-length esters decline sharply; at the same time, the longer decanoate ester is just reaching its peak release.

TESTOSTERONE DECANOATE 100MG

This is one of the longest ester used in any steroid. It has a very long half-life, over 2 weeks (around 15 days), which means the active life of the ester is almost a month. In simple terms, from the time you inject decanoate, it takes roughly 30 days to leave your system. Though, you can expect the peak of this ester to be around 11-12 days not 15.

Interestingly, the decanoate ester is the main reason sustanon is considered a “once a month” drug. Users tend to think you can inject one injection of sustanon per month based on this ester alone. This is true for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), but it’s a complete fallacy for bodybuilding. Think of it this way, by the time you get to day 11-15 (~2 weeks in), you peaked and you used up most of the steroid. Therefore, you need another injection to keep blood levels steady.

TESTOSTERONE ISOCAPROATE 60MG

This ester is a mid-range release ester, and it’s used to bridge the gap between the release of propionate and the decanoate ester. Since it has a 9 day half-life, I never understood why it was used instead of cypionate or enanthate, which have a similar half-life. I suspect this has to do with price.

Knowing that sustanon was designed for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), we can safely assume the margins on it are high. It’s well known that Organon is making 500%+ margins on this steroid. As a result, using more expensive esters isn’t necessary. Why change what works, right? If they add the more effective cypionate or enanthate esters, they’ll end up shaving margins and losing money.

TESTOSTERONE PHENYLPROPIONATE 60MG

This is another mid-range ester used to keep testosterone levels steady as the propionate ester disappears from the system and the user waits for the decanoate ester to kick in. Though, some studies show testosterone phenylpropionate to have a 5.5 day half-life, it’s widely believed the half-life is around 4.5 days. The same as propionate. Again, it’s odd this ester is used when it has a half-life that’s very similar to propionate.

I believe the phenylpropionate chain is used because base propionate has a shorter half-life than most scientists believe, and it varies from individual to individual. Meaning, different men process exogenous testosterone differently. As a result, the phenyl version of propionate is added as a safety net for steady testosterone levels.

TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE 30MG

The propionate ester is one of the shortest esters used in any steroid preparation, and it’s one of the most popular versions of testosterone ever used. When used alone, testosterone propionate should be injected every other day (EOD). In the sustanon 250 formula, injections can be done weekly since the isocaproate and phenylpropionate ester are just starting their full release as the propionate ester wears out.

The reported half-life of propionate is around 4.5 days, but it’s believed to be closer to 3 days by many bodybuilders. This might have something to do with the way the ester is cleaved off by different men with different health levels.

Basically, the propionate ester is the base of the sustanon formula. It’s added as a TRT drug because it gives men with the usual TRT symptoms an immediate boost. Think of it this way, after years of low libido, depression and weight gain caused by low testosterone levels, you feel great within days of your first sustanon injection. Therefore, you can call the propionate addition to the sustanon TRT formula a psychological boost more than anything.

INJECTING

While it’s not necessary, some users end up injecting sustanon every 3 days. They feel it helps them take advantage of the propionate ester and keep a more consistent release of the drug. Although the pharmaceutical reason for the four ester was to spare the user multiple shots per week, it seems bodybuilders think the best way to take this ester mix is every 3 days. However, this is not the best way to dose sustanon. The most optimal injection schedule is every 5 days. In fact, most users will inject once a week without any issues.

DOSAGES AND USES

Most bodybuilders inject anywhere from 250mg to 1,500mg per week, with 500mg to 750mg being the most common dose. Some users feel they harness the full power of the propionate ester when they inject sustanon 250 every third day. This is not necessary, as weekly injections work fine.

CYCLES

Sustanon cycles are almost always wet bulking cycles. In order to prevent water retention Id suggest taking Nolvadex or Arimidex. Sustanon is normally used in bulking cycles, in fact I havent seen anyone who was trying to get leaner while taking Sustanon.

SUSTANON 250 BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE BULKING CYCLE

*ew = every week (per week)
*ed = every day (per day)

SIDE EFFECTS

Side-effects from using Sustanon 250 are consistent with side-effects of any testosterone. They include water retention and gynecomastia (bitch tits) from testosterone’s conversion to estrogen by the aromatase enzyme. Users on Sustanon also risk side-effects like hair loss and swelling of the prostate, mainly from testosterone’s conversion to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the 5-reductase enzyme. Both of these side-effects can be minimized with the use of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like nolvadex (tamoxifen) or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) like aromasin.

Higher levels of testosterone also cause more oil to be secreted on the skin; thus, increasing your chances of getting acne. In addition, you will be more prone to sweating and your urine will have a “solvent-like” smell if you exceed 500-750mgs of sust per week.

Bad cholesterol levels are also a problem while using testosterone. You should watch your diet, add high quality omega-3 fats, probiotics and fiber (psyllium husk).

HALF-LIFE

• Testosterone decanoate 15 days
• Testosterone isocaproate 9 days
• Testosterone phenylpropionate 4.5 days
• Testosterone propionate 4.5 days