Clomid (clomiphene)

Description

Most anabolic steroids, especially the androgens, cause inhibition of the body’s own testosterone production. When a bodybuilder comes off a steroid cycle, natural testosterone production is zero and the levels of the steroids taken in the blood are diminishing. This leaves the ratios of catabolic: anabolic hormones in the blood high, hence the body is in a state of catabolism, and, as a result, much of the muscle tissue that was gained on the cycle is now going to be lost. Clomid stimulates the hypothalamus to, in turn, stimulant the anterior pituitary gland (aka hypophysis) to release gonadotrophic hormones. The gonadotrophic hormones are follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH – aka interstitial cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH)). FSH stimulates the testes to produce more testosterone, and LH stimulates them to secrete more testosterone. This feedback mechanism is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-testes axis (HPTA), and results in an increase of the body’s own testosterone production and blood levels rise, too, in part, compensate for the diminishing levels of exogenous steroids. This is vital to minimize post cycle muscle losses.