Testosterone Propionate

Testosterone Propionate is the shortest estered testosterone preparation available on the market currently. It does everything you’d expect from testosterone, but anecdotally seems to promote less water retention than longer estered versions of the product.

Testosterone is the hormone which served as the base molecule for all anabolic steroids currently on the market today. By adding or subtracting from it, all steroids we see currently in circulation, were developed. It is both a highly anabolic and highly androgenic hormone, having an anabolic (muscle building) as well as anabolic rating of 100 each, respectively. Testosterone exerts the majority of its effects by initiating gene transcription in a very specific manner, thereby promoting increased nitrogen retention in the muscle. ^[1]Testosterone is also known to increases levels of the growth factor IGF-1 in both the muscle tissue as well as the liver.^[2] Testosterone also increases the activity of satellite cells,^[3] which are cells that play an active role in repairing exercise-damaged muscle. As previously stated, Testosterone exerts these effects primarily by genomic mechanisms, meaning that it binds to the androgen receptor (AR) thus initiating the aforementioned gene transcription. This particular stimulation of the AR promotes various of the AR dependant mechanisms for both muscle gain and fat loss ^[4], as well as reducing catabolic glucocorticoid hormones ^[4], and increasing red blood cell production ^[5]. Testosterone may even aid in protecting the heart against coronary disease.^[6] It also has a pronounced effect on aggression. ^[7]

Since Testosterone occurs naturally in both the male and female body, and this particular version of testosterone clears the body relatively quickly, it’s often the testosterone of choice for drug tested athletes. Drug-test-passing levels of testosterone can often be had relatively quickly upon cessation of this product

As with any form of testosterone, Testosterone Propionate (often just called “prop”), once in the body, is partially converted to both estrogen as well as Dihydrotestosterone. These are often the cause of many side effects such as gynocomastia, water retention, hair loss and prostate enlargement. Also, as with most steroids, injected testosterone propionate will inhibit your natural testosterone levels and HPTA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Testicular Axis). The advantage with testosterone propionate, in this respect, is that it will clear your system more quickly than other versions, and allow you to begin recovery more rapidly.

Typically, testosterone propionate is stacked with other quick acting injectables, and is usually reserved for cutting cycles, where short esters are preferred. Trenbolone Acetate and Masteron are typically used in such cycles.

Sometimes experienced users will actually employ a strategy known as "frontloading" with testosterone propionate. They usually use the rapid onset time of testosterone propionate to gain quick results in strength and weight, while also using a longer estered testosterone concurrently, and allowing the longer ester to “kick in” a few weeks into the cycle.

Unfortunately, Testosterone Propionate is the most expensive testosterone to use, due to the injection frequency and high demand on the black market- where it is readily available. Currently, it runs about $40-60 for a 10-20ml bottle dosed at 100mgs/ml, which will only last a couple of weeks for the average user.