Sustanon 250

We happened to come across a very interesting Reddit sub where a rank noob was looking to use Sustanon for his first steroid cycle instead of Test-E.

As expected, he got ripped a new one.

That’s not the interesting part.

Someone commented on the sub that:

‘Sustanon 250 was created in a marketing room. Not in a lab’

We almost choked on that one.

To think of it, the discussion is about one of the most widely used exogenous testosterone blends for hormone replacement in the world.

But where does it fit in from a bodybuilding perspective? Is it any better than single esters? Or is it a waste of money?

Today, we talk about Sustanon 250 as a performance enhancing drug rather than as a therapeutic one.

And during the discussion, we debunk some myths, talk about some facts and present some quibbles that we have (personally) with Sustanon 250.

An overview of Sustanon 250

Sustanon 250 is a blend of four testosterone esters manufactured by Oragon Pharmaceuticals.

Along with Nebido and Testogel, Sustanon is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for Hormone replacement therapy in men suffering from Hypogonadism.

It contains:

• Propionate – 30mg
• Isocaproate – 60mg
• Phenylpropionate – 60mg
• Decanoate – 100mg.

All of these esters have different half-lives.

Test-P has the shortest half-life of 3.5 days, followed by Test-PhenylP at 4.5 days. Isocaproate has a half-life of about 9 days while Decanoate is 15 days.

So, it would be safe to say that Sustanon-250 has a half-life of about 15 days, which means that you’d need just one injection every two to three weeks.

The argument behind the use of a blend of testosterone esters is that the continual esterization stabilizes the level of the hormone in the blood stream requiring less-frequent pins.

The shorter esters are released first into the blood stream giving instant results followed by the longer ones which stabilizes the levels. 

But this theory has been trashed both by bodybuilders as well as by some researchers who cite that single long, slow acting esters might provide more stable hormone levels as compared to the blend.

Results with Sustanon 250

Sustanon 250 is just plain exogenous Testosterone in the end.

It’s just the different esters that kick-in at different stages of the cycle.

And that’s what makes it a good compound to start your first steroid cycle with. We would still recommend that you use Test-P or Test-E to be honest.

But if you get access to Sustanon easily, then it’s not a bad choice at all.

So, the results that you get with Sustanon will be exactly what you can expect from a testosterone cycle.

Increased Protein Synthesis:

Enhanced protein synthesis is the bedrock on which anabolism is based. In simple terms, your body is continually building lean muscle tissue. Every gram of protein that you consume is being utilized towards this. This is one of the primary reasons why people are able to gain muscle faster while they are on anabolic steroids.

Increased Nitrogen retention:

With almost 16% Nitrogen in lean muscle tissue, it is crucial that our bodies are able to retain as much nitrogen as possible to remain in the anabolic state. Sustanon 250 boosts nitrogen retention directly promoting anabolism. The result of these two is a significant increase in lean muscle mass.

Endurance and recovery:

Testosterone will amplify the rate at which your body produces RBC. This in turn leads to better oxygenation, thereby improving recovery time and endurance. You can blindfold and waltz your way through three-hour mammoth lifting sessions without as much as breaking a sweat. In fact, you’d be wanting more by the time you are done.

IGF­-1:

There’s no other peptide hormone that’s so powerful in inducing cell growth as IGF-1. It is endogenously produced in the body by the liver. But Sustanon and other exogenous testosterone esters stimulate the liver to produce more of it. This has a positive effect on just about everything. You grow faster. You are able to lift better. Your body recovers faster.

Reduced stress hormones:

Sustanon suppresses the levels of Cortisol and other glucocorticoid hormones which negate the anabolic state to an extent. Not only do these hormones promote fat gain, they also cannibalize on hard-earned muscle tissue.

The side effects of Sustanon

One of the reasons why most experts suggest that you begin your first steroid cycle with testosterone is that most of the side effects are predictable and can very easily be controlled provided you know what you are getting into.

But, the four different esters make it like a rollercoaster ride for a lot of people. There’s a sudden high as the fast acting esters kick in followed by a crash. That’s why we personally prefer Test-E or Test-P over Sus.

Gynecomastia:

Exogenous Testosterone is a highly aromatizing hormone which means that it will convert to estradiol and subsequently to Estrogen. This means that there’s a high risk of developing Gynecomastia. However, the risk can be negated to a large extent by using an AI or a SERM during the entire course of the cycle.

Water retention:

Even if you are diligent with your diet, some percentage of the gains that you make during a testosterone cycle will be water. If you are prone to estrogenic sides then you can gain a lot of water which ups the risk of high blood pressure. Using an AI should prevent extreme bloating and water retention though.

Androgenic side effects:

Testosterone is one of the most powerful androgens in the world that can cause androgenic side effects like thinning of hair, acne and accelerated body hair growth. If you start to notice androgenic side effects during your Sustanon cycle, you can add a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor like Finasteride to the cycle to minimize the sides. This will not completely stop the effects mind you. But it will limit the damage.

Cholesterol:

Sustanon can affect the levels of HDL. However, the severity is not even close to what oral steroids can cause.

Shut down:

Sustanon 250 will shut your body’s natural testosterone production down completely. A PCT plan that includes SERMS and HCG must be started three weeks after you take your last injection for quick recovery.

Sustanon dosage and cycles

If this is the first time you are using Sustanon 250, then one injection twice a week should more than suffice. 500mg/week is a good starting dose for Testosterone and one that can be tolerated safely.

A normal cycle lasts for 8-12 weeks depending on the person’s goals.

However, seasoned users might use up to 1000 mg/week or even more. At doses that high, the risk of side effects gets very serious though.

Sustanon 250 can be stacked with just about any other steroid.

The present findings suggest that the 8-week injection of Su, either with or without concurrent RT upregulation of enzymatic antioxidant activities and RT, did not attenuate the increase of enzymatic activities due to the Su administration. Furthermore, Su abuse in this dose did not make any severe liver damage.

Interv Med Appl Sci. 2017 Sep; 9(3): 178–183.

Interv Med Appl Sci. 2017 Sep; 9(3): 178–183.

To sum it up

Sustanon 250 is one of the easiest steroids that you can find in UG labs. However, it also happens to be one of the most expensive ones.

From a bodybuilding perspective, Test-E which is cheaper will give you equally good results.