Testosterone Propionate: The Ultimate Guide

What Is Testosterone Propionate?

Propionate is a fast-acting testosterone ester, present in products such as Testoviron®.

Testosterone propionate has the ability to produce significant gains in the early stages of a cycle.

Although it kicks in fast, it’s not the most rapid form of testosterone, with suspension being superior in this regard.

How Many Injections Are Required?

As propionate is absorbed quickly, frequent injections are required to maintain peak testosterone levels (1). It is thus recommended to be injected every other day.

Testosterone propionate injections can be painful in our experience, regularly leaving users feeling sore or even having to limp (after injecting in the leg).

One myth about testosterone propionate is that it’s cheap. This is because the price of a bottle is typically lower than for other testosterone products. However, propionate is dosed at 100 mg/ml, whereas other testosterone esters, such as cypionate or enanthate, are dosed at 250 mg/ml.

Thus, if propionate is priced at $50 and enanthate at $100, propionate can be 50% more expensive.

What Are the Benefits of Testosterone Propionate?

The general benefits of testosterone propionate are typically the same as those of any other testosterone ester.

We see users experiencing roughly 20 pounds of lean muscle (combined with some fat loss) when taking testosterone for the first time.

Strength will also go up dramatically in the first few weeks, then slowly continue increasing until the end of a cycle.

The main difference with propionate in our experience is that results occur in the earlier stages of a cycle, compared to slower esters (such as enanthate or cypionate) taking longer to kick in.

However, the result is the same regardless of what testosterone ester you take, as they are all essentially the same steroid (they just peak at different times).

What Are the Side Effects of Testosterone Propionate?

The usual side effects associated with testosterone also apply to propionate, such as:

• Cholesterol alterations
• Increased blood pressure
• Risk of gynecomastia
• Oily skin and/or acne
• Hair loss
• Testosterone suppression

Cholesterol Alterations

LDL cholesterol levels rise and HDL levels fall when taking any steroid. However, it’s worth noting that testosterone is one of the least harmful steroids for negatively affecting cholesterol in our testing.

Increased Blood Pressure

Blood pressure will rise from testosterone propionate use. However, if therapeutic dosages are taken for reasonable lengths of time, the effect can be manageable.

We have seen bodybuilders reduce spikes in blood pressure by supplementing with fish oil, taking 4 grams per day throughout a cycle (2).

Risk of Gynecomastia

Testosterone is estrogenic, so the following are all possible:

• Water retention
• Bloating
• Gynecomastia

Despite testosterone causing some fat loss (due to its androgenic nature stimulating lipolysis), it is mainly used when bulking. Thus, many users do not mind a temporary, smooth, watery look.

We find SERMs, such as Nolvadex, to be effective in reducing the risk of gynecomastia. AIs (anti-aromatase inhibitors) are not recommended, as blocking estrogen can worsen cholesterol and blood pressure due to estrogen having a positive effect on HDL cholesterol.

Oily Skin and Acne

Oily skin and acne are possible for some users (3), which is the result of testosterone’s strong androgenic properties (causing increased sebum production).

Hair Loss

Hair thinning on the scalp, or recession, is possible due to elevated DHT levels.

In some cases, we have noticed that when DHT drops post-cycle, the hair on the scalp becomes thicker again. However, those who take androgenic compounds long-term will be more susceptible to permanent hair loss.

Testosterone Suppression

It seems ironic that, by taking testosterone, your natural testosterone crashes. However, this is the reality (as is the case with all anabolic steroids). This occurs due to the body detecting exogenous testosterone, with total levels rising excessively high, causing the body to halt natural production (to try and maintain homeostasis).

Thus, after a cycle ends, users are left with shut-down endogenous testosterone, needing a PCT to help resurrect testosterone back to adequate levels. We find that an effective PCT can usually restore hormone function in approximately 4 weeks. Without a PCT, low testosterone levels can persist for several months (4).

Disclosure: We do not accept any form of advertising on Inside Bodybuilding. We monetize our practice via doctor consultations and carefully chosen supplement recommendations, which have given our patients excellent results.

Propionate Cycles

• Testosterone propionate comes in bottles dosed at 1 ml/100 mg.

Beginner Cycle

• 100 mg every other day for 8 weeks.

Note: Testosterone propionate generally isn’t advised for beginners due to painful injections (and having to be administered frequently).

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Intermediate Cycle

• 150 mg every other day for 8 weeks.

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Advanced Cycle

• 200 mg every other day for 8–10 weeks.

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Other Supplements:

• Fish oil (4 g/day)
• Nolvadex (20–40 mg/day)

Note: Intermediate and advanced steroid users often stack testosterone propionate with other compounds for maximum results; however, this is not recommended for beginners (due to additional side effects).

Testosterone Propionate Results

A first testosterone cycle can produce the gains seen above in regard to muscle size and fat loss.

Users who follow the beginner cycle protocol (above) can expect a similar transformation.

Testosterone Propionate vs. Testosterone Suspension

Testosterone suspension is pure testosterone (no ester), so it’s extremely fast-acting.

One benefit we see with testosterone suspension is that it produces faster results than propionate.

However, the downside is that it requires very frequent injections (2x per day) to keep serum testosterone high. This is a lot more than propionate twice per week.

Testosterone suspension, like propionate, can also be painful to inject.

The only situation where testosterone suspension might be advantageous is before a competition, where it clears out of the system quickly.

For example, someone might have a drug test on a certain date; if they used suspension, they could stop taking it a few days before and not test positive. This is because testosterone suspension’s detection time is 1-2 days, with a half-life of less than 24 hours.

However, testosterone propionate, for example, can be detected for up to 2 weeks, and thus you wouldn’t be able to use this closer to the competition (if being tested).

Other than for competition purposes and wanting it out of your system quickly, bodybuilders typically won’t use testosterone suspension, as there’s no need to inject twice per day (when you can do so once per week).

Testosterone Propionate vs. Testosterone Undecanoate

Undecanoate is the oral version of testosterone, also known by the product name Andriol or Testocaps.

Thus, for those who want to experience the benefits of testosterone but don’t want to inject it, undecanoate would be the ideal alternative.

Testosterone undecanoate is also fast-acting, with testosterone levels peaking approximately 5 hours after the first dose in our testing.

Despite being an oral steroid, undecanoate is not liver toxic, with it being absorbed via the lymphatic route.

The only main advantage to taking testosterone propionate is that it’s notably cheaper than undecanoate, with Andriol being one of the most expensive steroids on the market.

Testosterone Propionate vs. Enanthate and Cypionate

Testosterone enanthate and cypionate are similar esters in many respects. They both are slow-acting, so injections only need to be administered once every 4-5 days (compared to once every 2 days for propionate).

Due to enanthate and cypionate’s slower nature, results won’t happen as fast as with propionate.

However, we find enanthate and cypionate to be more pleasant injections, with users reporting less:

• Irritation
• Soreness

Also, enanthate and cypionate are more affordable esters than propionate in the long run.

A bottle of propionate may be cheaper; however, it’s dosed at 100 mg per 1 ml, compared to 250 mg per 1 ml (for enanthate/cypionate).

Thus, when calculating the cost per mL, propionate is considerably more expensive.

Are Cypionate and Enanthate More Commonly Utilized by Bodybuilders?

Cypionate and enanthate are the most popular esters because they produce the same results as propionate yet are cheaper and less hassle.

Summary

Is Propionate an Optimal Form of Testosterone?

Testosterone propionate is not a convenient ester for our patients, as it requires more frequent injections.

Additionally, propionate injections are typically less pleasant compared to other testosterone esters, causing more pain.

However, in the right circumstances, bodybuilders may opt for propionate if they require it to exit their system quickly.

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