HOW LONG CAN I USE AAS IN TERMS OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR DESENSITIZATION

To this day, many of you still believe that during the use of AAS, desensitization of AR (reduced sensitivity) occurs, leading to a reduction in the anabolic-androgenic effects of AAS. And that is why you discontinue AAS with the assumption that AR will “rest” and later you can start a new cycle with full effect. THIS IS A MYTH!

Desensitization is a feature of receptors associated with G-proteins (GPCR), and AR DO NOT BELONG HERE!This group includes, for example, opioid drugs, opiates, and beta-2 agonists (Clenbuterol, Salbutamol, etc.), which by acting on receptors cause desensitization, and therefore it is necessary to gradually increase the dose or temporarily discontinue them so that they can later be used again with full effect.

Once again: this DOES NOT APPLY to AR!

When using AAS, what is more important is AR expression – meaning their quantity and activation. There are 4 forms of regulation of AR expression:

rate of transcription
efficiency of transcription
translational capacity
receptor turnover

I will not go into detail about these 4 points – it is enough to understand that with AR there is no process of desensitization. Instead, there are mechanisms that influence AR expression ⇒ increasing their number and activity.

The more AR and the higher the activity, the better. AR density increases in the presence of androgens in muscle cells. A newly created AR has a short lifespan if it is not sufficiently stimulated by androgens ⇒ it degrades.

The conclusion is clear: there is no reason to increase AAS doses or discontinue them from the perspective of AR desensitization, because such a thing does not exist.

However, there are other reasons to discontinue AAS:

preservation of fertility and natural TST production
avoiding lifelong dependence on some form of exogenous androgen
long-term health considerations
a break from injections, since these often cause swelling and pain, and also from pulmonary microembolism(when injected oil enters the bloodstream and reaches the lungs, causing coughing)

Returning to the context of AR desensitization, which does not exist: When using drugs, over time you must take higher doses to achieve the same effect or pleasure => a direct result of receptor desensitization.

With AAS, the situation is different: they increase the body’s ability to respond to higher doses, but this increased response does not keep pace with muscle growth. Therefore, the dose must be increased to achieve the same or greater growth effect.

When you start using steroids, you enlarge the volume of cells containing more AR than before. To maintain this effect, it is necessary to use a higher dose of AAS, and an even higher one if you want to achieve further growth. But this growth has limits => we cannot grow indefinitely.

So yes – the higher the doses, the greater the potential for muscle gains, but this potential is inversely proportional.This, however, has nothing to do with AR desensitization – it is purely a consequence of increased cell volume and, above all, genetic limits.