Basic Ester Understanding

Esters: Short Vs. Long


When we talk about steroids and usage we often talk about whether we will be using short esters or long esters.
Basically Short esters act faster and leave your system sooner.
Conversely Long esters take longer to "kick in" and in turn take longer to clear your system.


When you hear guys and gals talking about cycles you will often hear terms like Propionate ( short ) or Acetate (short ) or Cypionate (long) and enanthate (long).


When choosing between running a short ester or long ester steroid you have to consider that short esters have to pinned more often than long esters because they act quick and clear the system quick. Usually short esters are pinned EOD and sometimes daily. Long Esters dont need to be pinned as much so twice a week pins are often sufficient.


When most newbies begin to research their first cycles they will be advised (and rightly so) to run long esters. This is because of the pin frequency. Twice a week is a lot easier to get used to than jumping right into EOD pins.


Now when I say long esters take longer to "kick in" I mean that it may take several weeks before you start to feel it. In my personal First Cycle I chose Testosterone Enanthate and I didn't feel it kick in until week 4. But then it will stay in your system for a couple weeks after your last pin.
Short esters can often be "felt" working within a couple days. And will usually will have cleared your system within a few days of your last pin.


Sometimes when reading cycle logs and member discussions you will see things like "I am a long ester guy" or "I prefer only running short esters"
Neither one is wrong nor right, They both have there place and are often just personal preference. That being said, If you have to be concerned with being tested and do not want anyone to know about your use than short esters are better for you in this case, as a longer ester will linger.


Some people like to run both short and long esters together, again its personal preference. One might choose to run Boldenone Undecylenate (very long ester) which could take 4-6 weeks to kick in. And use Test Propionate a short ester to get that "on" feeling sooner.


You might have heard that for cutting cycles it is better to run short esters of testosterone because you wont retain as much water as you would on a longer ester (which in theory would be better for bulking cycles) Again I'm not an expert and I won't argue either way on that topic.


Hopefully this little write up can help some newer users understand the terms somewhat better. I know that I had and still do have questions regarding AAS use all the time. I am one to ask too many questions and you should too. After all this is your body were talking about.


Thanks for reading PUSH!

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert. I am not a chemist. I'm just writing from my experience.

For me long esters always ( bigger concentration per ml and more stable blood level ) , most of the year we are off season dont make sence use short action, only to:

kick start a cycle instead off orals
for someone that will cycle and will not use anabolics all year round, short is always better to do cycles of 8 weeks stop and them do it again because you will get results since forst day
and mostly last 8/12 weeks pre contest ( is obligation )

This is all individual based on ones static system of checks/loops, no two individuals are the same..This is why people argue that cypionate is much more potent than enanthate, as this is a fragile argument at best and makes little sense, as your muscles/receptors are only recognizing free bio hormone no matter what the ester that was utilized to deploy the parenting hormone!

These are great questions & a worthwhile topic, as there's some real truth behind this;

Let's begin with the expression of a single hormones yielding an opposite effect - rather than a positive "smooth" response to the hormone as some individuals claim/experience..An appropriate example to begin with would be that of an alcoholic...

Why? Because of Genetics, I'll explain!

Everyone posses different gene expression,with enzymes,protein bonds,and so on..(Enzymes are known to catalyze more then 5k biochemical types)..Yet our bodies posses inhibitors and activator molecules that can greatly effect the activity, by increasing or decreasing hormonal actives..Now, that of an acholohic,it's a genetic predisposition (same applies for particular endocrines with sensitive users concerning AAS) in which one posses a group of particular enzymes that metabolize alcohol much differently compared to other individuals, thus the effects will be much greater, and more detrimental in some individuals over the next..(Different metabolization)

Now, let's compare this to the hormones!

(Example) Testosterone can have 3 roles
1) Being testosterone as it's primary function..
2) Converting into DHT (dihydrotestosterone: a more potent metabolite/androgen)..
3)Converting into estrogen

Here you see this effect differs greatly by individual instances, as genetics, age or even ethnicity (in some cases), or even sex may be a factor, whether one has a greater presence of aromatase enzymes, or even a deficiency.. Hormones/esters have various biosynthetic pathways occurring in the endorcrine,some either or before reaching their target tissue(to control plasma levels or active compounds),or at times after termination of their actions (inactivation and elimination)..However many of hormones and esters are metabolized within their target tissue, in which a complex interplay between activation and inactivation mechanisms serve to regulate the specificity and the amplitude of the hormonal response..

This is why "singular ester" hormone treatment is NOT designed as a one size fits all therapy...

Just an FYI: There's two main types of enzymes that act in the cleaving process of the ester in which activate the hormone...These 2 particular "Enzymes" are esterases & hydrolysate.. These come along and cleave pieces of the ester off the hormone, thereby releasing the active chemical (parenting steroid hormone) and allowing it to do its job (ultimately muscle building/tissue via protein synthesis, positive nitrogen balance and so on )...Now in the bloodstream which testosterone and blood born nutrients and substances circulate is recognized as the "medium". These enzymes circulate in the medium and directly affect the release of "active" hormone in the bloodstream by ester cleavage, thus exerting different expression per individuals, trigger a chute of cellular interaction at receptor sites that will differ from one to the next..

People need to remember that hormones are "chemical messengers" that rely messages to cells that display specific receptors for each hormone and respond to the signaling..Depending on the ester and the individuals metabolization ratio the hormone can/may make changes directly to a cell, by changing the genes that are activated, or by making changes indirectly to a cell by stimulating other signaling pathways inside a specific cell group that is effected and effect other processes, thus this can "initiate" an intracellular cascade of events..

This is why the "same/singular hormone ester" effects people differently, because there's numerous ways a hormone can yield different effects..So, depending on which transcription factors are present different genes will be transcribed in response...Thereby the reason some individuals tend to bloat and others do NOT, as some can run 250mgs of Test and begin to see signs of fluid retention or edema exert in the circular system, or particular regions of the body..Yet, there's individuals that can utilize 1000mgs of Test and remain dry..Of course diet permitting.. (but this article's about biosynthesis, and not diet)

Regards,
Vision

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