What to Test Before, During, and After a Cycle — and How to Interpret the Results
Bloodwork is the single most objective tool available for evaluating the physiological impact of prohormones. Unlike subjective measures such as strength, libido, or “how you feel,” laboratory data reveals what is actually happening to hormone production, lipid metabolism, liver function, and overall systemic health.
Despite this, bloodwork remains one of the most neglected aspects of prohormone use. Many users either skip testing entirely or only run limited panels that fail to capture the full endocrine picture.
This guide explains exactly what to test, when to test it, and how to interpret results before, during, and after a prohormone cycle — including post-cycle therapy (PCT).
🧠 Why Bloodwork Matters With Prohormones
Prohormones exert real biological effects. Even compounds marketed as “mild” or “legal” interact directly with androgen receptors, steroidogenic enzymes, lipid metabolism, and the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis (HPTA).
Bloodwork allows you to:
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Establish your baseline physiology
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Identify individual sensitivity to suppression or estrogen shifts
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Distinguish expected changes from problematic ones
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Confirm true recovery, not just symptom resolution
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Avoid chronic low testosterone or long-term health issues
Feeling “fine” is not the same as being recovered.
🧬 The Three Bloodwork Phases That Matter
A complete bloodwork strategy has three mandatory phases:
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Pre-cycle (baseline)
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On-cycle or end-of-cycle
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Post-cycle / post-PCT
Skipping any one of these leaves you guessing.
📍 Phase 1: Pre-Cycle Bloodwork (Baseline)
This is the most important test you will ever run.
Baseline bloodwork tells you:
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What “normal” looks like for you
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Whether you should even consider a cycle
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How much deviation occurs later
Without a baseline, every other lab result lacks context.
🔹 Hormone Panel (Pre-Cycle)
Total Testosterone
Establishes baseline androgen production.
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Normal lab ranges are broad
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What matters is your starting point
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A drop from 750 → 400 ng/dL is significant even if “in range”
Free Testosterone
Arguably more important than total testosterone.
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Represents bioavailable androgen activity
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Influenced by SHBG levels
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Explains why some people feel suppressed even with “normal” total T
LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
Indicates pituitary signaling to the testes.
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Normal LH with low testosterone = testicular issue
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Low LH with low testosterone = central (HPTA) suppression
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)
Reflects spermatogenesis and long-term reproductive signaling.
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Often suppressed alongside LH
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Slower to recover in some individuals
Estradiol (E2 – Sensitive Assay)
Critical and often misunderstood.
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Estrogen is essential for libido, mood, and joint health
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Too high → gynecomastia, water retention
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Too low → depression, erectile dysfunction, joint pain
Always use the sensitive assay, not standard female-calibrated tests.
SHBG
Determines how much testosterone is bound vs free.
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High SHBG = less free testosterone
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Low SHBG = more free testosterone but faster clearance
This explains why two people with identical total T can feel very different.
Optional (Advanced): DHT
Useful if:
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You’re prone to hair loss
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You experience prostate-related symptoms
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You want a full androgenic profile
🔹 Health & Safety Panel (Pre-Cycle)
Lipid Panel
Prohormones commonly impact cholesterol.
Key markers:
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HDL (often drops)
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LDL (often rises)
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Triglycerides
Starting with poor lipids increases cardiovascular risk dramatically.
Liver Enzymes (ALT, AST)
Oral compounds stress hepatic pathways.
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Mild elevations can be expected
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High baseline values are a red flag
Kidney Markers
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Creatinine
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BUN
Important for high-protein diets and supplement-heavy protocols.
Fasting Glucose (± Insulin)
Detects early insulin resistance.
Poor glucose control worsens lipid changes and recovery capacity.
🚨 When Pre-Cycle Bloodwork Should Stop You
You should seriously reconsider cycling if baseline labs show:
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Already suppressed testosterone
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Very low HDL
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Elevated liver enzymes
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Elevated estradiol without exogenous hormones
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Abnormally low LH/FSH
Prohormones don’t fix underlying endocrine dysfunction — they mask it.
📍 Phase 2: On-Cycle or End-of-Cycle Bloodwork
This phase answers one key question:
How hard did the cycle hit you?
Testing is typically done:
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Mid-cycle (optional)
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Or immediately at the end of the cycle (most common)
🔹 What Changes Are Expected On-Cycle?
Testosterone
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Endogenous production often suppressed
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Total T may appear normal or elevated due to androgen metabolites
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LH and FSH are usually reduced
This is expected and temporary if managed correctly.
Estradiol
Depends on the compounds used.
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Aromatizing cycles → E2 often elevated
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Non-aromatizing cycles → E2 may still rise due to androgen interactions
This is where estrogen management strategy becomes clear.
Lipids
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HDL often drops significantly
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LDL frequently rises
The magnitude of change tells you how aggressive recovery support must be.
Liver Enzymes
Mild elevations are common.
Severe elevations indicate:
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Excessive dosing
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Poor compound selection
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Inadequate support
🔹 Why On-Cycle Bloodwork Is Useful (But Optional)
It helps you:
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Adjust estrogen control
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Modify cycle length
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Decide how aggressive PCT must be
However, post-cycle bloodwork is non-negotiable.
📍 Phase 3: Post-Cycle & Post-PCT Bloodwork
This is where most people get it wrong.
Feeling better ≠ recovered.
🔹 Timing Matters
There are two critical post-cycle tests:
1. End of PCT
Evaluates immediate recovery response.
2. 4–6 Weeks After PCT
Confirms sustained normalization.
Many people pass test #1 and fail test #2.
🔹 Key Markers Post-Cycle
Total Testosterone
Should be:
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Back to baseline
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Or trending clearly upward
If it’s “barely in range,” recovery is incomplete.
Free Testosterone
Often lags behind total T.
Low free T with normal total T explains:
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Low libido
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Poor energy
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Depressive symptoms
LH & FSH
This is critical.
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Normal testosterone with suppressed LH/FSH = borrowed time
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LH/FSH must normalize to confirm HPTA recovery
Estradiol
Should return to:
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Baseline range
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Balanced relative to testosterone
Persistently low E2 is as problematic as high E2.
Lipids
HDL recovery is slow.
If lipids remain impaired:
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Extend time off
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Delay future cycles
🚩 Signs of Incomplete Recovery on Bloodwork
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Testosterone lower than baseline
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LH/FSH still suppressed
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Estradiol crashed or elevated
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Lipids still significantly impaired
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SHBG significantly altered
These are reasons to wait longer, not cycle again.
🔁 Bloodwork-Based Cycling Rule
A simple but effective principle:
Do not start another cycle unless bloodwork looks like you never ran one.
Time off is dictated by labs, not the calendar.
⚠️ Common Bloodwork Mistakes
❌ Skipping baseline testing
❌ Only testing testosterone
❌ Ignoring LH/FSH
❌ Using non-sensitive estradiol assays
❌ Testing too early post-PCT
❌ Assuming “in range” means healthy
Reference ranges are population-based — not performance-optimized.
🧠 Bloodwork vs Subjective Feelings
You can feel:
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Strong
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Motivated
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Libido-normal
…and still be:
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Suppressed
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Estrogen-imbalanced
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Cardiovascularly compromised
Bloodwork cuts through bias.
🧩 How Bloodwork Informs Smarter PCT
Proper labs tell you:
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Whether a SERM was sufficient
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Whether estrogen control was excessive
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Whether additional recovery time is needed
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Whether future cycles should be shorter or avoided
PCT without bloodwork is guesswork.
✅ Final Takeaways
Bloodwork is not optional for responsible prohormone use.
It:
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Protects long-term hormonal health
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Prevents chronic suppression
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Guides intelligent PCT decisions
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Separates educated use from reckless experimentation
If prohormones are powerful enough to change your physique, they are powerful enough to warrant laboratory oversight.
That philosophy is the foundation of responsible enhancement — and exactly what ProhormoneHQ exists to promote.