# Test. boosters



## jhawkin1 (May 9, 2009)

I hate to ask questions that come from word of mouth, because most things we hear these days is totally false or just silly, but I thought I probably should ask just to be certain:  I am taking a testosterone booster (non-steroidal) called activate extreme.  When one takes a test. booster, then stops the daily regime- is it harder at that time for the body to make testosterone once one has stopped taking the suppl. to promote testosterone?

Confusing, I know! I  apologize- and again it may be an awful question, but if this is indeed true, I think I'm in trouble!


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## egodog48 (May 9, 2009)

jhawkin1 said:


> I hate to ask questions that come from word of mouth, because most things we hear these days is totally false or just silly, but I thought I probably should ask just to be certain:  I am taking a testosterone booster (non-steroidal) called activate extreme.  When one takes a test. booster, then stops the daily regime- is it harder at that time for the body to make testosterone once one has stopped taking the suppl. to promote testosterone?
> 
> Confusing, I know! I  apologize- and again it may be an awful question, but if this is indeed true, I think I'm in trouble!



I typically recommend cycling even test boosters although you will NOT have the same problem as you would with a ph/des/aas.  I do it merely so my body will not get adapted to getting any product, especially when it come to hormonal levels.  

Are you experiencing some issues?  Since Activate Xtreme is such a good product, perhaps you are now realizing what is like to not have it in your system again, even though its not actually adversely effecting you.  The one thing I do hear about Activate Extreme though, is that even though it does increase free test, it actually decreases total test slightly.  Some would say this makes it slightly suppresive towards your own test, but I would not imagine that it would be anything to worry about for any length of time.  You should normalize soon.  If not, I would suggest picking up a different test booster to help out, one that doesnt act the same way that Activate Xtreme does, or maybe some ZMA.  There are plenty out there.  I think ironmag has one that looks promising.  But like I said, I dont think you really need it.


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## jhawkin1 (May 9, 2009)

egodog48 said:


> I typically recommend cycling even test boosters although you will NOT have the same problem as you would with a ph/des/aas.  I do it merely so my body will not get adapted to getting any product, especially when it come to hormonal levels.
> 
> Are you experiencing some issues?  Since Activate Xtreme is such a good product, perhaps you are now realizing what is like to not have it in your system again, even though its not actually adversely effecting you.  The one thing I do hear about Activate Extreme though, is that even though it does increase free test, it actually decreases total test slightly.  Some would say this makes it slightly suppresive towards your own test, but I would not imagine that it would be anything to worry about for any length of time.  You should normalize soon.  If not, I would suggest picking up a different test booster to help out, one that doesnt act the same way that Activate Xtreme does, or maybe some ZMA.  There are plenty out there.  I think ironmag has one that looks promising.  But like I said, I dont think you really need it.



I am currently on my second set of 4-week cycle.  It recommends discontinuing after 8-weeks.  So I will go another month or so then come off of it.  

I would like to try iron mags product- but does it have any steroids in it?


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## nni (May 9, 2009)

jhawkin1 said:


> I hate to ask questions that come from word of mouth, because most things we hear these days is totally false or just silly, but I thought I probably should ask just to be certain:  I am taking a testosterone booster (non-steroidal) called activate extreme.  When one takes a test. booster, then stops the daily regime- is it harder at that time for the body to make testosterone once one has stopped taking the suppl. to promote testosterone?
> 
> Confusing, I know! I  apologize- and again it may be an awful question, but if this is indeed true, I think I'm in trouble!



no, once you finish a natural test booster, your body will return to baseline levels. what you are thinking of is steroids, at the completion of steroids, the body needs a little help getting back to normal. activate xtreme is a solid product.



egodog48 said:


> I typically recommend cycling even test boosters although you will NOT have the same problem as you would with a ph/des/aas.  I do it merely so my body will not get adapted to getting any product, especially when it come to hormonal levels.
> 
> Are you experiencing some issues?  Since Activate Xtreme is such a good product, perhaps you are now realizing what is like to not have it in your system again, even though its not actually adversely effecting you.  The one thing I do hear about Activate Extreme though, is that even though it does increase free test, it actually decreases total test slightly.  Some would say this makes it slightly suppresive towards your own test, but I would not imagine that it would be anything to worry about for any length of time.  You should normalize soon.  If not, I would suggest picking up a different test booster to help out, one that doesnt act the same way that Activate Xtreme does, or maybe some ZMA.  There are plenty out there.  I think ironmag has one that looks promising.  But like I said, I dont think you really need it.



actX does not lower overall test in all users. one blood test showed a small drop and it became internet gospel. with a sharp rise in free test, total test levels might drop a bit, but with the formula of activate xtreme, total test should rise as well. divanil alone will have a drop in total test. either way, the drop is insignificant and shouldnt be of concern.



OP, we recommend no more than 8 weeks because if you are on a natural test booster for too long you will eventually fell negative feedback. it should take longer than 8 weeks, (it was like 14 or 16 for me), but 8 is a safe place to end. you will still feel the effects of actX for another 2 weeks post cycle anyway.


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## workingatit43 (May 10, 2009)

jhawkin1 said:


> I am currently on my second set of 4-week cycle.  It recommends discontinuing after 8-weeks.  So I will go another month or so then come off of it.
> 
> I would like to try iron mags product- but does it have any steroids in it?



Agreed that you should cycle them. We recommend on our Stoked product no more than 8 weeks without a month off. Activate Xtreme is a very good product enjoy.

Activate Xtreme


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## jhawkin1 (May 10, 2009)

workingatit43 said:


> Agreed that you should cycle them. We recommend on our Stoked product no more than 8 weeks without a month off. Activate Xtreme is a very good product enjoy.
> 
> Activate Xtreme



It really does work!  I love it, and I've also focused more on my diet during my cutting phase.  My workouts have increased (weights) and physique looks very good as well.  

You said 2 months on and recommended one month off?

I would love to continue to take this product for cut, bulk, and maintenance.  I really recommend it.


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## AKIRA (May 13, 2009)

I am not understanding this ZMA shit.  I thought it was mythbusting a decade or so ago.

Now its for sleep and a test booster?  I dont understand why 3 vitamins (or minerals) stimulates test or improves sleep...


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## Dodge (May 13, 2009)

What benifits and (if any) sideeffects are assosiated with activate xtreme?


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## nni (May 14, 2009)

AKIRA said:


> I am not understanding this ZMA shit.  I thought it was mythbusting a decade or so ago.
> 
> Now its for sleep and a test booster?  I dont understand why 3 vitamins (or minerals) stimulates test or improves sleep...



it doesnt boost test, and never did. people follow trends.



Dodge said:


> What benifits and (if any) sideeffects are assosiated with activate xtreme?



benefits: increase in free test, increase in overall test, controlling of estrogen, increase in mood, increase in libido. strength increase and size increase are usually a result of the above.

as far as sides, im trying to think of some for you, but honestly there aren't really any. obviously some users aren't as happy as others, but nothing dangerous, or substantial comes to mind.


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## jhawkin1 (May 14, 2009)

Side effects: some people have reported increased acne, but I have not seen anything too extreme in terms of acne.... THIS STUFF REALLY DOES WORK- im on my second cycle (2 pills 3x a day) and I am holding onto the majority of my muscle mass (currently cutting for summer), increasing weight in workouts, and of course, making sure to keep my proteins up, cals down.


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## nni (May 14, 2009)

jhawkin1 said:


> Side effects: some people have reported increased acne, but I have not seen anything too extreme in terms of acne.... THIS STUFF REALLY DOES WORK- im on my second cycle (2 pills 3x a day) and I am holding onto the majority of my muscle mass (currently cutting for summer), increasing weight in workouts, and of course, making sure to keep my proteins up, cals down.



yes, acne. dont know why i couldnt think of it.


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## egodog48 (May 14, 2009)

nni said:


> it doesnt boost test, and never did. people follow trends.



You are entitled to that opinion, but results speak volumes.  I have seen that this works for me, and thats good enough for me.  I knew nothing about the "trend" when I first tried it, and I still had the results.  This was almost six years ago


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## Built (May 14, 2009)

Sides - nothing here. I ran it at a full dose and I'm female - didn't grow a third eyeball, didn't lower my voice or give me a beard. 

Now, I'm on HRT anyway so there's a confound there. I didn't log it because I wasn't able to do a pre and post cycle blood test, but I felt stronger when I was on it. The effect was subtle, as if I had taken a bit too much of my testosterone transdermal, but it was there and I made strength gains. 

To me, the bigger deal was to see if it can be used by women - for one very specific reason: women who are on oral contraceptives have a 400% increase in SHBG over normal levels, and while SHBG drops upon discontinuation, recent research shows that it may never drop down to normal.

If a product like ActivateXtreme can help us overcome the ensuing suppression of endogenous free testosterone, it might be a Godsend to women everywhere.


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## AKIRA (May 15, 2009)

nni said:


> it doesnt boost test, and never did. people follow trends.



This is what I heard years ago, so i stayed away.  However, in the recent threads on here, I read otherwise.  I dont understand why it would increase test.

I also dont understand why it helps with sleep.  Fucking 2 nights now and I am passing out.


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## Arnold (May 15, 2009)

IF you have a zinc deficiency ZMA will increase testosterone.

_The connection between zinc and testosterone has been known for more than 15 years now. For example, in a study published back in 1982, kidney failure patients, who are typically zinc deficient, were supplemented with zinc for a period of six months, and their testosterone levels increased by 85%. (15) In a more recent study conducted in 1996 called "Zinc Status and Serum Testosterone Levels of Healthy Adults", the researchers found that 30 mg per day of zinc supplemented to the diets of healthy American men experiencing moderate zinc deficiencies doubled their testosterone levels in 6 months. (16)_


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## Dodge (May 15, 2009)

What happens if you use it for more than 8weeks?


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## Arnold (May 15, 2009)

Dodge said:


> What happens if you use it for more than 8weeks?



nothing, the only effect you will probably notice from ZMA is enhanced sleep.


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## Dodge (May 15, 2009)

Oh right, ive read that you shouldnt cycle it for more that 8 weeks at a time and i couldnt find a reason why. If its not too expensive i might give it a try when i order my funds


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## nni (May 15, 2009)

egodog48 said:


> You are entitled to that opinion, but results speak volumes.  I have seen that this works for me, and thats good enough for me.  I knew nothing about the "trend" when I first tried it, and I still had the results.  This was almost six years ago



its not an opinion, it is backed by science, which unfortunately zma's formulation was not.



Prince said:


> IF you have a zinc deficiency ZMA will increase testosterone.
> 
> _The connection between zinc and testosterone has been known for more than 15 years now. For example, in a study published back in 1982, kidney failure patients, who are typically zinc deficient, were supplemented with zinc for a period of six months, and their testosterone levels increased by 85%. (15) In a more recent study conducted in 1996 called "Zinc Status and Serum Testosterone Levels of Healthy Adults", the researchers found that 30 mg per day of zinc supplemented to the diets of healthy American men experiencing moderate zinc deficiencies doubled their testosterone levels in 6 months. (16)_



a bodybuilder, or fitness enthusiast who is on a legitimate diet should never be zinc deficient, and on top of that they could simply just take zinc. there is nothing about the combination in zma that makes it special. just a random conte creation. he should have stuck to playing bass.


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## workingatit43 (May 15, 2009)

jhawkin1 said:


> It really does work!  I love it, and I've also focused more on my diet during my cutting phase.  My workouts have increased (weights) and physique looks very good as well.
> 
> You said 2 months on and recommended one month off?
> 
> I would love to continue to take this product for cut, bulk, and maintenance.  I really recommend it.



As a general rule of thumb they should be run no more than 8 weeks without taking a 30 day break.


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## Arnold (May 15, 2009)

nni said:


> a bodybuilder, or fitness enthusiast who is on a legitimate diet should never be zinc deficient, and on top of that they could simply just take zinc.



I never implied that they would  be, I was just stating a fact, when ZMA was originally designed/tested it was those that had a zinc deficiency who increased their testosterone with ZMA.


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## egodog48 (May 15, 2009)

In an ideal world I would never be deficient in anything.  And this is all I will say about this, I am outnumbered and it is useless to argue this point anymore.  I think one will just need to try it to see if it works for them, but would probably say it is highly dependant upon how hard and how frequent you actually train.


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## nni (May 15, 2009)

egodog48 said:


> In an ideal world I would never be deficient in anything.  And this is all I will say about this, I am outnumbered and it is useless to argue this point anymore.  I think one will just need to try it to see if it works for them, but would probably say it is highly dependant upon how hard and how frequent you actually train.



not my intention to come across as a dick, so if i did im sorry. i just very much feel that zma is more or less a scam, if it worked for you, great, but i would be willing to bet that something else played a role. either way you feel how you feel, me, how i feel.


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## Built (May 15, 2009)

egodog, have you had a look at any of the research on ZMA? You may very well have been deficient in zinc. If you were, your test levels would indeed have come up. Also, since you tend to sleep better on ZMA (due to the magnesium), your better-rested state could also impact upon your gains in the gym. Insulin resistance is worse with chronic sleep deprivation - you'll partition better if you're better rested. 

<extends olive branch on behalf of the mod team>


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## AKIRA (May 15, 2009)

AKIRA said:


> I also dont understand why it helps with sleep.  Fucking 2 nights now and I am passing out.



<ahem>


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## egodog48 (May 16, 2009)

nni said:


> not my intention to come across as a dick, so if i did im sorry. i just very much feel that zma is more or less a scam, if it worked for you, great, but i would be willing to bet that something else played a role. either way you feel how you feel, me, how i feel.



Right on man.  Just felt like Im getting called out, but I speak out of personal experience.  I believe in the science of things, but it just works.  Its cool, estrogen must be running high.



Built said:


> egodog, have you had a look at any of the research on ZMA? You may very well have been deficient in zinc. If you were, your test levels would indeed have come up. Also, since you tend to sleep better on ZMA (due to the magnesium), your better-rested state could also impact upon your gains in the gym. Insulin resistance is worse with chronic sleep deprivation - you'll partition better if you're better rested.
> 
> <extends olive branch on behalf of the mod team>



I will say that my very BEST results off the product were in college while doing SERIOUS training almost 6-7 days a week.  Perhaps this is why these studies were done with collegiate athletes and why my results would have probably been very similar.  No joke, but my first experience was an already opened bottle that my buddy gave me, and in literally a week, I noticed results in the mirror.  I was astounded!  I think this is actually what got me into trying hormonal products as I was such a hard gainer.  

Anyways, I do incorporate it to get better sleep for the most part, and I feel more anabolic while on it.  I feel better too which is something I attribute to more test but suppose it could also be very much related to better sleep.  This is not something I cycle with alot, but will say that I have incorporated into most all of my PCT's and feel that it adds a great bonus into any test stack out there.  But I do agree with the research and the general consensus that unless you have a zinc deficiency, you probably will not yield those results, but then how do you know if you are low anyways?


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## jhawkin1 (May 16, 2009)

workingatit43 said:


> As a general rule of thumb they should be run no more than 8 weeks without taking a 30 day break.



Awesome- so a month.  Sounds great!


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## Built (May 16, 2009)

I suppose you could get a before and after blood test for your zinc and testosterone levels if you were truly curious. 

I've had pretty much every blood test ever done - wonder if they often test for zinc deficiency?


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## AKIRA (May 16, 2009)

Mother of christ..


*WHY DOES IT MAKE ME SLEEPY ?*


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## egodog48 (May 17, 2009)

Built said:


> I suppose you could get a before and after blood test for your zinc and testosterone levels if you were truly curious.
> 
> I've had pretty much every blood test ever done - wonder if they often test for zinc deficiency?



Dont know?  Maybe I will have that looked at next time.

Sorry to have taken things a bit off topic.


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## AKIRA (Aug 31, 2009)

I cant beleive no one answered me!!!!!


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## nni (Aug 31, 2009)

zinc and/or magnesium have been used for sleep for a long time. i dont know the exact mechanism, as i havent researched it at all. i find 100mg of magnesium as effective as zma. others find zma much more effective.


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## AKIRA (Aug 31, 2009)

I went ahead and bought Zinc and Mag separately. Cost under $13 bucks.  

I was looking around for a thread about saying if I got these, I should try to find them coupled with Vit D or Calcium...ugh, I didnt remember so I just got the 2.

I know it wasnt B6 (as that is in ZMA), but I figured I get plenty of that shit from foods.


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