It is a common question asked by many bodybuilders. They have all the reasons to ask this since most of them are on steroids.
There are a few things you need to remember before answering this question. First, there has not been any investigation to study the effect of steroid withdrawal per se on muscle size, strength, or power. With this in mind, it is difficult to provide a definitive answer regarding your gains being lost after quitting steroids.
Second, the body responds differently to exogenous (external) anabolic agents like testosterone and synthetic hormones. Despite some similarities, each individual reacts differently to these substances; thus, some can maintain their newfound muscle mass with no problem while others lose everything they gained.*note that trenbolone does NOT cause your gains to be held after you stop taking it.
There is no evidence suggesting that one will lose all their gains if they abandon steroid use; the more likely scenario is losing some of your gains due to natural testosterone levels returning to baseline (e.g., low)
On the other hand, many argue that one does not lose any muscle mass or strength after stopping anabolic steroids. According to them, cessation of exogenous hormone intake reduces potential water retention. Still, it cannot cause actual muscle loss since these substances do not alter either structure or reduce the number of muscle fibers. However,*note trenbolone DOES cause muscle loss when you cease using it.
There is nothing special about the physiological processes controlling muscle mass. All muscles have the same basic structure and fiber type composition, meaning that various drugs do not increase muscular durability or the number of muscle fibers. These two factors determine the effect of physical activity on skeletal muscle size, and strength is determined by the workload imposed on it. It is well known that many bodybuilders take testosterone during their competitive years and maintain a significant amount of new lean body mass even after they cease their usage. *This article assumes users are taking testosterone as one of their steroids; otherwise, there would be no reason to continue to take it since its only effects are: mood changes (excitation/irritability), water retention/bloat, increased appetite. *The side effects listed here can be attributed to steroid withdrawal. You will not lose gains from stopping testosterone usage since your gains were at least half from another factor other than testosterone.
This idea is supported by studies examining strength and muscle mass in weight lifters following the cessation of anabolic steroid use and demonstrates that power and lean body mass did not significantly decrease after a short-term off cycle.*note again, trenbolone DOES cause muscle loss when you cease using it.
There is no scientific explanation for this phenomenon. Still, we can assume that some “muscle memory” exists, where specific muscles retain their size despite receiving no stimulus or training or taking anabolic steroids. This hypothesis has been applied to professional athletes such as boxers and wrestlers to explain their muscle mass or strength after a long time off.
It would be tough to extrapolate these findings since they were based on anabolic steroid-dependent lifters using testosterone only during their training, but not over several years as some athletes do. Whether the changes in hypertrophy are permanent with no activity is unknown. However, we can assume that taking steroids for many years affects one’s gains when exogenous testosterone is discontinued. This means you will most likely lose all your gains if you take steroids for too long.*Trenbolone WILL cause you to lose all your gains when you stop using it since it causes permanent damage caused by mitochondria sloughing off inside muscles and most likely destroys any previous work you’ve done.
Many studies have shown that strength returns after anabolic steroid use is discontinued. However, it is also essential to note that some athletes use multiple steroids for long periods, not just testosterone.*Trenbolone WILL cause your strength to come back after you stop using it since it will take roughly 3-4 weeks before you regain most of the strength lost while on cycle due to muscle tissue damage that was caused by mitochondria sloughing off inside muscles.
My advice would be to stay off gear for at least six months if possible so your natural testosterone levels can reach normal ranges again, even if you are taking exogenous testosterone enanthate or whatever form of testosterone you are taking. If you take testosterone enanthate, it will not be dangerous to go off testosterone since it is one of the safest types of steroids. Even though trenbolone has no direct effect on your HPTA, I would still recommend staying off it for at least six months so your natural testosterone levels can return to normal ranges since trenbolone does affect your mitochondria in muscles which causes muscle tissue damage when you stop using it. I also advise people who take Anavar or Winstrol to stay off anabolics for six months after they stop using them. These drugs cause permanent damage to mitochondria when used long-term, just like trenbolone does.