It is common for those taking supplements, particularly hormonal therapy such as anabolic or prohormone, to follow a cycle. Post cycle recovery supplements are designed to aid during the low periods after a cycle has been completed. During this post cycle period, the hormone level can dip unusually low, as the hormone level being produced the body may have been reduced during the outside supplementation. This low can cause many difficulties, including losing much of the gain that was made during the cycle.

For body builders, a great deal of work has gone into making muscle gains during a cycle. Taking supplements to recover post cycle helps to restore hormone levels more quickly, which reduces the amount of protein, and thus muscle, that is lost after the cycle has completed. The amount and type of post cycle recovery supplement is dependent upon the cycle it follows and the person taking it, but using these additives can make the low period between and after cycles much more comfortable and allows all the hard work to continue to pay off.