If you’ve been in the performance enhancing arena for any sort of time or have been to a Doc for low testosterone then you’ve probably heard about HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) by now.
What is HCG and how is it used in raising testosterone?
HCG is what synthetic testosterone is to natural testosterone only mimics luteinizing hormone. Leutinizing hormone (or commonly referred to as “LH”) is the hormone that signals the testes to produce testosterone.
This is why HCG is commonly used in post cycle therapy and/or during testosterone replacement therapy. The other major reason for using HCG is it minimizes testicular shrinkage from steroids.
HCG sends the signal to the testes to continue to produce LH. When it comes to the discontinuation of testosterone you have what is called primary hypogonadism and secondary hypogonadism.
Let’s actually talk about secondary hypogonadism first since this is more common. Secondary hypogonadism is when the pituitary gland or hypothalamus stops producing testosterone or stops producing as much testosterone.
The use of HCG in this case is intended to bring LH levels back and help you begin producing your own testosterone again.
To what degree this is effective long-term is up for debate, but it’s helped a lot of men go from low levels to normal levels and has been sustainable after the discontinuation of HCG administration.
In this case the HCG is given to men in 4 – 6 week long cycles at moderate to heavy dosing each week. The dosing is all dependent on how low the testosterone level was at the time of the reading.
Dosing can range anywhere from 250 iu per week to 2,000 iu per week. Steroid users who only use HCG short term to blast their LH levels back into production will commonly go 2,500 iu per week for only 2 weeks.
The biggest reason for such higher dosing is to stimulate LH faster and to be able to discontinue the treatment before the HCG can convert to estrogen from over-stimulation of natural testosterone.
HCG itself can cause gynecomastia, which is why it’s almost always advised to use an aromatase inhibitor alongside HCG use.
This is why I always recommend bumping up the AI during times of heavy HCG usage.
The aromatase inhibitor will prevent the conversion and allow the user to stimulate his LH and testosterone production without this added risk.
PRIMARY HYPOGONADISM
Primary hypogonadism is when the testes do not function properly at all. This isn’t the case with most men.
Unlike secondary hypogonadism where the brain isn’t sending the signal to the testes (often due to synthetic testosterone cycling), primary hypogonadism is when testicular function itself no longer works but the signal from the brain is still evident.
Here is the nitty gritty on HCG usage, especially with testosterone replacement therapy.
You can mimic LH production and follicle stimulating hormone within the testes despite the absence of “natural LH and FSH” the same way we mimic testosterone levels despite the absence of testosterone actually produced by our own bodies.
What that basically means is that you’re still able to produce sperm and retain testicular function even if you’re on testosterone replacement therapy, and fertility can still be maintained by doing so in most men.
A lot of this all comes down to how long the user has been on TRT and when the HCG was included in the TRT regimen.
Much of this is up for debate and even medical professionals are still conducting study after study to understand to what degree HCG can stimulate LH and FSH in men with primary and secondary hypogonadism.
JOHN DOE REAL TALK ON HCG
Ok, I’m not a Doctor nor a scientist and aside from the research I’ve done on HCG I can only give you my personal experiences with it.
HCG is the fastest way to restore testicular function and recovery from a steroid cycle. Although not necessary with a lot of cycles and novice users, it’s one of those things that is better to have if you can get it!
There are two ways to use HCG while cycling and 2 ways to use it while on long-term testosterone replacement therapy.
The first way is to use a smaller amount throughout the cycle (or throughout TRT) to maintain testicular function on a steady basis.
Usually 250 iu per week is the common dose if using HCG during a cycle or during TRT. If using HCG during cycle then a “blast” of HCG is not necessary when coming off cycle or during TRT at any time.
The second way to use HCG is to blast it at higher dosages in shorter intervals, and blast it every so often if you’re on TRT. A lot of guys will hit a 5,000 iu vial in a 2 week period once every 10-12 weeks during testosterone replacement therapy (1250 iu 2x/week for 2 weeks).
You may ask yourself why it’s commonly run in 2 different manners and there are a couple reasons for that.
For starters, HCG has a shelf life of about 30 days once it’s mixed with bacteriostatic water. A lot of vials come in 5,000 iu vials, so your HCG is going to go bad before using it all if you were to run 250 iu a week steady throughout.
The next point to this is that some users feel that it takes a more substantial amount of HCG per injection to really stimulate the testes and this falls more along the lines of cosmetic reasons rather than fertility reasons (guys don’t want to see their nuts shrink!)
For fertility reasons I think running HCG throughout is the better route to go because you’re constantly stimulating follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, without backing off intermittently.
FREEZING HCG
You can freeze HCG to prolong the shelf life of it, but to what degree of potency it ends up at after freezing is unknown to me. I’d guess it’s probably 80% potent.
This requires pre-loading insulin syringes and sticking them in a freezer which can be a downright pain in the ass, especially if you have kids in the house who may think their father is a junkie when they go to grab a popsicle.
HCG is available in 2,000 iu vials which are perfect for using 250 iu per week on the regular (since a 2,000 iu vial will last exactly the shelf life of 1 month of HCG), but the 2,000 iu vials are less common than the 5,000 iu vials.
If fertility is an issue with you then my recommendation is to use 250 iu weekly throughout the cycle or throughout testosterone replacement therapy.
A for long term TRT users who aren’t fertile anymore and want to become fertile, there are theories on higher dosing of HCG restoring Leydig cell fucntion enough to become fertile again, but many of these studies are again debatable and inconclusive.
HOWEVER, statistics show that 50% of men on long-term TRT still maintain fertility, and this is without seeking fertility treatment through a Doc who specializes in it.
MIXING AND INJECTING HCG
The easiest way to inject HCG is to use a 1 ml insulin syringe. You will need some bacteriostatic water (if the vial didn’t come with the water) and if the vial is 5,000 iu or just 2,000 iu you will mix 1 ml of bacteriostatic water into your vial of powder.
A 1 ml insulin syringe has marks on the side of it that start at 10 and go 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100. So if 100 units of water represents 5,000 iu of HCG, then you know that for every 10 mark on the syringe it’s 500 iu of HCG once it’s drawn into the syringe.
Therefore, if you wanted to use 250 iu each week then you’d fill to 5 clicks on the insulin pin (halfway to the 10 mark) and inject it.
My advice is to inject the day before your testosterone shot since this is the day you’re test levels will fall the lowest during cycle.
The HCG will help raise the testosterone levels in your body and it’s 72 hour life will carry over halfway through the week and this is enough to avoid testicular atrophy.
I’d suggest the same for guys on testosterone replacement, just hit a 250 iu shot the day before your injection.
If you only get one injection of test every 2 weeks then you’ll need to do it twice in that 2 week period (I suggest against once every 2 week test injections because it’s too long between injections to feel your best)
If your blasting HCG every once in awhile on TRT or using it strictly for 2 weeks post cycle then you’d want to fill to the 25 unit mark on your pin.
(There really is no “25 unit” mark, it’s the “20 mark” plus 5 units and inject that twice a week evenly spaced apart (ie; Mon/Thurs) 25 iu x 4 = 5,000 iu HCG, so 2 weeks of HCG at 2,500 iu per week.)
The reason you will want to switch injections to twice a week when blasting HCG is because HCG can make you gyno prone if there is too much estro conversion while stimulating testosterone.
Remember that during HCG use you’ll want to use an aromatase inhibitor such as Arimistane or Arimidex at 1/2 mg everyday for the 2 week blast.
RUNNING HCG/AI SOLO
Many men will run HCG on it’s own to help raise testosterone levels. This is usually accompanied by a small amount of aromatase inhibitor which will help keep estrogen in check and further aid in the elevation of testosterone.
A realistic increase of 300 ng/dl on your testosterone is very likely when using HCG on it’s own without adding testosterone.
My personal feelings on this is it’s not a long term realistic approach to keeping testosterone elevated, but a good short term approach at treating hypogonadism and trying to raise your testosterone levels by stimulating your testes to produce more of their own.
This is something I would do for a period of 4 – 6 weeks and then discontinue use, at which point I’d wait 8-12 weeks and then go get a hormone panel done to see if testosterone levels stay within normal range.
Keep in mind that a lot of this is going to be individual specific, but it’s worth a try for those wanting to elevate testosterone without wanting to resort to testosterone injections just yet.
So there you have it, HCG 101 – JD
Hey I got prescribed hcg only for low T. Didn’t do anything for my test levels when I got trsted.(Could’ve been expired when i went to test. Always felt like the freshly mixed was good shit!!) dosage was .250 twice a week
Anyway some good shit about hcg:
It will make you horny in a matter of hours after injecting. Seriously. Better erections. Harder orgasms!!
Ridiculously easy to inject. Watery, fat injection, insulin needle etc
Higher energy
Negatives;
Effects last for only a couple days
Needs to be refrigerated
Thanks mate.
I’ll use it to see if it lifts me a bit.
I can only get the 5000iu.
Should be ok in fridge with back water until it’s all done hooefully!
So 250iu twice a week right.
I’m on a trt dose, so considering using hcg on the long term to.help with lack of sex drive etc.
Hi John,
I hope you are well!
I have some issues.
My natural test levels should be between 8.4-29 (not sure the ubit) my blood test returned back with 7.4 – off the chart low.
Despite self medicating about a ml of a sustanon type of blend on a weekly basis, my sexual urges are really quite poor at times.
I don’t even get a real increase when actually on a heavier cycle.
I don’t use Deca or tren, so it’s not down to them.
I use a blue pill and that helps a bit.
I thought it strange I have a lack.of sex drive.
I wondered what opinion you may have on this, something that will basically help to make me feel more like a normal man, and to help the urges begin.
Thanks John.
Matt.
I use combo of Test, HCG and an AI as part of TRT schedule.
I’ve read that long term high use of HCG may ‘desensitise’ the leydig cells, permanently, although the science on this is not 100% yet and it may not be true. But its food for thought until we know for sure. For this reason, I go with lower HCG doses more frequently: 3 doses per week @ 375 IU per dose.
Hey John,
I have come off a 10 week cycle of Test E at 500 mg per week.
I then waited 16 days and have hit HCG at 1250iu twice a week with my final pin being yesterday.
When is the best time to start the Nolva though? Keep getting mixed messages: Some say to start it on the day of the final pin, others say its first half life – 3 days, others say a week to 10 days?
Planning on taking 20Mg of Nolva for 30 days for PCT, with a kickstarter of 40mg on day 1.
What do you think?
PS couldn’t get my hands on an AI. Should I be worried about Gynae – haven’t got it yet except sensitive nipples but thats gone away now.
What do I think? I think you need to stop sending me 5 messages within 1 hour asking me the same God damn thing over and over again, figure it out
Hey John,
Could you do an article on the benefits of HCG usage for females?
My girlfriend is very keen to try it as she believes it will help her with slimming down and toning. What do you recommend?
Hey John,
I have come off a 10 week cycle of Test E at 500 mg per week.
I then waited 16 days and have hit HCG at 1250iu twice a week with my final pin being yesterday.
When is the best time to start the Nolva though? Keep getting mixed messages: Some say to start it on the day of the final pin, others say its first half life – 3 days, others say a week to 10 days?
Planning on taking 20Mg of Nolva for 30 days for PCT, with a kickstarter of 40mg on day 1.
What do you think?
PS couldn’t get my hands on an AI. Should I be worried about Gynae – haven’t got it yet except sensitive nipples but thats gone away now.
———-
Could you do an article on the benefits of HCG usage for females?
My girlfriend is very keen to try it as she believes it will help her with slimming down and toning. What do you recommend?
John Doe,
Love your work, I picked up No B.S. body Building this summer and it really put getting HUGE in perspective. Just by following diet plans you laid out in that book (EAT DIRTY!) I have been able to put 100 lbs on my bench press in 3 months naturally (no gear!). Thank you sir!
This article was extremely informative, I was linked here from Chris at Good Looking Loser. My Question: I am taking finasteride for hair loss, I am currently on natural Aromatase inhibitors Grape Seed Extract, Zinc and Vitamin E to keep all the extra Testosterone in my system, (testosterone that would have otherwise been converted to DHT), from converting to estrogen. I have witnessed the difference with these supplements, my erections are back to rock hard and my nipples are no longer sensitive from the finasteride. However, My Testicles are still smaller then they should be and seman is watery, seems to be lacking a high and healthy sperm count. If I get on a cruise dose of HCG of 250 IU will that increase sperm production? Theoretically it should, shouldn’t it. Wondering if you have any thoughts on the matter it I would love to hear it.
hair loss in your early twenties isn’t fun. ;(
Thanks John!
Keep up the No Bull Shit advice! love it Man!
Hey JD, is HCG necessary for any other reason if you’re on TRT and the atrophy doesn’t bother you?
I believe that it’s not only beneficial for preventing atrophy, but the stimulation to the body “mimicking” the effects of natural signals to stimulate the hpta axis is still beneficial even for those on exogeneous testosterone replacement therapy. Just my thought though. I think running an HCG blast once every 10-12 weeks is beneficial regardless of atrophy concern or not
Do you personally blast it or do you run a small dose year round? Thanks.
Hi john, im a natural bodybuilder with piss poor T levels. I have been looking into ways to sort this out in the safest way possible because the effects of low T are really getting to me. Do you think this would be the right route to take, im 23 years old and don’t want to/ wouldn’t be allowed by doctors to start TRT. My test levels were 260 ng/dl.
I would find a Doctor that is willing to play ball, if not then possibly an online TRT clinic. First off, evaluate everything; are you on anxiety meds or anything that would lower testosterone? Are you already active and following a decent diet? Once you rule out everything and its still low without an explanation (that low at 23 yrs old isn’t good) then I’d say TRT is justified. Best of luck!- JD
Dear John,
i am on 12 weeks cycle of 300 Test-E and 300 mg Primo , 30 mg anavar/day, i never used Aromatase Inhibitor or anty estrogen during the cycle, my cycle is so mild and tiny in quantities and i think i am not prone to gyno as well
i am a very conservative mild person by nature,
1) what is the minimum dosage of HCG to use ?
2) shall i start it 14 days after the last test-E shot + Clomid ?
3) can i neglect the AI or it is a must , i have it on hand anyway but i need a way to avoid using it ?
Best Regards
you are the best.
probably not necessary for an AI on cycle, but I would use one during the HCG blast as part of PCT. Best of luck -JD
I just want to say thank you for this awesome post. This is by far the most informative thread I’ve seen on HCG anywhere. Hooah!
THANKS! -JD