HCG
Reproductive Health, Hormone Balance
In short
- Human chorionic gonadotropin — an FDA-approved medicine for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, cryptorchidism, and ovulation induction.
- Acts as an LH analogue, directly stimulating testicular Leydig cells to produce testosterone.
- Widely used to maintain testicular function during testosterone therapy and in post-cycle protocols.
- The FDA has explicitly stated HCG is ineffective for weight loss and requires that labelling say so — the "HCG diet" is not supported.
- Explicitly prohibited by WADA for male athletes at all times.
Structure
How it works
HCG is a glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that shares a receptor with luteinising hormone. In men it binds LH receptors on testicular Leydig cells and stimulates testosterone production directly.
This is why it maintains testicular volume and intratesticular testosterone during exogenous testosterone therapy — exogenous testosterone suppresses pituitary LH, and HCG substitutes for the missing signal at the testis.
In women it triggers ovulation by mimicking the LH surge, which is its approved fertility use.
What the research shows
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and ovulation induction: approved and well evidenced.
Maintaining testicular function during testosterone therapy: supported by clinical studies showing preservation of intratesticular testosterone and spermatogenesis.
Fertility restoration after androgen use: supported by clinical experience and studies in men recovering from anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism.
Weight loss: the FDA position is unambiguous — there is no substantial evidence it increases weight loss beyond that from caloric restriction alone, and labelling must state this.
Dosing in the literature
Figures below are quoted from published studies, with the species or population they were measured in. They are records of what was studied, not recommendations.
| Studied in | Amount | Route | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human — hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, approved label | 1,000–4,000 IU two to three times weekly | intramuscular | FDA label |
| Human — maintaining intratesticular testosterone during TRT | 250–500 IU every other day in published protocols | subcutaneous | PubMed |
Commonly reported ranges
These are amounts people report using. They are not from any study, have not been evaluated for safety, and are reproduced here only because they circulate widely and are better seen alongside the evidence than instead of it.
| Reported by | Amount | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Commonly reported alongside testosterone therapy | 250–500 IU two to three times weekly | subcutaneous |
Approved doses exist for the licensed indications. Community protocols for testicular maintenance sit at the lower end and broadly align with published studies, which is unusual in this library.
Handling and storage
Supplied as a lyophilised powder requiring reconstitution with bacteriostatic water. The powder is comparatively stable; once reconstituted it is refrigerated and used within weeks. Track the date you reconstitute each vial — the Inventory section does this, and it is the difference between knowing a vial is three weeks old and guessing.
Supplied lyophilised with bacteriostatic water. Subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. Refrigerate after reconstitution and use within the period stated by the product.
Side effects
Common: injection-site reactions, headache, fatigue, mood changes.
In men: gynaecomastia is a genuine risk, because stimulating testicular testosterone also increases substrate for aromatisation to oestradiol. Acne and water retention follow the same mechanism.
In women receiving it for fertility: ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a serious and recognised risk.
Prolonged high-dose use can desensitise Leydig cells, which works against the purpose in testicular maintenance protocols and is the argument for lower, more frequent dosing.
Combinations
Routinely combined with testosterone replacement specifically to maintain testicular function — the best-supported combination in this library for a non-approved purpose.
Often combined with aromatase inhibitors to manage the oestradiol rise, which is a real and predictable consequence rather than a theoretical one.
Combined with SERMs (clomiphene, tamoxifen) in post-cycle protocols.
Research status
Decades of established endocrinology, approved indications, and a solid clinical literature on testicular function during androgen therapy.
The weight-loss literature is old, negative, and settled — the FDA required labelling to state the absence of evidence.
Legal status
FDA-approved and prescription-only for specific endocrine and fertility indications. Marketing it for weight loss is prohibited in the US, and the agency has acted against products doing so.
WADA status
PROHIBITED for male athletes at all times under WADA class S2 (chorionic gonadotropin and luteinising hormone and their releasing factors). This is explicitly named, not inferred. It is not prohibited for female athletes.
Conclusion
HCG is a properly approved hormone with a genuine, well-supported role in preserving testicular function during androgen therapy — one of the better-evidenced non-approved uses anywhere in this library.
The weight-loss application is separately and definitively not supported, to the point that the FDA requires labels to say so.
Sources
Track your own HCG protocol
Peppers logs your doses, models your levels from this half-life, tracks your vials and tells you when you will run out. Free on iPhone.
Reference and educational information only. Not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses, treats, or prescribes, and nothing here is a recommendation to use any compound. The compounds described are research chemicals and are not approved for human consumption. Legal and anti-doping status change — the review date above is when these claims were last checked. Talk to a qualified clinician about anything you intend to take.