Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (abbreviated as HCG) is produced exclusively in the placenta of a pregnant woman and is a natural hormone. It is obtained in a laboratory from the urine of a woman during pregnancy. Its effect on humans is similar to luteinizing hormone, a precursor to testosterone.
Taking HCG orally is not effective. This has been proven in numerous studies. Experiments conducted in the United States of America have shown that dietary supplements with human chorionic gonadotropin do not produce any results. The use of the substance itself is prohibited in the United States.
The effect of hCG on the human body is similar to luteinizing hormone. It also signals, passing through the pituitary gland, about the active stimulation of testosterone. HCG in the form of the drug, in addition to increasing the production of the male hormone, enhances the quality properties of sperm, making secondary sexual characteristics in both women and men much more pronounced. In females, human chorionic gonadotropin enhances the synthesis of progesterone and significantly increases the rate of egg maturation. In addition, this drug helps form the placenta.
The amount of hCG produced allows you to regulate feedback in the interaction chain of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. Deficiency of human chorionic gonadotropin provokes a decrease in the size and functionality of the testicles. The concentration of this human hormone can be increased by the artificial introduction of both synthetic testosterone and its various analogues, which allows the hypogalamic-pituitary-gonadal system to make it clear that there is no need to synthesize gonadotropin and GnRH. This provokes the loss of functions by the testicles, which become much smaller in size.
The use of gonadotropin is recommended for those athletes who take testosterone and its analogues. This helps to avoid testicular atrophy, which is considered the main function of this drug. Bodybuilders who do not have much experience use hCG in combined courses to increase muscle mass. Due to the fact that this drug increases the level of testosterone synthesis, it is taken. It is also used during the “drying” period to preserve muscle mass against the background of a reduced calorie diet.
Human chorionic gonadotropin has been shown to be ineffective for anabolic purposes in bodybuilding. This is because it can cause numerous problems. The stimulation of testosterone synthesis provided by this drug is much less than that of other synthetic forms of this hormone, and the side effects are much higher. Therefore, many people wonder why they should take hCG. Its main benefit that a bodybuilder receives by taking it is the prevention of testicular atrophy.
The use of gonadotropin for prophylactic purposes to prevent testicular shrinkage requires small dosages. Therefore, taking this drug for this purpose minimizes the risks that occur when it exhibits anabolic properties. The main advantage of the drug on a cycle of anabolic steroids is that it can significantly reduce the negative effects of many of these drugs. Its use is also allowed during the “drying” period in order to preserve muscle mass. If HCG is administered over a long period of time, it helps keep the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis functioning. It is not recommended to take this drug during post-cycle therapy.
You can purchase human chorionic gonadotropin without any prescription at the pharmacy. It is produced in the form of injections for administration subcutaneously or intramuscularly. The drug is first diluted using a special liquid included with it inside the ampoule. The injections are injected into the muscles. The substance dissolves very quickly and lasts for at least five to six days.
When anabolic steroids are taken for no longer than five or six weeks, then there is no need for hCG injections.
Large dosages or long-term use of anabolic steroids require the administration of 250 to 500 milligrams of human chorionic gonadotropin twice a week. When hCG is not used during a heavy cycle, it is taken during post-cycle therapy, which requires a dosage of 2,000 milligrams. The drug is administered every other day for three weeks.
Professional bodybuilders almost always use anabolic steroids. This means that human chorionic gonadotropin must be taken regularly. Every five weeks, a break of seven to fourteen days is required.
The use of hCG can lead to the following negative effects:
Human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG) is a hormone that is extracted from the urine of pregnant women through high purification. It is very similar in its effect to luteinizing hormone and also stimulates the production of testosterone in men, which is of interest to bodybuilders and many other athletes.
Recent studies conducted in America have proven that taking the drug orally does not have any effect, so you should not purchase nutritional supplements, which in theory can help you restore hormone production. Gonadotropin must be injected, then a positive effect should be expected.
As already mentioned, this drug’s effect on the body is very similar to luteinizing hormones, produced by the hypothalamus in the brain. Gonadotropin gives a signal to the pituitary gland, which in turn, through the pituitary-hypothalamus-testes system, causes the testicles to produce testosterone. Also ability gonadotropin not only in increasing testosterone levels, but also in improving the quality of sperm and their motility. Often gonadotropin used by women to accelerate the maturation of the egg by increasing the hormone progesterone. During pregnancy, this hormone promotes the formation of the placenta and improves fetal maturation.
If we take an ordinary man, then the output gonadotropin is always regulated by the testes-pituitary-hypothalamus feedback and when testosterone levels decrease, the level of gonadotropes immediately increases. But with the introduction of synthetic hormones and testosterone in particular, the body stops producing gonadotropin and subsequently the production of testosterone by the testicles decreases and spermatoginesis worsens. The testicles may decrease in size, and with prolonged exposure, even atrophy. Therefore, for long courses it is recommended to use synthetic gonadotropin .
Main and main function gonadotropin is to stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone, as well as to increase and improve sperm quality. Sometimes gonad can be used in cutting courses to improve muscle quality and as an anti-catabolic. But most often the use occurs on long and heavy courses of steroids in order to avoid testicular atrophy and further side effects associated with this.
Typically, hCG is sold in the form of a powder with bactericidal water for intramuscular administration with an insulin or regular syringe. After dilution, the drug should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 weeks. HCG quickly enters the blood and after a few hours begins to act, the duration of its effect is about 5-6 days, which makes injections rare.
If you decide to take steroids and your course will last no more than 6 weeks with light drugs, then use gonadotropin not required during or after the course.
If the course of steroids exceeds more than 8 weeks and includes several drugs and some of them are strong, then the use gonadotropin preferably, usually start with 250-500 IU 2 times a week. In the last week of the course put gonadotropin is no longer necessary, but should move on to PCT.
Some athletes are on what is called a perpetual course, in these cases gonadotropin should be used in cycles and on an ongoing basis. The break between cycles should be 2-3 weeks.
Gonadotropin, Chorionic Gonadotropin, hCG - is a hormonal drug, used by both men and women, the purpose of use in men: to stimulate the synthesis of sex hormones in our testicles (testicles, gonads), the development of the genital organs, as well as secondary sexual characteristics.
HCG is biologically similar to Luteinizing hormone; when it enters the body exogenously, the pituitary gland, receiving the signal, causes the testicles to produce. Did you get the point? Great, so human chorionic gonadotropin allows us to increase our testosterone levels.
And now it’s simpler - when we are on a course of steroids, no matter what steroid we take, our body stops producing its own testosterone, it turns out that the testicles stop working properly, as a result testicular atrophy occurs.
Yes, often when you receive this information, you say: why use anabolic steroids if there is gonadotropin?
Using anabolic steroids is safer than hCG, because to achieve high testosterone levels, you need to use huge dosages per week, about 5000 units per week, which is fraught with consequences
And here the actual question arises: how and when, and how much to inject gonadotropin?
As a supporter of small dosages, I say: yes several regimens for taking hCG , let's look at them:
1. Having read a huge amount of scientific literature on this topic (now I’m talking about foreign sources) in the West, a common regimen looks like this:
Starting from the second week, they give 500 units every week until the end of the course of anabolic steroids, or 250 units twice a week.
2. Introduce gonadotropin from the third week of the course according to the scheme 3-4-5 weeks of the course, 1000 units every week, after a break of 2-3 weeks, then the scheme is repeated, by the way, gonadotropin is given if the course is more than six weeks .
3. A more common scheme, but at the same time outdated: use gonadotropin in the last weeks of the course , for example, if the course is 12 weeks, then hCG is given starting from the 8th week at 1500 units per week, before the start of PCT.
Long-term use of hCG does not make sense, since in response to exogenous intake, the body begins to produce antibodies.
In the next part of the article, I will tell you how foreign athletes use hCG, since I know one guy from the USA (a native of Belarus) who competes in men’s physics, I watch his streams, communicate personally through social networks, attend his webinars, and so on. I’ll answer the question: is gonadotropin used for PCT (post-cycle therapy).
Anabolic steroids, insulin, growth hormone, thyroid hormones - all these drugs are included in the arsenal of professionally training bodybuilders today. However, this is not a complete list. For example, few serious athletes neglect such a drug as gonadotropin.
Human chorionic gonadotropin hormone - this is the full name of this drug or abbreviated HGG - is not an anabolic steroid. More precisely, it is a protein hormone that is formed in the placenta (uterus) of pregnant women. HGG is formed in the female body in the first 6-8 weeks of pregnancy and makes possible the subsequent production of estrogens and gestagens in the corpus luteum. As a result, the production of these hormones begins in the placenta itself. HCG travels from the bloodstream to the kidneys and is then excreted from the body in urine. That is why it is extracted from the urine of pregnant women.
Externally administered hCG facilitates the ovulation process in women, since at the moment the egg matures, it comes into action and promotes its release. HGG also promotes the production of estrogens and the corpus luteum.
HGG attracts the attention of bodybuilders for another reason. The fact is that this drug has almost the same qualities as luteinizing hormone, which is formed in the pituitary gland. In men, luteinizing hormone stimulates the sex cells in the testicles and increases the production of androgenic hormones (testosterone). Therefore, injectable hCG is used by athletes to enhance testosterone production. As the dosage of steroid drugs decreases, and even more so after they stop taking them, users usually experience a noticeable drop in strength and “mass”. This is mainly due to the fact that there is a catastrophic lack of testosterone in the body.
Already at the very beginning of the steroid cycle, a disruption of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular arc occurs. Steroids increase testosterone levels in the blood and send a corresponding signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus, in turn, transmits a signal to the pituitary gland to reduce or completely stop the production of follicular stimulating hormone. As a result, luteinizing hormone begins to influence the germ cells in which testosterone is produced with less intensity. Additional intake of HGG allows you to correct the situation and increase testosterone production.
Moreover, once in the body, HGG begins to work almost instantly. HGG is generally unique due to its two-phase effect. The first peak in the rise in plasma testosterone levels in the blood begins approximately two hours after the injection of hCG, and the second peak approximately 48-96 hours later. At the same time, the average level of plasmatestosterone increases, and the height of the peaks and the average level depend, according to research by scientists, on the dose of administered hCG.
If we talk about how much hCG should be administered, then I can only give rough recommendations. For example, the well-known Bill Phillips advises taking 4000 IU (International Units) per week for two to three weeks. However, there are other recommendations according to which the use of hCG should be approached individually, based on how long the steroid course was, how high the dosages were and what drugs were used. And if, for example, the basis of your steroid menu was “methane” and sustanon, then in this case the dosage of HGG should be higher.
Another question concerns how often to give gonadotropin injections. One of the favorite models of Russian bodybuilders is the option in which 1000-1500 IU of gonadotropin is administered every second day. On the other hand, according to research by scientists, a single injection of hCG of approximately 1500 IU increases plasmatestosterone levels by 250-300% and this level lasts for several days (up to five to six). Therefore, it is possible that more infrequent injections, say once every five days, would be more appropriate. If we talk about the period during which one should “sit” on gonadotropin, then almost all sources are unanimous: no more than three, maximum four weeks.
Otherwise, the testicles will react very poorly to injections of hCG and even to their own release of luteinizing hormone, which can lead to hypofunction of the gonads. At the same time, the pauses between courses of gonadotropin, according to the same Phillips, should be at least six months, although for a bodybuilder. If you are on steroids for eight to ten months a year, this condition is difficult to achieve.
When should you take gonadotropin hormone? The answer to this question is also ambiguous. In Russia, it is a common practice for HGG to be injected after finishing a steroid course. I believe it would make more sense to start a course of HCG while tapering off the steroids. Let me explain: as soon as you begin to reduce your steroid intake, the body becomes increasingly testosterone deficient.
And, as a result, some loss of strength and muscle volume can be observed already at this stage, although the unique property of steroids is that they are anti-catabolic and even relatively small dosages are able to maintain muscle volume and strength even with a lack of calories, which is what they use Usually athletes are drying.
Does it make sense to conduct HGG courses in other situations? Yes, when it comes to very long steroid cycles, from three months or longer. In these cases, it is very advisable to take a two- to three-week break somewhere in the middle of the steroid course and conduct a blitz cycle of HGG. This will at least to some extent “encourage” the sex glands. Some athletes finish a steroid cycle only to give themselves a break and start a new cycle three weeks later.
When taking CHG, the same side effects may occur as when taking testosterone. A sharp increase in sexual desire is possible. Due to a sharply increased level of estrogen, gynecomastia (swelling of the mammary glands) may develop. In high doses, gonadotropin can cause acne and also cause the body to accumulate water and mineral salts, which in turn can give the user's muscles a watery, puffy appearance. In very young athletes, taking hCG may cause bone growth to stop growing prematurely. Sometimes such phenomena were even observed that men began to feel the same symptoms as pregnant women: vomiting, growth of fat, etc.
Injectable hCG is a dry substance enclosed in an ampoule (bottle). An ampoule with solution should be attached to the bottle with CHG. This is usually a sodium chloride solution. The powder dissolves well in solution. The resulting mixture must be introduced into the body. If you did not use all the liquid, then the leftovers should be placed in the refrigerator. Dry hCG should be stored in a dark place at a temperature no higher than plus 25 degrees Celsius.
If we talk about what kind of hCG is found on the market, then first of all we need to mention the Russian drug, which is called human chorionic gonadotropic hormone. The drug is sold in white cardboard packages, each of which contains five bottles of HGG of 500, 1000 or 1500 IU each and five ampoules with a solution. Russian gonadotropin is quite cheap - the cost of one bottle on the market averages 40-50 rubles. Dutch gonadotropin is also found on our market, but it is several times more expensive. About ten years ago, domestic athletes were very fond of using the Italian-made drug "Profasi", but now it is practically impossible to find.
Conclusion
Is Gonadotropin the magic bullet that will allow you to maintain the results you achieve with steroids? Unfortunately no. Although hCG stimulates the production of testosterone, it does not affect the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testicular arc and does not contribute to its restoration. As a result, gonadotropin injections only soften and delay the “collapse” effect that occurs after stopping steroids. That is why experienced bodybuilders calculate various combinations and try to supplement the intake of hCG with the use of drugs such as, for example, clenbuterol and clomiphene citrate (Dinerick).
HGG cannot replace steroids when it comes to building “mass” and is of little use when working on relief, although some athletes firmly believe that gonadotropin has a fat-burning effect and gives the muscles additional hardness. Attempting to increase testosterone levels through injections before competition may make sense, but is associated with certain risks, since hCG is "caught" in doping controls. However, despite all of the above, gonadotropin still remains extremely popular among bodybuilders.
During a course of anabolic steroids (AS), every athlete must remember about possible adverse reactions of the body and the problems that arise. The most common ones are:
These consequences can be caused by various reasons - the individual characteristics of the body, an ill-constructed regimen for taking AS, which leads to an imbalance of drugs in the course, as well as sudden changes in hormonal levels.
Every professionally training bodybuilder should have a certain set of drugs in his arsenal. These include:
Chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)- refers to a group of protein hormones that occurs in the placenta (uterus) of pregnant women. Gonadotropin is synthesized in a woman’s body in the first trimester of pregnancy and is the basis for the subsequent formation of estrogens and progestins in the corpus luteum. HCG travels from the bloodstream to the kidneys and is later excreted from the body in urine, which is later used to obtain the hormone in drug form. The introduction of Gonadotropin into a woman’s body promotes ovulation and increases her chances of becoming pregnant.
Gonadotropin attracted the attention of bodybuilders for another reason. The fact is that this hormone has virtually the same properties as the luteinizing hormone, which occurs in the pituitary gland. In young men, luteinizing hormone provokes the formation of germ cells in the testicles, stimulates interstitial cells (Leydig cells) and promotes the production of sex steroids - testosterone and dihydrotestosterone.
Today, many researchers from the United States agree that for maximum effect, Chorionic Gonadotropin should be taken as an injection. Taking it orally, for example as a dietary supplement, does not produce the expected results.
The hCG drug for injection (for intravenous or intramuscular administration) is freely available in any pharmacy. The medication solution is prepared using the liquid (usually sodium chloride) that comes with the medication. Gonadotropin enters the blood almost instantly and begins its action. Moreover, it is unique in its ability to affect the body “in two waves” - the first peak of the hormone level occurs 2 hours after administration, when the concentration of plasmatestosterone in the blood is maximum; the second - 46-48 hours after the injection.
If we talk about how much gonadotropin should be injected in bodybuilding, then its dosage depends directly on both the AS scheme and its intensity.
While taking gonadotropin, similar side effects may occur as when taking testosterone:
Today, HCG remains one of the most popular hormones among professional athletes. However, despite the beliefs of some athletes, hCG is not able to replace steroids and does not have a fat-burning effect. Also, you should be careful when using it to increase testosterone levels - hCG is an unacceptable doping.
