Compound Deep-Dive

Tier 4: PeptideEssential for maintaining fertility and testicular health on TRT, but useless for fat loss.

HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

Human Chorionic GonadotropinPregnylNovarelOvidrel

Fertility insurance, not fat loss.

Hype Risk

8/10

Noticeability

8/10

Evidence Tier

Strong

Cost / Month

~$40

Weight loss myth

What it's actually good for

Muscle

Research Supported

Supports muscle maintenance indirectly by stimulating endogenous testosterone production.

Mood

Research Supported

Often improves well-being by 'backfilling' neurosteroids like pregnenolone and progesterone.

Recovery

Research Supported

Hormonal optimization via HCG aids in systemic recovery and tissue repair.

Energy: alignedFocus: neutralSleep: neutralLongevity: neutralImmunity: neutral

How it works

HCG is a hormone that mimics luteinizing hormone (LH) to stimulate endogenous testosterone production and maintain testicular function. It is highly effective for preventing testicular atrophy during TRT and restoring fertility, but it is clinically ineffective for weight loss.

HCG acts as an LH analog, binding to LH receptors on Leydig cells in the testes to stimulate the production of testosterone and maintain the steroidogenesis cascade.

Safety

Risk of gynecomastia due to increased estrogen aromatization.
Potential for LH receptor desensitization at chronic high doses.
May cause water retention, acne, or mood swings.

The full StackRoast report adds

The exact dose, timing, and effective range to actually run it at
Where people go wrong with it — the dose-creep and timing traps
What HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) clashes with or duplicates in your stack

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Community Reality Check

Distilled from 5000 threads

Confidence: high

What users report

Testicular size maintenance
Libido enhancement
Improved sense of well-being

The catch

High cost and limited availability
Estrogen management difficulty
Injection fatigue

Side effects reported

Gynecomastia
Water retention
Acne

https://www.reddit.com/r/testosteronehttps://www.reddit.com/r/peptides

The Receipts

9 sources— studies, videos & links

Videos

HCG For Long-Term HRT Use

More Plates More Dates

Derek explains the role of HCG in backfilling neurosteroids and maintaining testicular health.

Peter Attia on TRT and HCG

Peter Attia MD

A deep dive into the clinical application of HCG for hormonal optimization.

Papers

Coviello et al. (2005)rct2005

Low-dose HCG (250 IU every other day) was shown to maintain intratesticular testosterone levels in men on TRT.

Kim et al. (2011)rct2011

HCG effectively stimulates testosterone production in men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Creators

Peter Attia

YouTube

Physician specializing in longevity and hormonal health.

Derek (MPMD)

YouTube

Widely cited expert on pharmacology and hormone replacement therapy.

Clinical Sources

PubMed: HCG and Intratesticular Testosteroneclinical Examine: HCG Guideclinical PubMed: HCG for Male Infertilityclinical

Taking HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in a stack? Find out if the combination actually makes sense.

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