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HCG

A fertility hormone that keeps the testes working on TRT.

StatusPrescription medicine (EU/UK/US); WADA prohibited (men)
How well studied in peopleApproved medicine
Experts quoted2 experts

iNot medical advice. We don’t recommend any dose. Every dose below is a quote from the person named, describing their views or their own use. HCG is a prescription medicine in the EU, UK and US and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list for men. Products sold online as research peptides are not licensed medicines.

What experts say about dosing

2 statements from 2 people. Each one is word for word: we add punctuation only and mark cuts with […]. The chips repeat the exact words used.

Vigorous SteveBodybuilding coach and YouTuber (VigorousSteve)

Written protocol: 500 IU three times a week

Dose
“500iu”
How often
“3x weekly on Monday-Wednesday-Friday”
When
“ideally upon waking”

“Protocol: 500iu rHCG 3x weekly on Monday-Wednesday-Friday, ideally upon waking. You don’t have to take the HCG before Penis Pumping, it has a long active life, and might keep you awake when taken too late in the day!”

Read the sourceThe Bathmate & DHT Cream Experiment (vigoroussteve.com article) · 11 Nov 2024

Context: From a written protocol for a penile-enlargement experiment that also uses a vacuum pump and DHT cream. “rHCG” is recombinant HCG. Elsewhere in the article he writes “500iu SubQ 3x weekly”. He also cites a 2023 study that found HCG did not speed up the tissue changes involved.

Nicholas TrigiliHuman performance specialist and coach; fitness YouTuber

Fertility on TRT: starting and advanced ranges

Dose
“500 to 1,000 IUs”
How often
“two to three times per week”

“If you're just getting started, 500 to 1,000 IUs two to three times per week. That's it. If you're a more advanced user, you need higher stimulation based on your blood work, you're going to need to use 1,000 up to 4,000 IUs two to three times per week. This is all based on your response.”

Watch at 1:47The only 4 Peptides You Need to Recover Fertility in 2026 (Even on TRT) (Nicholas Trigili) · 28 Jan 2026

Context: Part of the fertility stack he describes for men on TRT (HCG, HMG, clomiphene and glutathione), which he says he ran with a coaching client. He calls it a “dosing framework”.

What experts say about safety

1 statement from 1 person about risks and how strong the evidence is.

Nicholas TrigiliHuman performance specialist and coach; fitness YouTuber

Start low; too much too fast

“one costly mistake that most men make is jumping straight into high doses trying to rush this. You have to start conservative and track your response. And you only titrate up if needed, not just because you decided these doses in the first place. And too much too fast will 100% desensitize your latic cells and hurt results long term.”

Watch at 2:12The only 4 Peptides You Need to Recover Fertility in 2026 (Even on TRT) (Nicholas Trigili) · 28 Jan 2026

Context: “latic cells” is how the transcript renders Leydig cells, the testosterone-producing cells HCG stimulates.

Go deeper

What the research used

Context, not a dosing guide. The studies below added HCG to testosterone in medically supervised settings. They measured hormone levels and semen quality, not outcomes for people self-dosing.

Human studies

StudyStudied inWhat the study usedWhat it found
Coviello et al., 2005, J Clin Endocrinol MetabPubMed 1571372729 healthy men given 200 mg testosterone enanthate weeklyPlacebo or 125, 250 or 500 IU HCG every other day for 3 weeksTestosterone inside the testes rose with HCG dose; it fell 94% on testosterone alone
Hsieh et al., 2013, J UrolPubMed 2326055026 men with low testosterone on testosterone therapy (retrospective)500 IU HCG into the muscle every other dayNo change in semen measures over more than a year of follow-up
What we don’t know yet
  • The studies are small and short, or look back at records.
  • The expert ranges are for men.
  • Products sold online as research compounds are unregulated, so identity, purity and dose accuracy vary.
Common questions

What does HCG do on TRT?

It acts like LH, the signal testosterone therapy switches off, so the testes keep making testosterone. In one study, 500 IU every other day kept semen measures stable.

Is HCG a peptide?

It is a glycoprotein hormone, a large protein with sugar chains. It is sold alongside peptides.

Why does the protocol section only contain quotes?

We do not write our own dose ranges. The protocol cards show, word for word, what named people have publicly said, with their caveats and a link to the source.

About this page

Word-for-word statements about how HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is used, each with a link to the source. HCG is a hormone that acts like LH and tells the testes to keep making testosterone. The clinical studies are listed separately as context.

Also known as
Human chorionic gonadotropin; hCG; chorionic gonadotrophin; brand names include Pregnyl and Ovitrelle (recombinant)
Type
Glycoprotein hormone; LH-receptor agonist
Last updated
11 Oct 2026

Last reviewed 11 Oct 2026 · Compiled by the Peptide Dosing editorial team · How we check quotes