HCG: Research, Dosing, and Where to Buy in 2026
A research-first profile for HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, hCG, recombinant Ovitrelle), aggregating mechanism notes, transcript dosing mentions, vendor recommendations, and PubMed-indexed literature without presenting medical guidance.
HCG is a research compound profiled here from named-expert transcripts and peer-reviewed literature, without medical guidance. As of July 2026, The Peptide Wiki aggregates 15 PubMed-cited papers, 40 attributed expert mentions, and 41 transcript dosing protocols for HCG, each linked to its source.
- Also indexed as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, hCG, recombinant Ovitrelle.
- 41 aggregated dosing-protocol mentions from source transcripts.
- 15 PubMed-indexed citations listed in the research table below.
- 0 vendor recommendations captured from named experts.
- Evidence level in this entry is marked as research.
What is HCG?
Research compound aggregated from creator and literature mentions. No direct disease-treatment claims are made on this page.
Experts on background and overview · 11 cited mentions
"I've tried this myself by freezing multiple syringes with ATCG and then using those on a daily basis or every other day basis and then checking my beta ATG levels and doing a pregnancy test with one of the syringes. My serum levels came back and the pregnancy tested positive."
"If you do HCG mono therapy by itself and come off, do you need post cycle therapy? Yes, you do because you shut your LH and FSH secretion down… If it was just 4 to 6 weeks, you can probably just come off… HCG mono therapy for a couple years, you definitely need PCT."
"So, he put me on hCG at the time, um, which was insane. And in one week, all of my mental health problems, which was probably my my biggest symptomology... All of my mental health problems went away in one week."
Show 8 more cited mentions on background and overview →
"this has been scientifically proven to be 325 IUs or 300 IUs... 300 IUs every other day and 325 IUs three times a week. But I prefer 500 IUs three times a week cuz the HCG is not what it used to be."
"I would come down to TRT for a month and then start the HMG HCG protocol for 6 months and then around month three, four, five, six, you can start doing semen analysis."
"if you want more milliliters, abstain on 500 IU's HCG and 75 IU's FSH each three times per week. I think you should be able to produce 1 ml of semen per day"
"If you're on 150 mg TRT split 50 mg Monday Wednesday Friday and then 500 IUs hCG Tuesday Thursday Saturday, your levels should be about 1500 to 1700 ng/dL."
"a lot of guys that that take TRT and DHT together with HCG, so testosterone, data testosterone and human chorionic gonadotropin, notice that their estrogen levels are quite low and then they need to either increase their HCG dosages or their testosterone dosages because the DHT is so powerful in inhibiting the..."
"LH is hard to find. Look into uh human chorionic gonadotropin and human menopausal gonadotropin or follicle-stimulating hormone recombinant either recombinant HCG or recombinant FSH. And that might bring your pregnenolone and DHEA-S sulfate levels up"
"you can with your PCT. You're already using your Clomid, you're already using your ACG. Why would you need to, you know, throw in the testosterone then?"
"I would, you know, I would maybe do hcg and anavar or just anavar."
What is HCG researched for?
LH-mimetic that stimulates testicular testosterone production and supports spermatogenesis/libido on TRT.
Experts on uses and effects · 1 cited mention
"Usually hCG is my answer... let me try to get your health straight and see if that moves the needle on testosterone, but hg."
HCG Dosing Protocols
The entries below are transcript-derived dosing mentions. They are preserved for research context and are not medical advice.
| Speaker | Source | Timestamp | Protocol | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vigorous Steve | BAM15 Vs. ATX-304, Cagrilintide Vs. Eloralintide, SLU-PP-915,... | 00:13:50 | Vigorous Steve reported HCG monotherapy dosing: 500 IU three times/week as a starting point; 1,000 IU three times/week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) may approach upper reference range; 1,500 IU three times/week or 1,000 IU daily with diminishing returns. | anecdotal |
| Ryan Michael Ballow | Hacking TRT with HIGH doses, Energy like a MADMAN, and Protocol MASTERY | 00:07:44 | According to Ballow, for high-dose TRT with libido dropping, he used HCG as a small estrogen nudge. Reported dosing: if taking 150 IU once or twice weekly, he added a 70 IU HCG injection around day 3 or day 4. | anecdotal |
| VigorSteve | Will Your hCG Eventually Stop Working? | 00:09:47 | VigorSteve reported a protocol to compensate for peptide degradation in a reconstituted 5,000 IU vial: weeks 1-2 at 250 IU 3x/week, week 3 increased to 350 IU 3x/week, week 4 increased to 500 IU 3x/week. | anecdotal |
| Ryan Ballow | TRT Biohacking, Dialing in LIBIDO, and Killer TRT Protocols that... | 00:38:12 | Ryan reported reducing from 500 IU 3x/week to 200 IU 3x/week in an attempt to lower estradiol from 76 to approximately 50-55. If further reduction was needed, he reported going to 150 IU 2-3x/week. | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | GH Secretagogues Vs Real GH, Managing Estradiol On Cycle,... | 00:32:48 | Fertility protocol: 150mg test/week (50mg M/W/F) + 500 IU HCG T/Th/Sat between test injections + 75 IU FSH on test days (or daily if affordable); wait at least 6 months for fertility return | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Underdosed Test Epidemic, Tren Sleep Aids, High-Dose GH & Low-Dose... | 01:14:37 | Vigorous Steve reported a protocol of 500 IU three times per week, or 250 IU three times per week when on 70 mg testosterone cypionate (anecdotal, source video YvyImqE9Ooo). | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Nebido For Traveling, Skin-Friendly PEDs, GH Carpal Tunnel, Freeze... | 01:39:33 | For testicular function preservation on 350 mg test cycle: 300 IU every other day, or 325 IU 3x/week, or preferably 500 IU 3x/week due to declining HCG potency | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Trenbolone’s Minimum Dose, Generic GH Gone, SS-31 Effective Dose,... | 00:15:48 | 500 IU per dose, go through pen in 3 weeks; freezing reconstituted HCG in sterile vials preserves bioactivity (Steve verified via serum + urine pregnancy test) | anecdotal |
| Milos | Milos Debates PED's, IGF-1, Insulin, Training, & GH | 01:40:54 | Used alongside Clomid as standard PCT after every cycle; Milos's golden rule was 'on half = off half' (e.g., 16 weeks on → 8 weeks off, 10 on → 5 off) | anecdotal |
| chatters | Prevent Insulin Resistance On High-Dose GH, Mirabegron Vs. Clen Vs.... | 00:17:16 | 300 IU three times per week was in a viewer's stack; Steve later discusses HCG monotherapy as a possible stem-cell-support context. | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Best Injectable Oral Steroids, Injectable Pre-Workouts SubQ Vs IM,... | 00:55:20 | 1,000 IU hCG every other day (better than daily for testosterone/estradiol levels) plus 75 IU FSH every day for fertility recovery | anecdotal |
| Hunter | Saturday Morning Coffee Talk 6/6/26 | 01:23:41 | Hunter reported using an aggressive dose of 1,000 IU HCG three times per week (3,000 IU/week total) for sperm parameters. | anecdotal |
| Ryan Ballow | "I tried 200MG at once - LIBIDO went into OVERDRIVE" - Full Breakdown | 00:08:30 | 140-150 mg testosterone every 5-7 days with minimum effective dose of HCG, ~250 IU twice a week, or 62.5-100 IU daily | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | 9-Me-BC For MAXIMUM Dopamine Libido & Motivation | Managing Libido &... | 00:41:32 | Steve reported a fertility protocol of 1,000 to 2,000 IU every other day or daily (anecdotal; source video HjhDdZ4440E). | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Low-Dose MENT Year-Round, Melt Love Handle Fat, Injectable YK-11,... | 00:15:14 | 1,000 IU HCG + 75 IU HMG alternating every other day + 250mg test for fertility restoration; 3-6 months to conceive | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Oral Vs Injectable SLU-PP-332, Ideal GH To Test Ratio, High... | 00:52:54 | Steve reported using 500 IU HCG three times weekly for semen volume (anecdotal, source: JcwHiZKhzJI). | anecdotal |
| viewer (relayed) | Getting away with HIGH TRT Doses, LESS HCG with MORE TRT? And LIVE Q&A | 00:48:41 | Subject reported tolerance: used to do 100 IU every other day, now 250 IU every 3-4 days works better | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Injectable SLU, AI Dosing Protocol, Glutathione & NAD+, GH & Insulin... | 00:14:25 | 500 IU Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday between testosterone injections to raise estradiol from 13 to ~35 | anecdotal |
| Ryan Ballow | 200MG a week is BETTER, Dialing in LIBIDO, and TRT Biohacking DISCUSSION | 00:17:29 | 200 IU HCG daily alongside 250mg test EOD and 0.125 mg anastrozole EOD (PFS patient protocol) | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Ozempic Issues, Injectable Anadrol, Shrink Gyno, Hypo On Tren, PIP... | 00:56:51 | 500 IU 3x per week (T/Th/Sat) alongside 50 mg TRT MWF for fertility/levels ~1500-1700 ng/dL | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Best PED Use (Competitive vs. Lifestyle) & All Things to Avoid Death... | 00:32:46 | Steve reported using 250-300 IU alongside moderate TRT to mimic endogenous LH (anecdotal). | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Pool Party Protocols, 16-Week Tren Cycle, No GH Bloat, EQ Safety,... | 01:29:10 | HMG+HCG fertility protocol for 6 months after dropping high-dose cycle to TRT for 1 month. | anecdotal |
| Dave | Anabolic Steroids for Strength: Breaking Down Mitch Hooper's Cycle | 00:46:41 | 300-500 IU Mon/Wed/Fri or EOD, alongside 120 mg test/week and 75 IU HMG EOD for fertility | anecdotal |
| Ryan Ballow | 300MG Test E + 300MG Mast = DIALED IN? Livestream HIGHLIGHTS | 00:05:30 | Ryan reported using 200 IU HCG daily (in PFS protocol with anastrozole 0.125 EOD) | anecdotal |
| Vigorous Steve | Staying Dry On A Cut, Injectable Oral AAS, Sleep: GH Secretagogues... | 01:54:00 | HCG monotherapy 4-6 weeks: no PCT typically needed. Long-term (years): full SERM-based PCT required because pituitary is downregulated. | anecdotal |
| VigorousClips | This One Drug Will Make You An MMA Monster (It's Not Tren) | 00:01:42 | One reported protocol: 250 to 500 IU subq three times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), with discontinuation 3 weeks before competition to reduce water retention and assist weight cut. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | This TRT Protocol gave me Teenage Libido and Perfect Sexual Function... | 00:02:54 | Featured 'golden' protocol: 250 IU HCG every other day with 154 mg/week testosterone (22 mg daily) and 0.125 mg anastrozole every 10 days; produced TT 1050, E2 ~30 | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | TRT Failure? It's Your HORMONES, Not Your Dose! #shorts | 00:00:31 | 150 IU of HCG every day, discussed as probably taking estrogen too high for the androgen load when paired with 100 mg testosterone cypionate every fourth day. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | Prop BOLUSES for libido? To HCG or NOT HCG, and Livestream HIGHLIGHTS | 00:11:17 | Host reported using 100 IU every other day (= 50 IU/day) for fertility purposes, with anecdotal pregnancy reports documented in the source context | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | Stop Overcomplicating hCG: TRT Coaching Success Formula #shorts | 00:00:41 | Speaker argues many men use too much HCG and specifically says 350, 300, or 500 IU twice weekly is not needed and may cause more harm than good. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | HCG Intolerance Explained: LH Signaling vs Dosing #shorts | 00:00:04 | Speaker 1 discussed 150 IU of HCG; over a 48-hour dosing period, stimulation of Leydig cells in the testes is described as fairly constant. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | Getting away with HIGH TRT Doses, LESS HCG with MORE TRT? And LIVE Q&A | 00:40:05 | Host reported users tolerate 120-240 IU HCG at once; 500 IU doses reported to cause estrogenic side effects and erectile dysfunction. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | I figured out the MASTER TRT LIBIDO Strategy - and it WORKED | 00:04:42 | 75 IU HCG daily, alongside oscillating testosterone cypionate (40 mg / 48 mg every other day) for libido and erection support on TRT | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | TRT hCG Dosage: Less Is More for Better Results #shorts | 00:00:03 | Speaker reported that 353 or 500 IU twice a week was excessive for some users and reported using lower HCG doses. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | Unlock Testosterone: hCG Microdosing for Peak Performance #shorts | 00:00:50 | Speaker 1 reported dosing at 50 IU, 70 IU, or 100 IU of HCG, then observing effects over 5-7 days. | anecdotal |
| The Hunter Williams Podcast | Saturday Morning Coffee Talk 6/20/26 | 00:32:34 | Viewer reported 1000 IU HCG while remaining otherwise natural; testosterone came back at 940. | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | PFS Estrogen Windows, EQ but NO LIBIDO on TRT FIX, and PROP EOD = GOLD | 00:03:29 | 200 IU HCG daily (alongside 200 mg enanthate/week and 0.125 mg Arimidex EOD for PFS patient) | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | 250MG Test + primo + Proviron? Kisspeptin worth it? TRT Livestream... | 00:02:19 | 100 IU or 125 IU hCG (with proviron, removing primo) for good libido | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | Supercharging LIBIDO, Steele Rod Protocols, and TRT Biohacking LIVE Q&A | 00:12:40 | 100-150 IU hCG baseline to keep testicles functional on TRT dose | anecdotal |
| Cortex Labs (Ryan Ballow) | Unlock Hormonal Balance: hCG, Estrogen & Androgen Explained #shorts | 00:00:01 | Per anecdotal report, HCG was used with injection frequency spaced to create a trough as a 'nudge' for estrogen control. | anecdotal |
| Leo and Longevity (Lucie) | How to Improve Cognitive Brain Function from a Neuroscientist | 00:22:55 | 500 IU once a week | anecdotal |
Where to Buy HCG in 2026
No tracked vendor recommendations for HCG yet. See our vendor directory.
Side Effects and Safety
Anecdotal reports and study-level observations vary by route, dose, and individual. This page does not provide medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician before any research use.
Experts on side effects and safety · 2 cited mentions
"if you go on ATG monotherapy, which increases your testosterone levels, ATG is on the wider prohibited list and it raises your testosterone to potentially supervisological levels."
"you have a video... hCG seems to be ineffective at preventing tricular atrophy. Should one just take it out completely... Yeah, I don't think it works."
What Experts Say
4 experts across our source library discuss HCG. Each entry is that expert’s most context-rich mention: click to watch it at the exact timestamp in the original video. Quotes are also emitted as Schema.org Quotation JSON-LD for AI assistants.
-
“I've tried this myself by freezing multiple syringes with ATCG and then using those on a daily basis or every other day basis and then checking my beta ATG levels and doing a pregnancy test with...”
-
“So, he put me on hCG at the time, um, which was insane. And in one week, all of my mental health problems, which was probably my my biggest symptomology... All of my mental health problems went...”
-
“you can with your PCT. You're already using your Clomid, you're already using your ACG. Why would you need to, you know, throw in the testosterone then?”
-
“the difference between a 150 IU injection of hCG versus a 500 IU injection of HCG. in that in the first 24 hours that's really the only time frame that the 150 IU injection you know demonstrated...”
See 14 more expert mentions →
-
“If you do HCG mono therapy by itself and come off, do you need post cycle therapy? Yes, you do because you shut your LH and FSH secretion down… If it was just 4 to 6 weeks, you can probably just...”
-
“this has been scientifically proven to be 325 IUs or 300 IUs... 300 IUs every other day and 325 IUs three times a week. But I prefer 500 IUs three times a week cuz the HCG is not what it used to be.”
-
“I would come down to TRT for a month and then start the HMG HCG protocol for 6 months and then around month three, four, five, six, you can start doing semen analysis.”
-
“if you want more milliliters, abstain on 500 IU's HCG and 75 IU's FSH each three times per week. I think you should be able to produce 1 ml of semen per day”
-
“If you're on 150 mg TRT split 50 mg Monday Wednesday Friday and then 500 IUs hCG Tuesday Thursday Saturday, your levels should be about 1500 to 1700 ng/dL.”
-
“a lot of guys that that take TRT and DHT together with HCG, so testosterone, data testosterone and human chorionic gonadotropin, notice that their estrogen levels are quite low and then they need...”
-
“LH is hard to find. Look into uh human chorionic gonadotropin and human menopausal gonadotropin or follicle-stimulating hormone recombinant either recombinant HCG or recombinant FSH. And that...”
-
“I would, you know, I would maybe do hcg and anavar or just anavar.”
-
“Steve reported a protocol of "75 IU FSH every other day, 6,666 IU HCG every day" before correcting to "75 IU FSH every day and 1,000 IU HCG every other day." (Reported observation, not medical advice.)”
-
“I did 1,000 IUs three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday with FSH every day. So, 75 I use FS every uh every day and my nuts were huge.”
-
“do TRT and get your levels even higher on a moderate dose of testosterone and lower the HCG dose 250 300 IUS”
-
“if you go on ATG monotherapy, which increases your testosterone levels, ATG is on the wider prohibited list and it raises your testosterone to potentially supervisological levels.”
-
“you have a video... hCG seems to be ineffective at preventing tricular atrophy. Should one just take it out completely... Yeah, I don't think it works.”
-
“Usually hCG is my answer... let me try to get your health straight and see if that moves the needle on testosterone, but hg.”
User Reviews
User reviews aggregator coming Q3 2026 (Reddit + YouTube comments + Discord research notes). Until then, see the expert quote section above and PubMed citations below.
Research Efficacy Snapshot
Published efficacy percentages cited in PubMed trials and named-expert reports about HCG. Each line links to the original source.
- "**RESULTS**: Of 1581 pregnancies in the model development cohort, 1191 (75.3%) resulted in live birth." · Kalafat E et al, 2026 PubMed
- "Of 1171 pregnancies in the external validation cohort, 395 were from an untested embryo, of which 261 (66.1%) resulted in live birth, and 776 were from a PGT-A-tested embryo, of which 566 (72.9%) resulted in live birth." · Kalafat E et al, 2026 PubMed
- "In the model development cohort, trophectoderm quality was associated significantly with initial β-hCG level Z-score among pregnancies resulting in live birth (Grade B vs Grade A: β, -0.19 (95% CI, -0.34 to -0.04), P = 0.011; Grade C vs Grade A: β, -0.59 (95% CI, -0.83 to -0.35), P < 0.001)." · Kalafat E et al, 2026 PubMed
- "On external validation, the AUC for the prediction of live birth using the repeated-measurements model was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75-0.83) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.88) for PGT-A-tested and untested embryos, respectively." · Kalafat E et al, 2026 PubMed
- "Among the 2982 FET cycles, 1507 (50.5%) were artificial cycles (AC) and 1475 (49.5%) were cycles with a corpus luteum (CLC)." · Labrosse J et al, 2026 PubMed
- "Using study-reported OR and adjusted OR (aOR), the meta-analysis showed no difference in LBR between progesterone LPS and no LPS (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.98-1.36; aOR 1.07, 95% CI 0.64-1.79)." · Engesgaard FM et al, 2026 PubMed
- "CPR increased with LPS in the crude analysis (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.04-1.40), but not in the adjusted analysis (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 0.87-1.51)." · Engesgaard FM et al, 2026 PubMed
- "PLR was similar between LPS and no LPS (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.70-1.38)." · Engesgaard FM et al, 2026 PubMed
- "The accuracy was confirmed by recovery rates ranging from 90.0% to 110.0%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) consistently below 2.0%." · Sun Y et al, 2026 PubMed
- "Ultrasound-guided feticide was performed using an intracardiac injection of 20% potasium chloride solution, which successfully achieved fetal asystole." · Abdelrahim WE et al, 2026 PubMed
Research and Studies
15 PubMed-indexed papers reference HCG. Top 15 shown.
Legal Status
HCG is presented here as a research compound. FDA approval status, scheduling, WADA status, and state-specific telehealth rules may apply. Always verify current regulatory status. Last verified: 2026-07-09.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HCG FDA-approved?
HCG is presented on this page as a research compound. FDA approval status, scheduling, and state-specific rules may apply and change. Verify current regulatory status before any decision.
What dosing is reported for HCG?
This page aggregates 41 dosing-protocol mention(s) from named-expert transcripts, each linked to a verbatim source timestamp. See the Dosing Protocols table above. Mentions are anecdotal, not medical advice.
How much research has been published on HCG?
15 PubMed-indexed paper(s) reference HCG in our current research feed. See the Research and Studies section above for citations.