HCG:
Pregnyl by Organon. 5,000 to 20,000 IU (International
Units) per 10 cc vials. This drug is not a steroid but it is widely
used in athletics today. HCG is a natural protein hormone secreted
by the human placenta and purified form the urine of pregnant
women. This hormone is not a natural male hormone but mimics the
natural hormone LH (Luetinising Hormone) almost identically. This
LH stimulates the production of testosterone by the testis in
males. Thus HCG sends the same message and results in increased
testosterone production by the testis due to HCG’s effect on the
leydig cells of the testis. Normally this HCG is used to treat
women with certain ovarian disorders and it is used to stimulate
the testis of men who may be hypogonadal. Athletes use HCG to
increase the body’s own natural production of testosterone which
is often depressed by long term steroid use. Also when steroids
are used in high dosages they can cause false signals to the hypothalamus
that results in a depressed signal to the testicles. Over a period
of weeks of this depressed signal the testicles ability to respond
to any signal from the pituitary becomes very weak, which results
in testicular atrophy. To avoid this athletes will use HCG to
keep an artificial signal going to the testis and preventing testicular
atrophy.
When administered, HGC raises serum testosterone very quickly.
A rise in testosterone firs appears in about two hours after injecting
HCG. The second peak occurs about two to four days later. HCG
therapy has been found to be very effective in the prevention
of testicular atrophy and to use the body’s own biochemical stimulating
mechanisms to increase plasma testosterone level during training.
Some steroid users find that they have some of their best strength
and size gains while using HCG in conjunction with the steroids.
This may wee be due to the facts that the body has high level
of natural androgens as well as the artificial steroid hormones
at that time. The optimal dosage for an athlete using HCG has
never been established, but it is thought hat a single shot of
1000 to 2000 IU per week will get the desired results. Cycles
on the HCG should be kept down to three weeks at a time with an
off cycle of at least a month in between.
For example, one might use the HCG for two to three weeks in the
middle of a cycle, and for two or three weeks at the end of a
cycle. It has been speculated that the prolonged use of HCG could
repress the body’s own production of gonadotropins permanently.
This is why the short cycles are the best way to go. The side
effects from HCG use include gynecomastia, water retention, and
an increase in sex drive, mood alterations, headaches, and high
blood pressure. HCG raises androgen levels in males by up to 400%
but it also raises estrogen levels dramatically as well. This
is why it can cause a real case of gynecomastia if dosages get
too elevated for that person. Another side effect seen from HCG
use is morning sickness (nausea and vomiting).
There have been no cases of overdose complications with the use
of HCG nor have there been any associated carcinomas, liver or
renal impairment. HCG was at one point looked at to see if it
could carry the AIDS virus, due to the fact that it is biologically
active, but the latest word is that this could not be possible
in any way. So we see how HCG be used by athletes to avoid some
of the problems associated with abruptly stopping a steroid cycle.
This product is also not picked up on steroid tests, so some athletes
use it to keep androgen levels high before a contest that has
drug testing. HCG must be refergerated after it is mixed together,
and it then has a life of about 10 weeks. It is taken intramuscularly
only; this drug is often available by order of a physician if
you show symptoms of hypogonadism. It is hard to find on the black
market. |
