In the last decade or so, nearly every fan of bodybuilding has understood that professional competitive bodybuilders use ste***ds. In fact, multiple former Mr. Olympia winners have confessed to using exogenous hormones during their careers. After decades of denying using PEDs, bodybuilders suddenly open up about ste***d use. That’s because the whole process is far more complex than it seems, and ancillaries like hCG also play a crucial role.

As the fitness industry grows, bodybuilding is becoming more popular among the masses. Social media also plays a huge role, and today, many have rightly raised concerns about the rise of ste***d use in teenagers. This often causes irreversible damage and is the reason why seasoned professionals rely on other pharmaceutical drugs like hCG. So what does it do?

How bodybuilders use an FDA-approved drug

Taking any anabolic drug has a high risk of causing long-term damage to how the body’s hormone functions. While the body naturally produces every hormone that you’ll ever need, there is a limit. However, professional bodybuilders carry far more muscle than a natural athlete could ever build. After reaching our genetic potential, the body simply cannot support any more muscle mass.

Bodybuilders change that through exogenously injecting testosterone and its various other derivatives. These derivatives like deca dianabol, trenbolone acetate, and more, are often far more potent than pure testosterone. However, even the unadulterated male hormone throws off your body’s balance when injected externally.

While the presence of excess testosterone might promote rapid supraphysiological muscle growth, it shuts down the body’s ability to produce the hormone. Since your body detects too much testosterone in the bloodstream, it stops the natural production. However, this turns into a serious problem when bodybuilders end their steroid cycle.

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While the excess testosterone diminishes, the body has a hard time restarting the natural testosterone production. This has happened to several hobbyist bodybuilders who were uninformed of the side effects. Even famous fitness influencers like Larry Wheels, Greg Doucette, and others have dealt with the issue as a side effect of prolonged ste***d use. However, that’s where hCG comes in.

How bodybuilders use hCG counteracts a specific side effect

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is an FDA-approved drug that is used to treat infertility in women. Hence, it’s also sometimes called “the pregnancy hormone.” It helps in treating low testosterone production and hypogonadism in men. Hypogonadism is the condition where the testes shrink and are unable to produce enough of the male sex hormone. 

By now, you may have formed a relation between the need for extra testosterone for bodybuilding and hCG helping the body to produce testosterone. However, bodybuilders don’t use it during or after a ste***d cycle to further boost hormone production. Instead, they use it as a safety measure during the cycle and as a treatment after it. Here’s why.

Taking ste***ds shuts down test production and, in many bodybuilders, may cause hypogonadism. Since hCG treats hypogonadism, bodybuilders who might have suffered during a previous cycle use hCG. Others use it to mitigate the risk entirely. Hence, despite being on supraphysiological doses, their bodies do not shut down natural testosterone production.

However, most bodybuilders use hCG after a cycle. The FDA-approved drug is among the most important post-cycle therapy drugs.

Why PED users need post-cycle therapy (PCT)

While not everyone uses hCG during a cycle, almost all enhanced bodybuilders use it during PCT. PCT is paramount for the long-term health and longevity of a professional bodybuilder because every cycle messes up the natural hormone production method of the body.

This is why most bodybuilders use hCG and hMG to restart testosterone production. The hCG kickstarts the system, letting it know that exogenous doses of testosterone are no longer present. However, hCG isn’t a miracle drug. Prolonged ste***d use has the risk of permanently damaging how much natural testosterone the body produces.

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Many bodybuilding legends realized this risk and retired before permanent damage took place. Meanwhile, many other former enhanced bodybuilders had to resort to Testosterone replacement Therapy (TRT). While TRT helps, it is not a permanent solution. In fact, TRT has even been used in combination with hCG to improve the body’s capacity to produce the hormone in affected bodybuilders.

Hence, professional competitive bodybuilders who hope to mitigate the risks of permanent damage use hCG. However, ste***d use is inherently risky, and no amount of precaution can guarantee safety.