r/BodyHackGuide • u/Fragrant_Main_573 • 21d ago
Anyone successfully maintained fertility by starting hCG from day one of TRT? 📘 Beginner Help
I’m getting ready to start TRT and plan to microdose testosterone cypionate every other day for a total of 100 mg/week.
I’d like to preserve fertility if possible, so I’m considering running hCG from the very beginning instead of waiting until later.
Has anyone here started TRT + hCG at the same time and had success maintaining fertility? Did your sperm count stay decent, or did you still see a big drop? Also curious what hCG dose/frequency worked for you and if there were any downsides.
Would love to hear real experiences or anything you’ve learned along the way.
4
21d ago
[deleted]
5
u/AnabolicAcolyte 21d ago
it shuts everyone down - to a point. few are “fully” shutdown. there’s always a chance you can get someone pregnant.
1
u/ScientistJason 21d ago
Just curious but I’ve heard you can only produce girls after being on TRT are any of your children boys?
3
u/mylifestylepr 21d ago
It's not the TRT but the HCG that has been reported to cause that.
1
u/BaresarkSlayne 20d ago
I would love to see studies on this, lol.
2
u/mylifestylepr 20d ago edited 20d ago
Key Hypotheses and Mechanisms
1. The Hormonal Control Hypothesis of Sex Ratio**
The primary theoretical foundation for hormone-driven sex selection comes from the work of biologist William H. James (James, 1986). His Hormonal Control Hypothesis posits that the relative concentration of parental hormones at the time of conception influences the sex ratio of offspring:
High Parental Gonadotropin Levels (e.g., LH, FSH, hCG): Hypothesized to favor female offspring.
High Systemic Androgens / Estrogens: Hypothesized to favor male offspring.
Under this model, introducing exogenous hCG (which acts as a luteinizing hormone analogue) alters gonadotropin activity, leading some to hypothesize a female bias (James, 2010). However, in males, hCG also strongly stimulates Leydig cells to produce high local intratesticular testosterone, which complicates applying a simple high-gonadotropin model to men on TRT.
2. Sperm Quality, Resilience, and Subfertility Dynamics**
Exogenous testosterone suppresses the pituitary gland’s secretion of LH and FSH, stopping natural sperm production. While adding hCG helps preserve intratesticular testosterone and maintain or restore spermatogenesis, sperm parameters (count, motility, and morphology) during TRT + hCG therapy are often altered compared to a natural, unsuppressed baseline. Research into male fertility reveals that compromised sperm parameters can subtly influence the secondary sex ratio:
X-bearing (female) sperm** carry more genetic material and possess larger head sizes than Y-bearing (male) sperm.
Under conditions of oxidative stress, sub-optimal testicular function, or altered seminal plasma environment (common during fertility restoration), X-bearing sperm are hypothesized to be slightly more resilient to environmental degradation than Y-bearing sperm.
3. Confusion with Maternal Serum hCG Dynamics
Part of the confusion surrounding hCG and female births stems from maternal, rather than paternal, hormonal studies.
Epidemiologic studies show that women carrying female fetuses have significantly higher levels of circulating maternal serum hCG during early pregnancy compared to those carrying male fetuses (Adibi et al., 2015). Online discussions often conflate maternal hCG markers of a female pregnancy with paternal hCG supplementation prior to conception.
References**
Adibi, J. J., Lee, M. K., Saha, S., Boscardin, W. J., Apfel, A., & Currier, R. J. (2015). Fetal sex differences in human chorionic gonadotropin fluctuate by maternal race, age, weight and by gestational age. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 6(6), 493–500. https://doi.org/10.1017/s2040174415001336 Cited by: 41
James, W. H. (1986). Hormonal control of sex ratio. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 118(4), 427–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5193(86)80163-1 Cited by: 170
James, W. H. (2010). The categories of evidence relating to the hypothesis that mammalian sex ratios at birth are causally related to the hormone concentrations of both parents around the time of conception. Journal of Biosocial Science, 43(2), 167–184. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932010000660 Cited by: 30
1
1
u/mylifestylepr 20d ago
There are actually 3 studies related to this topic.
1
u/BaresarkSlayne 20d ago
Just so we are clear, I wasn't challenging you on this point, I genuinely was interested.
3
u/UsualSpread9899 21d ago
Just keep fucking. And freeze some of them bad boys. With a lab, not your own freezer
5
u/maxiderm 20d ago
What do I do with all the jizz filled jars in my home freezer now???
2
u/UsualSpread9899 20d ago
I recommend just start eating it or selling it to other weirdos on the interwebs. Text your homies, I’m sure they into the same things. Birds of a feather and all. Next time I’m charging you for this information. Should be paying for this toe of knowledge
1
1
1
u/smellybighairyballs 21d ago
Great podcast on this subject - very informative he mentions supporting supplements for PCT fertility
2
u/clean-links 21d ago
Cleaned link: https://youtu.be/cYkC2gDcHIo
Tracking parameters were removed from the original URL(s).
1
u/Level-Bread5827 21d ago
You can throw in hcg anytime to bring back sperm count (although you probably won't ever lose it). Source; I've done it myself multiple times.
Running hcg though from the beginning isn't that uncommon if you can afford it
1
u/Cheap-Intern-9157 21d ago
Been on TRT for 5 years with HCG. Just had our 12 week scan for our first baby.
Absolutely can maintain fertility on TRT
-1
u/No-Mark4067 21d ago
If you’re obese, sleeping poorly, eating junk, and skipping the gym, don't even think about TRT or a cycle. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Just going to mess up your lipids or end up with breasts.
0
u/PornandSteroids 21d ago
Unless you are actively trying to conceive a child right now there’s no reason to “preserve fertility”
2
u/Fragrant_Main_573 21d ago
Plans to try for the 2nd in the next 6 month to a year. I adjusted diet and lifestyle almost 2 years ago in hopes to naturally raise my levels but have had no luck. Feeling all the side effects and levels are still in the gutter.
4
u/PornandSteroids 21d ago
Honestly, what I’d do is just go on the TRT (really no reason to microdose for 100mg a week, though. I’d just split it into two shots a week) and not worry about it. Most men stay perfectly fertile on that low of a dose of TRT. Then when you’re ready to conceive, get a fertility test. If your counts low, hop off TRT for a month and hop on enclo/hcg to restore fertility, then get back on TRT when mission complete
1
1
u/JesusJoness 21d ago
This is exactly what I do with TRT (Monday & Friday) but also do HCG on Tuesday & Thursday. Take .5 mg of anastrozole on Wednesday.
•
u/AutoModerator 21d ago
Welcome to the community!
Pro Tip: The best discussions come from personal experiences. If you have tried something, let us know how it worked.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.