Ah, sorry, I did not understand, but now I do. As I posted before, in cases where hCG is the sole agent used to stimulate endogenous testosterone production, higher doses are needed to effectively initiate and maintain this physiological process (ITT is also normalized when TT is normalized with hCG monotherapy). Testosterone used alone shuts down LH, which shuts down ITT. When hCG is used in combination with exogenous testosterone therapy, the required dose of hCG is generally lower. This is because the primary role of hCG in this context is not to raise testosterone levels (as exogenous testosterone is already accomplishing this), but rather to act as a LH mimicker to maintain testicular function (normalize ITT) and size and potentially preserve fertility. Lower doses of hCG are sufficient for this supportive role.
The average dose in the study above was around 1500 IU twice per week. The goal was to give enough hCG to improve libido and have a TT over 300 ng/dL, not aimed at fertility. The testosterone level attained with this dose was around 450 ng/dL (close to baseline). Most hCG monotherapy studies actually use even higher doses and frequencies, up to 3 times per week to make sure sperm production is enhanced.
Do you guys want me to interview the private investigators from Univ of Miami?
