human chorionic gonadotrophin

A hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. HCG stimulates the production of the sex hormone, testosterone. Artificial preparations have been misused by athletes to boost performance levels by increasing their testosterone levels.

HCG has also been used as a slimming agent. In the 1950s it was claimed that a low calorie diet combined with a course of injections of HCG mobilizes fat, enabling the body to use fat as a fuel more easily. The treatment was reported to have been successful in removing fat from those parts of the body, such as thighs and hips, where excesses tend to accumulate. However, the success is probably attributable to the low calorie diet (as low as 500 Calories per day) and not to HCG. There is little scientific evidence to support the use of HCG as a slimming aid.

A hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy, which stimulates the production of testosterone. Drugs containing hCG have been misused by athletes to increase testosterone levels artificially. hCG has also been taken by male athletes to prevent testicular atrophy associated with the use of anabolic steroids. The 2006 World Anti-Doping Agency's guidelines prohibit the use of hCG by men, but not by women. This is because, in addition to being elevated during pregnancy, hCG levels are increased during certain female disease conditions, making it particularly difficult to distinguish between naturally elevated levels in women from abuse.