The test is there to keep healthy levels, it does not prevent the hCG from doing its job. hCG simply keeps endogenous levels of testosterone normal and i believe it helps keep sperm production high (the result being testicular volumization).
All of the studies i've found on further suppression of the HPTA has been in "eugonadal" men. If a person in normal ranges adds 100mg/wk of testosterone into their systems, they are no longer in their normal range.
I've yet to find one example of where a hypogonadal man experienced additional suppression from TRT given at a dose that is just enough to keep a person in the normal range.
There would have to be some sort of mechanism to identify an exogenous source of test in the blood from an edogenously produced test molecule. And, I'm unaware of any such thing existing. I mean, what would they do? Write a message on a neutrons in the C atoms? lol.
Other than T concentration in relation to a persons "normal range" I know of no such mechanism for identification of endogenous v. exogenous sources of testosterone.
I mean, in laboratories they can do it with sensitive equipment. If a molecule of testosterone is off bo so many daltons in weight, then they know that it is synthetic. But what does the body do?
I wouldn't mind being wrong on this subject one bit. But, I just don't see how "any amount" of exogenous testosterone can shut a person down. There would have to be an identifier to differentiate, and I coudn't even begin to speculate the purpose of HPTA supression due to synthetic testosterone introduction. It doesn't make any sense that exogenous test would cause a person to shutdown unless it was enough to make their body recognize the concentrtion as "supraphysiological" and shutdown production to attempt to maintain homeostasis.
Again, I've not been able to find a singe study that has dealth with these details.
i have seen studies that recognize the obvious fact that eugonadal men introducing more testosterone into their bodies resulting in supression of the HPTA, but that's because the testosterone introduced into their bodies is more testosterone "in addition to" what they normally take.
It doesn't take much. 100mg/wk of Test E can bring a completely supressed individual to have test levels around the 500ng/dl mark. So, imagine putting 100mg/wk of Test into a eugonadal man, of course he will suffer from shutdown.
I may be having a hard time communicating my point, so I'll try to restate it one last time:
I see no reason that testosterone will shut down HPTA just because it is from an exogenous source. The body does not know how to differentiate between exogenous and endogenous sources of testosterone. The resultant supression comes from the additional testosterone being introduced and the overall concentration being supraphysiological, according to that persons body. I"ve never seen one single study that shows "exogenous" being the problem.
So, if eliteballa3 can get endo help and get in the normal range while they treat the HPTA, I don't see how the TRT will be such a horrible thing.