My Oxytocin Experience

How I Used the “Love Hormone” to Improve Blood Pressure, HRV & Pace of Aging

By Tony Pemberton — Founder of Epic Genetics

Most people only know oxytocin as the “love hormone.” But over the past few months, I’ve been running a structured oxytocin cycle—not for mood, not for bonding, but for its impact on inflammation, blood pressure, metabolic function, and biological aging.

As someone who professionally analyses biomarkers through TrueDiagnostic epigenetic tests, runs Health MOTs, and tracks thousands of client metrics, I approached oxytocin as a controlled experiment. What surprised me is just how measurable the effects were, especially on blood pressure, heart rate variability, and evening glucose handling.

This is my full experience, tied in with the physiology, the data I tracked, and how this may support longevity and a slower DunedinPACE.

Why Oxytocin Matters for Longevity

Oxytocin receptors are located throughout the endothelial lining of your arteries. When activated, they release nitric oxide, creating a vasodilating effect that can reduce blood pressure and improve vascular elasticity.

Beyond that, oxytocin is shown to:

✔ Reduce NF-κB activation

Lowering inflammatory signaling in vascular tissue.

✔ Reduce TNF-α release

Meaning less arterial inflammation and healthier endothelial function.

✔ Improve insulin sensitivity

Via PI3K activation and enhanced glucose uptake into muscle.

✔ Increase parasympathetic tone

Helping counteract cortisol and promote calmness.

For someone like me—high daytime cortisol, long consultation hours, cognitively demanding work—this parasympathetic shift in the evening is extremely valuable.

And since inflammation, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and cortisol collectively influence my TrueAge biological aging score and DunedinPACE, this made oxytocin a compelling peptide to test.

My Oxytocin Protocol — And Why Timing Was Everything

I dosed 150mcg subcutaneously, which is above traditional research doses (typically up to 80mcg intranasally) but still within a logical range considering the increased bioavailability of sub-q delivery.

Early on, I learned one golden rule:

Don’t inject too close to bedtime.

Oxytocin causes an initial sympathetic activation—a brief 20–30 minute “flush” where heart rate rises. After that, it flips into the calming parasympathetic phase.

If I dosed too late, I was stimulating myself when I should’ve been winding down.

So my sweet spot became:

6:15pm, straight after work, before dinner.

This is also the time of day where my blood pressure tends to creep up—partly from evening meals, partly from sodium handling, and partly from switching out of “work mode.”

What I Measured: HRV, Resting Heart Rate, Blood Pressure & Glucose

I tracked everything through my Whoop Journal, which is massively underrated. With nearly 3 years of baseline data, the algorithm picks up trends very reliably.

What I consistently saw:

• HRV increased on oxytocin days

On days without oxytocin, HRV was notably lower.

• Resting heart rate improved

Reinforcing that parasympathetic rebound effect.

• Systolic blood pressure dropped by ~7 points

Measured before vs. after dosing in the evenings.

• Evening glucose stability improved

Even with higher-calorie dinners, oxytocin + berberine made a noticeable difference.

Morning glucose is already covered by my SGLT2 inhibitor (Empagliflozin), but evenings are my vulnerable window. Oxytocin helped level this out.

Why Oxytocin Helps My DunedinPACE & Biological Age

When you run quarterly Health MOTs and biological age tests with TruDiagnostic, you get insights into inflammation, endothelial aging, cortisol load, arterial stiffness, insulin signaling, and overall PACE of aging.

Oxytocin intersects with many of the key drivers that speed up biological age:

• Lower blood pressure → less arterial stress

• Reduced NF-κB and TNF-α → less endothelial inflammation

• Improved parasympathetic tone → better HRV (a major aging marker)

• Better insulin sensitivity → less glucose-driven inflammation

Even small improvements here contribute to a more favourable epigenetic trend over 3–6 months.

Given my already strong performance in the Rejuvenation Olympics (DunedinPace 0.76 most recently), every marginal gain counts.

It also allowed me to come off my Propronanol medication, which also lowered pressure and reduced heart rate, but at the cost of lowering my VO2 max.

Side Effects & Dose Considerations

The most common issue is headaches, caused by the initial vasodilation. I’ve only experienced this very mildly for a few minutes.

But I’ve spoken to people experimenting with 1–2mg per dose—which I do not recommend. At those levels, people experience migraines and significant receptor downregulation.

Even at 150mcg, I was aware of the importance of:

• Avoiding daily use long-term

• Taking 1–2 days off weekly

• Cycling off fully after ~10 weeks

My cycle lasted roughly 10 weeks because that’s how long a 10mg vial lasts when reconstituted at 2ml.

In terms of peptide value for money, oxytocin is one you feel working, unlike something subtle like Epitalon or GHK-Cu.

Seasonal Factors: Why Winter Matters

HRV always dips for me during winter due to increased cortisol from cold exposure.

When cycling off oxytocin, this matters, because losing the parasympathetic benefits at the same time as winter stress can cause a double-hit.

To counter this, I’ll be:

• Wearing warmer clothing

• Keeping the house warmer

• Minimising unnecessary cold exposure

All to maintain HRV and prevent unnecessary biological stress during the off-cycle period.

Final Thoughts: Oxytocin as a Longevity Tool

For me personally, oxytocin has proven:

✔ A reliable evening blood pressure stabiliser

✔ A parasympathetic “switch” after high-cortisol work days

✔ A contributor to improved HRV and recovery

✔ A mild metabolic aid for evening glucose handling

✔ A peptide you actually feel working

And crucially, I’m excited to see how this impacts my next TrueAge and DunedinPACE results. If the inflammation and vascular markers move in the direction I expect, oxytocin may become a periodic tool I use a few times a year.

If You Want Help with Your Biological Age, HRV, or Blood Pressure

At Epic Genetics, my team and I run:

• 105 biomarker Health MOTs with TruDiagnostic TruHealth

• Longevity epigenetic tests with TruDiagnostic TruAge

• 12-month Rejuvenation Programmes

• Personalised longevity strategies

All aimed at improving your long-term vitality and slowing your biological aging rate.

Disclaimer

This was my personal experiment using research-grade oxytocin (97.7%+ purity) from Peptides of London.I am not advising anyone to replicate my protocol, dosage, or frequency.

Oxytocin is a peptide with real physiological effects and must be approached with caution, especially at higher doses or with subcutaneous administration.

Always consult a qualified clinician before considering any peptide.