By Jake Ervin, Senior Reporter
Taking a pill a day without listening to what the doctors say: This is the approach some people are following when using performance-enhancing drugs to build muscle.
The use of anabolic steroids and other similar drugs has rapidly increased among competitive and recreational weightlifters who are hoping to gain muscle faster.
In the United States, more than three million people have taken anabolic steroids to achieve a more muscular physique, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of natural hormones such as testosterone and are often illegally used by weightlifters to gain muscle mass more quickly than they could naturally.
Some of the most common steroids used by gym enthusiasts include testosterone, trenbolone — which is often referred to as “tren” — and Dianabol, which is the brand name for methandienone. Other common performance-enhancing drugs that aren’t steroids but are being used by lifters include human growth hormones and selective androgen receptor modulators.
SOCIAL MEDIA STARS
ENCOURAGE USAGE
While the use of these substances may be popular, it does not make them legal. Possession of anabolic steroids without a medical prescription can lead to a $1,000 fine and imprisonment for up to one year.
However, enforcement of these laws for consumers is not common.
Despite potential legal repercussions, some people talk openly about their steroid use and advocate for them across various social media platforms.
Many people who consume gym-related media content, especially on platforms such as TikTok or Instagram Reels, have likely been exposed to content encouraging them to use performance-enhancing drugs.
Mark Sanchez, a social media personality who goes by the nickname “Daddy Tren,” advocates the use of performance-enhancing drugs to his 137,000 followers on TikTok and 103,000 Instagram followers. While Sanchez has acknowledged the risk of steroid usage in the past, he emphasizes personal choice and suggested the correct usage of the drugs is a way to mitigate the risk.
Through the complex social media algorithms these platforms use, videos such as Sanchez’s are being pushed into the social media feeds of males in their early 20s who are interested in weightlifting.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, this demographic is most likely to begin abusing steroids and makes up the majority of steroid users.
Doctors and nonprofits such as the National Institute of Drug Abuse have made efforts to discourage the public from abusing steroids because of their negative side effects.
STEROID USE COULD
HARM BONE, MUSCLE
Despite the positive athletic effects steroids can provide, the side effects can be severe, said Jerrad Hada, a physical therapist at Alva’s Ignite Physical Therapy clinic.
“We’re going to start to see a lot more problems with bone density,” Hada said. “We’re going to start to see more problems with tendons — those sort of things that are really going to be breaking down due to injecting steroids into your body.”
While there are medical purposes where steroids are appropriate and prescribed, that is because they are being monitored by medical professionals who are ensuring they are taken safely. While some users may not see immediate side effects, that does not mean they are in the clear, Hada said.
“A lot of side effects may not rear their heads for years down the road,” he said. “To say that ‘I took steroids six months ago and I feel fine,’ that may be, but what are the long-term effects? … I would just say I think that is kind of misguided because we don’t know the side effects until down the road.”
Misusing performance-enhancing drugs can also lead to heart attacks, liver damage and psychological harm.
USERS: STEROIDS
HELPED RAISE WEIGHT
Regardless of the documented risks associated with enhancements, some users report positive experiences with minimal side effects. A 20-year-old student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, who chose to remain anonymous, said he had a positive experience while taking selective androgen receptor modulators.
“It made your body change — just more motivation to go work out,” he said. “It’s almost like addicting to go to the gym, I guess, whenever you’re taking that.”
The student said he quit using the drugs after a five-week cycle but would be willing to use them again.
He said he would recommend them to people who are trying to gain muscle.
He said he did have hair loss and mental instability while taking the drugs, which he said might be a concern for some people.
“If you’re not in a very good time in your life or if you are, like, having depression issues or anything like that, I would not recommend it,” he said.
Dalton Broyles, a 22-year-old oilfield worker, has been taking performance-enhancing drugs since April 1, 2022. He said he is pleased with his results. He had already begun weight training without any supplementation for six months before trying steroids.
“It started with testosterone,” he said. “I wanted to progress faster than everyone else. I thought I had hit a plateau, so I started running entry-level gear, which would be testosterone.”
Broyles said testosterone helped him achieve and exceed his initial weight-lifting goals. After starting testosterone, he also used an estrogen inhibitor and Dianabol to further increase his muscle growth.
“It was a game-changer,” he said. “I threw on mass so fast. I went from 140 pounds to 180 pounds in two months. My bench press went up 100 pounds, and my squat went up 150 pounds. It’s pretty insane how fast you progress.”
While he did experience some negative side effects — such as extensive acne and mild irritability — he said the process was not terribly harmful. In spite of the advice of the medical community, Broyles said people should weigh the risk for themselves.
“There’s a warning label on everything,” he said. “It’s your own body, really. There’s risk to everything, and steroids are no different, but I do think steroid risk is significantly less than just about anything else.”