Steroid Use in Professional Sports
Obviously things get very controversial when talking about steroid use in pro sports. Most die-hard fans simply won’t admit that their idols are ‘cheating’ and talking illegal substances.
But the truth is that it’s nearly statistically impossible to become a pro athlete: a mere fraction of a percentage of the world’s top performers make it to this level. This gives them ample motivation to do what they can in order to get a leg up on the competition.
And here’s the scary part: based on all the anecdotal evidence I’ve seen and heard, it seems that steroid use starts well before the pro level…
That’s right, it appears to begin right when athletes commence their D1 college careers. I’ve spoken to baseball players who told me their trainers would regularly inject them in the locker rooms… only to watch in amazement as they put on 20-30 pounds of muscle over the next few months. I’ve talked to basketball players whose coaches ordered them to put on 30 pounds of muscle “by any means possible” in a single offseason.
Steroid Use by Movie Stars
Movie stars are a 2nd group of people likely to use steroids to surpass these genetic limits.
Think about it this way: they have plenty of money to spend on quality steroids, connected enough to find qualified physicians to monitor their use, and most importantly, sufficiently motivated to do so. After all, they receive an ENORMOUS paycheck if they score a high profile role… and oftentimes transforming their body will help them to accomplish just that.
Not to mention, movie stars are well-known for abusing party drugs like ecstasy and cocaine, so the health risks and illegality of steroids is unlikely to scare them off.
Let’s review a couple case studies by taking a quick look at a couple impressive transformations that actors made for recent movies.
I didn’t even touch on fitness models and bodybuilders in this article (like the one pictured above), but they’re a third group that’s likely to use steroids.
Their livelihood depends on securing photoshoots, getting supplement sponsorships, and doing other things that depend on them getting huge and staying lean. Most people don’t find it very hard to believe that these guys are on bodybuilding steroids, so I didn’t want to dedicate more than a few closing words on the matter.
If you’re interested in seeing whether a specific fitness model is juicing, this site does some detailed breakdowns.
Anyway, I hope I’ve given you some food for thought.
Obviously things get very controversial when talking about steroid use in pro sports. Most die-hard fans simply won’t admit that their idols are ‘cheating’ and talking illegal substances.
But the truth is that it’s nearly statistically impossible to become a pro athlete: a mere fraction of a percentage of the world’s top performers make it to this level. This gives them ample motivation to do what they can in order to get a leg up on the competition.
And here’s the scary part: based on all the anecdotal evidence I’ve seen and heard, it seems that steroid use starts well before the pro level…
That’s right, it appears to begin right when athletes commence their D1 college careers. I’ve spoken to baseball players who told me their trainers would regularly inject them in the locker rooms… only to watch in amazement as they put on 20-30 pounds of muscle over the next few months. I’ve talked to basketball players whose coaches ordered them to put on 30 pounds of muscle “by any means possible” in a single offseason.
Steroid Use by Movie Stars
Movie stars are a 2nd group of people likely to use steroids to surpass these genetic limits.
Think about it this way: they have plenty of money to spend on quality steroids, connected enough to find qualified physicians to monitor their use, and most importantly, sufficiently motivated to do so. After all, they receive an ENORMOUS paycheck if they score a high profile role… and oftentimes transforming their body will help them to accomplish just that.
Not to mention, movie stars are well-known for abusing party drugs like ecstasy and cocaine, so the health risks and illegality of steroids is unlikely to scare them off.
Let’s review a couple case studies by taking a quick look at a couple impressive transformations that actors made for recent movies.
- Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (before and after photo): in the photo, you see a side-by-side comparison of Jackman during his appearance in X-Men (2000) and The Wolverine (2013). He was 32 in 2000 and 45 in 2013. Our testosterone levels are highest in our late 20s and then they steadily decline. This would make it extremely challenging for a 45 year old Jackman to match his 32 year old shape… not to mention completely obliterate it.
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor (before and after photo): in the photo, you see a side-by-side comparison of Hemsworth over a short 1 year period. He’s bigger and leaner… and we’re talking way, way bigger. Anyone who’s been a skinny guy and dedicated himself to bulking up, gaining weight, and getting big knows what 1 year of progresslooks like. Hemsworth blows even the very best 1-2 year transformations I’ve ever seen out of the water. He looks like he put on 50 pounds of pure muscle, and experts agree that roughly 20 pounds is the body’s natural limit.
I didn’t even touch on fitness models and bodybuilders in this article (like the one pictured above), but they’re a third group that’s likely to use steroids.
Their livelihood depends on securing photoshoots, getting supplement sponsorships, and doing other things that depend on them getting huge and staying lean. Most people don’t find it very hard to believe that these guys are on bodybuilding steroids, so I didn’t want to dedicate more than a few closing words on the matter.
If you’re interested in seeing whether a specific fitness model is juicing, this site does some detailed breakdowns.
Anyway, I hope I’ve given you some food for thought.
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