Online fitness and gym content has inspired some young people to resort to dangerous and illegal means to change their appearance.
Checkpoint spoke to men in their 20s. They said pressure to look a certain way led them to use performance- and image-enhancing drugs.
They said conversations about the use of steroids and other banned substances are becoming more open in gyms and among young people, and even high school students are discussing their use.
This follows a report by NetSafe and Te Mana Whakatu The Classification Office about how young people feel about themselves because they don’t meet the standards of appearance seen online. Describe in detail whether you feel inferior.
The report, Digital Reflections, interviewed 58 young people aged 14 to 17 across Aotearoa who said social media was having an impact on their wellbeing and self-perception.
Tom* first started taking SARMS at the age of 20 and saw immediate results.
SARMS are part of a group of drugs that improve performance and image.
These also include anabolic steroids, anti-estrogens and peptides, all of which are banned in sport and illegal for recreational use in New Zealand.
But Tom said it was nevertheless very easy to obtain drugs through one of his friends.
“Usually when you’re working out for a long time, it takes a long time to hit a new PR because it requires a lot of recovery,” he said.
“But I found myself hitting PRs almost every week.”
SARMS is claimed to increase muscle mass and bone density without the side effects of steroids.
However, they are not well studied.
They were also not approved for human use, had undergone clinical trials, and were often sold online as research chemicals.
It cost Tom $120 per bottle to obtain the SARMS, and he used two bottles in 12 weeks.
However, while completing the course, he said that although he did not experience any physical side effects from the experimental drug, it did affect his mood and temperament.
“My mental state is unstable and I have become more sensitive than before, easily angered and easily irritated,” he said.
After researching the side effects of using SARMS, he stopped using them.
The known side effects of SARMS can be life-threatening, ranging from increased risk of heart attack and stroke to liver damage and limited testosterone production.
Tom said he would have considered taking it again if there was no risk to his health.
“Based on the research I did, I was pretty reluctant to take it again just knowing it affected my fertility and overall mental health,” he said.
“There’s also the physical danger and the addictive nature of wanting to use it consistently but then consistently increasing the dose.”
But Tom said he was first drawn to the drug by what he was seeing on social media.
He said there is pressure in some online communities to look very muscular, but it’s difficult to achieve that quickly without the effects of performance- or image-enhancing substances.
“The idea that they need steroids to achieve their fitness goals and the body type they want, and obviously the influence of social media, is that people look extremely big and skinny at the same time when they’re actually not that healthy. “It’s not easy to do it without steroids, which seems to be the norm,” he said.
“It’s become a bit of a culture to accept that.”
a Netsafe Body Image Report The book, released in July, reflects much of Tom’s experience.
Influencers who create fitness content about strict diets or intense training plans may be motivating to some people, but may be seen as unhelpful and unrealistic by others. the magazine said.
The report found that young men frequently consume fitness-related content and feel pressured to perform well, but are less likely to talk about negative side effects.
Tom said he sees some misleading content, but he’s also starting to see content that is backed by research.
“I’ve seen a bit of a shift in content these days, where it’s much more important to love yourself and love your body rather than trying to achieve a body type that others think is desirable. ” he said.
A Wellington man, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he’s seen content from social media influencers claiming they don’t take performance-enhancing drugs but are extremely muscular and wonders how they got there. said.
He said algorithms embed this content into his social media feeds every day.
“There are some guys that you just look at and you’re like, ‘Wow, I want to be like that, too,'” he said.
“No matter how much effort and time you put into it, it never quite matches up and you just wonder, ‘What am I missing?'”
He noticed an increasing number of young people and even students at his local gym openly talking about using performance- and image-enhancing drugs.
“I just happened to be at the gym where high school students come in their uniforms and they’re huddled together while they’re doing bench presses or something, and they’re saying, ‘Oh, I might do that too.’ I hear you, take steroids next year,” he said.
Dr David Gerrard, professor emeritus of sports medicine at the University of Otago, said social media was increasing pressure on young people to conform to a certain body image.
He said personal trainers and fitness influencers have a responsibility to give accurate advice.
“Those who claim to be personal trainers should be knowledgeable about these things and be able to counter questions young men may ask about body image, physique, and what is achievable,” he said. Ta.
“We’ll also explain how you can benefit from nutritional advice and strength and conditioning, and how you don’t need to go anywhere near extreme supplements or, in extreme cases, anabolic steroids.”
The Sport Integrity Commission says the importation or possession of banned substances can lead to anti-doping sanctions for athletes at all levels, even if those drugs are used for image-enhancing purposes rather than cheating in sport. He said that this is actually the case.
*Name has been changed to protect personal information.
Written by Vera Craig RNZ.co.NZ
