Young men who use muscle-building substances more likely to use steroids later

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-12-13 03:00

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Young men who use muscle-building supplements could be more likely to use anabolic-androgenic steroids up to five years later, according to international researchers. The team analysed data from a survey of over 4000 US adolescents which was conducted over 14 years. The survey asked questions around gender identity and racial identity, as well as substance use to build muscle (including protein shakes or powders, creatine, amino acids, HMB and DHEA). They found that muscle-building substance users had substantially higher odds of using anabolic-androgenic steroids within one to five years. While their study can't show cause-and-effect, the team say their findings indicate that muscle-building substances could be a gateway for escalating risk-taking behaviours to increase muscle mass in young men, and with increasing pressure on young men to bulk up, doctors, coaches, and parents need to be aware of these risks.