When gleaming muscles hide a deadly truth

Gym influencers are rife on social media, with many depicting seemingly unattainable physiques and lifestyles -- with steroid use often the dangerous secret behind their muscled bodies. The Burne’s Darcy McCartin reports.

A heart attack at 30.

When Australian fitness influencer Jaxon Tippett, who openly discussed his use of steroids, died in November 2024, the issue of unchecked steroid use -- and the dangers to young impressionable men -- was thrust into the media spotlight.

In the years before his death, and after his arrest with steroids and a syringe, Tippet had spoken openly about the extent to which his steroid use had become destructive and dangerous. While his heart attack was not confirmed as a direct result of steroid use, research suggests cardiovascular issues are a common side effect of anabolic steroids.

The social media images hide a more sinister reality. Photo: satyatiwari

His death highlighted concerns about growing steroid use among young men who are in the thrall of social media fitness influencers such as Tippet, who had more than 200,000 Instagram followers.

According to the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey of 2019, non-medical anabolic steroid use almost tripled between 2001 and 2019.

Dr Laura Lallenec, Sport Integrity Australia’s medical advisor, highlighted the amplified risk for young people and teenagers.

“There is increasing concern regarding a rise in body dissatisfaction in young males, particularly around masculinity. Individuals develop an unhealthy obsession with muscle growth and definition and are at risk of over-exercising as well as using medications, including anabolic agents, to achieve their goals,” says Lallenec.

The most concerning fact about teen steroid use is how little is known and reported.

Tim Moss, the Health Content Manager at Healthy Male, says that anabolic steroids being an illegal substance makes it harder to track.

“We simply don’t have reliable data,” says Moss.

Despite this, research from Flinders University, published in the Psychology of Men and Masculinities journal, reported a surge of adolescents using anabolic steroids. Increased exposure to social media content was directly linked with negative body image and a greater intention to seek out such substances.

According to the 2022–2023 Australian secondary schools survey, one in 50 young people (2 per cent) aged 12–17 used performance or image-enhancing drugs in the past year. However, this study has its limitations. Steroid use is under-reported for adolescents. Further studies that examine links between gym influencers on social media and how everyday young people view their bodies—and the illicit drugs they may use to achieve their ideal body—are essential.

Dr Hester Wilson, a GP and chair of the Specific Interest Group in Addiction with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, has emphasised the key problems for young people with anabolic steroids.

“The big issue when thinking about young people is that it upsets normal hormone balance,” says Wilson.

The risks, including unstable mood swings, aggression and “increased risk of long-term illness, particularly cardiovascular,” are detrimental to young, developing bodies. An issue unlike that faced by adults is “the way it affects growth”, a side effect teenagers may not consider.

According to the Australian Burden of Disease Study in 2024, in the 15–24-year-old age bracket, illicit drug use is ranked third in leading risk factors. “In Australian males aged 15–44, alcohol and illicit drug use are the major cause of health problems,” says Moss.

Dr Esther Han, a GP and addiction medicine specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, says the issue is under-reported. “When we are surveying people, they always fear what the consequence might be for admitting illegal drug use,” says Han.

According to the Monitoring the Future 2016 Survey, 45 per cent of high school students see limited risk in using steroids once or twice, . Adolescent men either do not care or do not understand the risks associated with taking these harmful substances. “Young men take risks,” says Moss, without considering later health consequences.

Social media is at the forefront of this issue, with the audience numbers for gym and fitness influencers at an all-time high. Statistics from Future Fit Training show that 180 million of 400 million Instagram users displayed the hashtag #fitness in 2021. Countless influencers portray unattainable body images, with many “on the gear” themselves and, in some cases, promoting steroids.

Sam Sulek is a gym social media phenomenon.

He has over 4 million YouTube subscribers, 6.7 million followers on Instagram and 1.4 million on TikTok. Sulek subtly confirmed his use of steroids in a video in April 2024, saying: “That should be pretty obvious.” Despite not directly encouraging people to take substances, his mostly teenage audience can see his physique and, in turn, take steroids to try and look like him.

The “Tren Twins”, Mike and Chris Gaiera, are perhaps the biggest YouTube billboards of the steroid trend on social media. The stereotypical musclehead influencers, with stocky frames and massive arms, have admitted shamelessly to using steroids.

On TikTok, there is even a “30-day tren challenge”. User FinnOnTren says it requires you to “take tren for 30 days and see how much progress you can actually make.”

On Instagram, bodybuildingbs teaches viewers: “If you’re cutting PEDs correctly.”

This gym community blatantly promotes illegal, harmful substances, demonstrating a lack of care for their viewers.

These influencers make claims with no basis.

“Do they really care about your life?” says Wilson.

They are primarily about making money and “they have no authority; they have no information"

Lallenec suggests educating athletes about the risks should be the number one priority. “Where possible, sporting organisations should consider educating young people in the school and grassroots setting.”

Vincent Dalbo, a lecturer in sports science at CQUniversity, says that online trends have led to unrealistic body standards.

On TikTok, “Lookmaxxing” has taken off, which rates males’ physical attractiveness, calling for them to “maximise” their physical attractiveness in certain areas. This leads young, growing people to “see faults that aren’t really there,” says Moss.

Professor Scott Griffiths, a principal research fellow investigating body image, social media, muscle dysmorphia and anabolic steroid use, says: “Social media allows us to present idealised, filtered, curated versions of ourselves, and we can get instant, wide-ranging feedback on those images.”

Men and boys are most at risk.

According to Associate Professor Ivanka Prichard from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and author of the Psychology of Men & Masculinities journal article, research has shown that the number of men experiencing body image dissatisfaction has tripled from 15 per cent to 45 per cent in the last 25 years. “Recent evidence suggests that men also experience the negative effects of social media on their body image and are also engaging in risky behaviours to address their body image,” says Prichard.

Fitness influencer and personal trainer James Smith reached a point in his early 20s of body dissatisfaction and turned to steroids.

“All of the physiques that I’d been aspiring to started to look like the physique that I was obtaining through taking steroids,” says Smith. The long-term health effects eventually weighed on his mind, and he stopped. “If I had had to have heart bypass before I was 60, would it be worth it?” he asked himself. Smith now encourages his young viewers not to make the same mistake he did.

Smith highlights the risk of social media for steroid use. “If you stop and watch a video of one guy doing a chest workout on TikTok, the algorithm now knows your interest and is going to feed you more juiced-up dudes doing chest workouts." says Smith.