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The following interview presents arguments from both sides of the debate as two bodybuilders - one a competitive IFBB pro and one top natural champion - go head to head on the topic of drug use in bodybuilding.
If drugs were to disappear from the bodybuilding scene, in what state would this leave the sport? How would the inevitable "down-sizing" of competitors' affect the marketability of what is essentially a pursuit of extremes?
Competitors and the paying public alike have increasingly puzzled over this dilemma as the sport has evolved into a quest to out-size the next guy, an activity where winning at all costs has become the main aim. In fact, never in the history of sport in general and bodybuilding in particular has there been a more contentious issue: drug use among the elite.
In many respects the lay public and, more disturbingly, the media, even tend to associate bodybuilding, and bodybuilders with drug use, like the two are somehow inextricably connected. The truth is, there are two definite camps on the issue: one that considers a drug-free approach the best option for all concerned, and those who support the individual's right to use every advantage to win.
While some feel that a drug-free stance would sanitise the sport to where it is more publicly accepted, thus helping to remove the sideshow status it is often encumbered with, others feel any professional sport has its risks and that all advantages must be taken to win at the highest level. And although anabolic drugs such as anabolic/androgenic steroids, insulin and Human Growth Hormone do help the bodybuilder to achieve their full potential as athletes, reported drawbacks to the use of such substances are sometimes thought to offset their beneficial effects.
For example, possible side effects including liver, cardiovascular and reproductive damage are thought to occur in some users of AA steroids, although compared to other harmful activities such as smoking and drinking the risk is said to be minimal.
Many even use various anabolic drugs for many years without experiencing any discernable adverse effects. On the other hand, there have been cases where pro bodybuilders have died relatively young. In such instances, drugs are inevitably cited as being the primary cause of death.
The jury is still open on both cases. One thing is for certain though: whether anabolic drugs do pose a major concern or whether they are relatively harmless if used sensibly, their health and ethical implications will be discussed and debated for years to come.
With the bewildering possibility of designer muscle and unprecedented growth through advances in genetic engineering and therapies such as Myostatin inhibition (Myostatin: a protein that inhibits muscle growth), we have not heard the last of drug use in bodybuilding.
So long as there is fame and fortune to be gained through the iron, athletes will seek to exploit every advantage. However, there will also be those on the other side who choose to make the most of what they were born with, win or lose.
The following interview presents compelling arguments from both sides of the debate as two of bodybuilding's finest - one a competitive IFBB professional and one top natural champion, Anthony Catanzaro - go head to head on the topic of drug use in bodybuilding.
RELATED ARTICLES
Hormone in bodybuilding?
[ Pro ] Sure there is. If used intelligently, drugs are necessary to build a close-to-perfect-physique that is so much loved by the bodybuilding crowd.
[ Q ] What are your thoughts on this Tony? Are drugs needed for bodybuilding glory?
[ Tony ] Just like in any sport, the goal is to reach the top. Bodybuilding is a sport where to be the best you have to be bigger and better than the guy you are competing against.
Bodybuilders will put their lives on the line in order to win. Drugs have become a necessity in bodybuilding and in many other sports today because that is where the money is. If you are the best, you will be paid for it and that's what it's all about in some of the athletes' minds.
I remain a natural because I'm not looking at the financial gains from endorsements for products I do not, or will never use.
Just because every pro uses them to be the best, why should I use them to be the best? The truth is you don't need them to be the best, look at the larger picture. Don't focus on the lake when there is an ocean behind you.
I want to leave a legacy behind me for others to follow. My goal has always been to inspire and motivate others to live a happy healthy lifestyle. Drugs are never the answer. Like I always say,
"In order to be a champion on the outside
you have to first be a champion on the inside."
[ Q ] Pro. Tony says he feels money is the driving force behind a professional's choice to use bodybuilding drugs and that he is able to inspire others as a natural athlete. As one of the world's top bodybuilders, an IFBB professional, what is your response to this Pro?
[ Pro ] Drugs are not only prevalent in bodybuilding, but in almost all other pro, as well as amateur sports. And who would not want to win, especially when it involves money, as is the case in pro sport. A professional will do anything to win, and that involves taking performance-enhancing drugs.
To me, the reason I take drugs is not because of financial gains, but to see how far drugs can benefit me physically. I can still inspire and motivate people because my body is not super-human-sized, like many other pros. I dare say people would want to look like me if they see my photos. I am taking drugs sensibly, I am healthy and do have a body that inspires others also.
[ Q ] Pro. Other than wanting to see how far their use will take you physically, are there any other reasons behind your decision to use anabolic drugs to assist your bodybuilding efforts?
[ Pro ] I mainly started (taking drugs) because I wanted to see how much my body could improve after I reached a plateau, and could not respond no matter what I did in terms of training, diet and recuperation. But I only started my first cycle after seven years of consistent training.
[ Q ] And Tony, why have you chosen to stay natural?
[ Tony ] That is an easy one. I want to live to see my 50th birthday, healthy with no liver problems or kidney disease. Plus whatever I do affects my family, friends, and whoever I'm close to. So if they know I'm taking drugs to be where I am then what will stop them from taking drugs as well. You become a product of your environment.
[ Q ] Pro. Do anabolic drugs give you greater confidence compared to when you are on an off-cycle? Do you feel strong and healthy when on?
[ Pro ] Yes, I feel very energetic, strong and I am healthy when I am on the stuff (I do a full medical check up every six months). When I am off, I am weaker and a little smaller. I do not have an ego problem when I am using, nor do I lose self-confidence when I am off the stuff. My mind is very strong.
[ Q ] Tony. Do you think Pro's comments would be representative of steroid using pros in general?
[ Tony ] That's the whole thing with this stuff. It is artificial, starting from what it is made of and what it does. I can't speak for Pro, but I will say that drug-using pros are, in general, not very healthy. To me, strength comes from within and I don't need any enhancement to be the best.
The bottom line is drugs are drugs, whether they are prescribed by a doctor or not, they are still drugs. Doctors are the biggest drug dealers around. Doctors do not really have the answers. They are very scientific and they don't believe in the supernatural or the power of mind by and large.
The doctors believe in brain washing patients to believe that they need to be on something in order to be healthy. But the truth of the matter is doctors are not in the business to cure you, they are in business to treat you. That is the difference. We all should be our own doctors and learn all we can about our health.
[ Q ] Pro. Why do you think there are two separate camps on the issue of drugs in bodybuilding? Why is there a "for and against" debate?
[ Pro ] It is all about the individual's personal choice. Some may think steroids are very bad for them (health wise), like they would die if they take them, so they choose not to use them. It may also be due to ethical issues, whereas others may take them to bring their physique to the next level.
For those who use these drugs it is this little edge they look for to achieve their dream physique. They may also be better informed about the effects of steroids. In my opinion, if taken cautiously steroids have no negative side effects on health.
[ Q ] Do you agree on Pro's suggestion that steroids have no negative side effects Tony?
[ Tony ] Wow. It's true, it is up to the individual. But building your body with drugs is like cutting your nose to spite your face. Steroids are complete junk and the competitors know this, it is just that the gains that are made with them are so addicting, that it is hard not to fall into the trap, let's say.
I know that in the end there is only one concern and that is your health. So using steroids to build a dream physique will only turn into a nightmare in the future. I get emails all the time from guys that only did one cycle under doctor supervision, and now that they are off it, they are smaller and weaker than when they first started.
Taking steroids even once plants a seed that will take root and grow to affect you in time. It is like planting a virus in your computer: you may not know it is there, but it is doing its damage behind the scenes.
[ Q ] Pro. Do you think there will ever be a time where drugs are accepted in bodybuilding by a majority of fans and athletes? How would promoters, fans, athletes and the sport in general benefit from widespread drug use among the athletes?
[ Pro ] I am sure there will come a time when the majority in bodybuilding will accept drugs, a time when the general public are better informed about steroids and other anabolic substances. The promoters will get more ticket money (people want to see big, symmetrical physiques), fans will get what they want to see (they do not want to see skinny guys onstage competing) and athletes will get to achieve their dream physiques (big, ripped and proportioned) and maybe get more prize money from the promoters when the shows are running well.
[ Q ] As a natural bodybuilder Tony, do you feel that one day professional bodybuilding may become completely natural? What would happen if there were a heavily enforced, blanket ban on all anabolic drug use in bodybuilding?
[ Tony ] Well let's put it this way: the pros would all have to buy new clothes.
If drugs were banned completely, and if athletes were heavily and honestly tested, the world of bodybuilding and sports would really take off in my opinion.
For example, if a normal everyday person who does not understand the world of bodybuilding were to turn on the television and see guys like Ronnie and Jay they would say, "oh my god, that's disgusting." Now I am just being honest here, this is what they would say. I know because most of the world is ignorant to what bodybuilding is on a professional level. And nobody watching would say, "I want to look like a professional bodybuilder."
- - - Updated - - -
Now if that same, everyday person was watching a bikini pageant or a male swimsuit pageant they would be more inclined to want the look presented there.
What I'm trying to say is the world of drug bodybuilding will never be accepted because it is a freak show to most of the world. If bodybuilding took a natural approach and if a guy like me was made Mr. Olympia, it would inspire many more people to pursue it. One day the sport will understand that bigger is not always better
If drugs were to disappear from the bodybuilding scene, in what state would this leave the sport? How would the inevitable "down-sizing" of competitors' affect the marketability of what is essentially a pursuit of extremes?
Competitors and the paying public alike have increasingly puzzled over this dilemma as the sport has evolved into a quest to out-size the next guy, an activity where winning at all costs has become the main aim. In fact, never in the history of sport in general and bodybuilding in particular has there been a more contentious issue: drug use among the elite.
In many respects the lay public and, more disturbingly, the media, even tend to associate bodybuilding, and bodybuilders with drug use, like the two are somehow inextricably connected. The truth is, there are two definite camps on the issue: one that considers a drug-free approach the best option for all concerned, and those who support the individual's right to use every advantage to win.
While some feel that a drug-free stance would sanitise the sport to where it is more publicly accepted, thus helping to remove the sideshow status it is often encumbered with, others feel any professional sport has its risks and that all advantages must be taken to win at the highest level. And although anabolic drugs such as anabolic/androgenic steroids, insulin and Human Growth Hormone do help the bodybuilder to achieve their full potential as athletes, reported drawbacks to the use of such substances are sometimes thought to offset their beneficial effects.
For example, possible side effects including liver, cardiovascular and reproductive damage are thought to occur in some users of AA steroids, although compared to other harmful activities such as smoking and drinking the risk is said to be minimal.
Many even use various anabolic drugs for many years without experiencing any discernable adverse effects. On the other hand, there have been cases where pro bodybuilders have died relatively young. In such instances, drugs are inevitably cited as being the primary cause of death.
The jury is still open on both cases. One thing is for certain though: whether anabolic drugs do pose a major concern or whether they are relatively harmless if used sensibly, their health and ethical implications will be discussed and debated for years to come.
With the bewildering possibility of designer muscle and unprecedented growth through advances in genetic engineering and therapies such as Myostatin inhibition (Myostatin: a protein that inhibits muscle growth), we have not heard the last of drug use in bodybuilding.
So long as there is fame and fortune to be gained through the iron, athletes will seek to exploit every advantage. However, there will also be those on the other side who choose to make the most of what they were born with, win or lose.
The following interview presents compelling arguments from both sides of the debate as two of bodybuilding's finest - one a competitive IFBB professional and one top natural champion, Anthony Catanzaro - go head to head on the topic of drug use in bodybuilding.
RELATED ARTICLES
Hormone in bodybuilding?
[ Pro ] Sure there is. If used intelligently, drugs are necessary to build a close-to-perfect-physique that is so much loved by the bodybuilding crowd.
[ Q ] What are your thoughts on this Tony? Are drugs needed for bodybuilding glory?
[ Tony ] Just like in any sport, the goal is to reach the top. Bodybuilding is a sport where to be the best you have to be bigger and better than the guy you are competing against.
Bodybuilders will put their lives on the line in order to win. Drugs have become a necessity in bodybuilding and in many other sports today because that is where the money is. If you are the best, you will be paid for it and that's what it's all about in some of the athletes' minds.
I remain a natural because I'm not looking at the financial gains from endorsements for products I do not, or will never use.
Just because every pro uses them to be the best, why should I use them to be the best? The truth is you don't need them to be the best, look at the larger picture. Don't focus on the lake when there is an ocean behind you.
I want to leave a legacy behind me for others to follow. My goal has always been to inspire and motivate others to live a happy healthy lifestyle. Drugs are never the answer. Like I always say,
"In order to be a champion on the outside
you have to first be a champion on the inside."
[ Q ] Pro. Tony says he feels money is the driving force behind a professional's choice to use bodybuilding drugs and that he is able to inspire others as a natural athlete. As one of the world's top bodybuilders, an IFBB professional, what is your response to this Pro?
[ Pro ] Drugs are not only prevalent in bodybuilding, but in almost all other pro, as well as amateur sports. And who would not want to win, especially when it involves money, as is the case in pro sport. A professional will do anything to win, and that involves taking performance-enhancing drugs.
To me, the reason I take drugs is not because of financial gains, but to see how far drugs can benefit me physically. I can still inspire and motivate people because my body is not super-human-sized, like many other pros. I dare say people would want to look like me if they see my photos. I am taking drugs sensibly, I am healthy and do have a body that inspires others also.
[ Q ] Pro. Other than wanting to see how far their use will take you physically, are there any other reasons behind your decision to use anabolic drugs to assist your bodybuilding efforts?
[ Pro ] I mainly started (taking drugs) because I wanted to see how much my body could improve after I reached a plateau, and could not respond no matter what I did in terms of training, diet and recuperation. But I only started my first cycle after seven years of consistent training.
[ Q ] And Tony, why have you chosen to stay natural?
[ Tony ] That is an easy one. I want to live to see my 50th birthday, healthy with no liver problems or kidney disease. Plus whatever I do affects my family, friends, and whoever I'm close to. So if they know I'm taking drugs to be where I am then what will stop them from taking drugs as well. You become a product of your environment.
[ Q ] Pro. Do anabolic drugs give you greater confidence compared to when you are on an off-cycle? Do you feel strong and healthy when on?
[ Pro ] Yes, I feel very energetic, strong and I am healthy when I am on the stuff (I do a full medical check up every six months). When I am off, I am weaker and a little smaller. I do not have an ego problem when I am using, nor do I lose self-confidence when I am off the stuff. My mind is very strong.
[ Q ] Tony. Do you think Pro's comments would be representative of steroid using pros in general?
[ Tony ] That's the whole thing with this stuff. It is artificial, starting from what it is made of and what it does. I can't speak for Pro, but I will say that drug-using pros are, in general, not very healthy. To me, strength comes from within and I don't need any enhancement to be the best.
The bottom line is drugs are drugs, whether they are prescribed by a doctor or not, they are still drugs. Doctors are the biggest drug dealers around. Doctors do not really have the answers. They are very scientific and they don't believe in the supernatural or the power of mind by and large.
The doctors believe in brain washing patients to believe that they need to be on something in order to be healthy. But the truth of the matter is doctors are not in the business to cure you, they are in business to treat you. That is the difference. We all should be our own doctors and learn all we can about our health.
[ Q ] Pro. Why do you think there are two separate camps on the issue of drugs in bodybuilding? Why is there a "for and against" debate?
[ Pro ] It is all about the individual's personal choice. Some may think steroids are very bad for them (health wise), like they would die if they take them, so they choose not to use them. It may also be due to ethical issues, whereas others may take them to bring their physique to the next level.
For those who use these drugs it is this little edge they look for to achieve their dream physique. They may also be better informed about the effects of steroids. In my opinion, if taken cautiously steroids have no negative side effects on health.
[ Q ] Do you agree on Pro's suggestion that steroids have no negative side effects Tony?
[ Tony ] Wow. It's true, it is up to the individual. But building your body with drugs is like cutting your nose to spite your face. Steroids are complete junk and the competitors know this, it is just that the gains that are made with them are so addicting, that it is hard not to fall into the trap, let's say.
I know that in the end there is only one concern and that is your health. So using steroids to build a dream physique will only turn into a nightmare in the future. I get emails all the time from guys that only did one cycle under doctor supervision, and now that they are off it, they are smaller and weaker than when they first started.
Taking steroids even once plants a seed that will take root and grow to affect you in time. It is like planting a virus in your computer: you may not know it is there, but it is doing its damage behind the scenes.
[ Q ] Pro. Do you think there will ever be a time where drugs are accepted in bodybuilding by a majority of fans and athletes? How would promoters, fans, athletes and the sport in general benefit from widespread drug use among the athletes?
[ Pro ] I am sure there will come a time when the majority in bodybuilding will accept drugs, a time when the general public are better informed about steroids and other anabolic substances. The promoters will get more ticket money (people want to see big, symmetrical physiques), fans will get what they want to see (they do not want to see skinny guys onstage competing) and athletes will get to achieve their dream physiques (big, ripped and proportioned) and maybe get more prize money from the promoters when the shows are running well.
[ Q ] As a natural bodybuilder Tony, do you feel that one day professional bodybuilding may become completely natural? What would happen if there were a heavily enforced, blanket ban on all anabolic drug use in bodybuilding?
[ Tony ] Well let's put it this way: the pros would all have to buy new clothes.
If drugs were banned completely, and if athletes were heavily and honestly tested, the world of bodybuilding and sports would really take off in my opinion.
For example, if a normal everyday person who does not understand the world of bodybuilding were to turn on the television and see guys like Ronnie and Jay they would say, "oh my god, that's disgusting." Now I am just being honest here, this is what they would say. I know because most of the world is ignorant to what bodybuilding is on a professional level. And nobody watching would say, "I want to look like a professional bodybuilder."
- - - Updated - - -
Now if that same, everyday person was watching a bikini pageant or a male swimsuit pageant they would be more inclined to want the look presented there.
What I'm trying to say is the world of drug bodybuilding will never be accepted because it is a freak show to most of the world. If bodybuilding took a natural approach and if a guy like me was made Mr. Olympia, it would inspire many more people to pursue it. One day the sport will understand that bigger is not always better
