Unpredictable dangers from muscle-building ‘miracle drugs’

Frank, 18, of Massachusetts, regularly watches TikTok content from people like @vici.Togi. In his videos, Togi shares that he injected “a little bit” of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid, into his hips. The subsequent images show incredible muscle growth.

Frank immediately sent the video to his gym buddy Jesse. The two often joked about “taking trenbolone to become a monster, lifting huge weights and getting muscular.” When they got to the gym, they continued to talk about trenbolone. Whenever he failed to beat his own lifting record, Jesse would exclaim, “Time to take ‘tren’.”

Trenbolone fever

In the bodybuilding world, trenbolone is known as the “king of steroids” because of its outstanding effectiveness. For teenagers and young men, trenbolone is the ticket to owning a muscular body like on social media.

Trenbolone was introduced in 1963 and was approved for use in livestock in the 1980s to increase weight in cattle. At the same time, bodybuilders realized that its tissue-building properties helped build muscle in humans. Trenbolone binds to androgen growth hormone three times more than testosterone. This property helps users increase muscle mass and strength. It also helps preserve muscle tissue by inhibiting catabolic (muscle-wasting) hormones such as cortisol.

Yet, the average user like Frank is often clueless about these mechanisms. He explains trenbolone with all the confidence and knowledge of someone who has Googled it (mostly to see what it does in cows) and consumed hundreds of trenbolone videos on TikTok.

“If you’re just interested in gaining muscle, this is really the one to use,” he says.

TikTok is flooded with clips related to this “miracle drug”, from “30-day tren challenge”, “how to use tren correctly”, “discussion about tren” or more basically “what is tren?”. All are produced by influencers, rather than medical professionals. Videos sometimes attract more than a million views and around 2,000 comments.

A number of fitfluencers have developed a symbiotic relationship with the drug, boosting their social media following by promoting trenbolone, normalizing its use, despite it being banned in some places.

Bodybuilder Nyle Nayga launched the Trensparent podcast (about the use of trenbolone in training). Influencer Jon Skywalker sells tees and sweatpants with tren setter printed on them. Trenbolone is so popular that it has found its way into some herbal products.

Many experts believe that social media is distorting the physical expectations of young men in Gen Z. That is why trenbolone and other steroids are becoming more popular.

“The public doesn’t realize how common body image disorders are in adolescent males,” says Jason Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Berkeley School of Medicine who studies steroids and eating disorders in adolescent males. “In fact, nearly a third of young males are trying to gain weight.”

In the process of building muscle, they cannot ignore steroids. Despite many side effects, anabolic steroids and trenbolone are very effective in developing muscle mass.

Unforeseen consequences

Like many fast-acting drugs, trenbolone has its dark side. It’s not for beginners. That’s because trenbolone has the highest neurotoxicity of any anabolic steroid, according to a report by Timothy M. Piatkowski, a researcher and lecturer at Griffith University. Neurotoxicity can be particularly damaging to adolescents, whose brains are still developing.

Oliver, 26, a muscular 220-pound man with dark brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard, knows the dangers. He started taking trenbolone seven years ago, developing a muscular physique that “looked like Photoshop.” Long-term use of the drug left him stressed, mentally disturbed, and eventually in legal trouble.

“Trenbolone can lead to hypersexuality, creating distorted perceptions, feelings of dominance, violent thoughts and behavior,” explains Professor Mike Israetel, sports scientist and co-founder of the Renaissance Periodization fitness center.

In addition to insomnia, high blood pressure, and coughing, users may also experience difficulty speaking or breathing. This characteristic cough is well-known in steroid culture as the “tren cough.” Trenbolone’s mental effects are even worse. The drug increases feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and aggression, which can exacerbate existing problems, according to a 2023 study in the Journal of Sociology of Sport Research.

Black market boom

The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 added 25 compounds, including trenbolone, to the category of “anabolic steroids.” Distributing and transporting these chemicals could be a criminal offense. Teens were part of the impetus for the ban, says Rick Collins, a pharmaceutical industry legal expert.

“The aim of the law is to prevent cheating in sport, reduce the black market and protect the public, especially young people, from using these substances outside medical supervision,” he said.

The ban, however, was ineffective. The black market continued to flourish. By the early 2000s, the Internet had become a haven for steroid distribution. But trenbolone remained a niche for “muscle freaks,” out of reach for younger people.

As social media has grown, many young people have felt pressured to look muscular. “Social media platforms create a culture of comparison. Whose life is better? Whose car is more expensive? And for many, whose body is better?” says Dr. Nagata.

At this time, trenbolone has crept into the minds of young people, helping them feel superior in endless comparisons. However, the drug’s effectiveness comes with more serious side effects than other steroids.