Bodybuilder recalls steroid abuse and health consequences
7 reported
A former bodybuilder has described his experience with anabolic steroids and other drugs, detailing how easy it was to obtain them and the serious health problems he faced. Jamie Mantzouridis, now 29 and working as a nutritionist and online personal trainer, said he started using steroids at age 21 after seeing larger gym-goers who credited the drugs for their size. He used trenbolone, a compound developed for cattle, and later experimented with growth hormones and insulin. Within a year, he developed severe acne and suffered a leg infection from a botched injection that required a week of hospital treatment. The end of his drug use came about four years ago when he felt dizzy in a bathtub and feared he would collapse. He stopped using that day. Mantzouridis said there is pressure on men around body image, partly due to social media, and that some people will never achieve the look they believe is expected.
What’s reported
Jamie Mantzouridis first took steroids at age 21 after seeing larger gym-goers who said they used them.
His first cycle was trenbolone, a compound developed for cattle.
He said obtaining steroids was easy: "All you need to do is ask the biggest guy in the gym."
Within a year, he developed acne on his back and chest and suffered a leg infection from a needle that required a week in hospital on antibiotics.
He later used growth hormones and insulin, the latter described as capable of sending a healthy person into a hypoglycaemic coma.
He stopped using about four years ago after feeling dizzy in a bathtub and fearing collapse.
He now works as a nutritionist and online personal trainer.
Key figures
Jamie Mantzouridis, former bodybuilder, now nutritionist and online personal trainer.
Sources: The Guardian
