Written by Dr. George Touliatos, MD
18 February 2020

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Dr. Testosterone
By George Touliatos, MD

 

Mortality and Bodybuilding

 

Several professionals who competed in shows that I grew up with passed away during the last couple of years, most of them betrayed by their hearts.

Doping abuse requires some time in order to establish irreversible health consequences.

Famous IFBB pros who died include:

1) Matt Duvall (USA) 
2) Art Atwood (USA) 
3) Ed Van Amsterdam (Netherlands) 
4) Nasser El Sonbaty (Germany) 
5) Greg Kovacs (Canada) 
6) Mike Matarazzo (USA) 
7) Daniele Seccarecci(Italy)
8) Baito Abbaspour (Iran)
9) Dallas McCarver (USA)
10) Rich Piana (USA)

 

Also, Americans Don Long and Tom Prince suffered acute renal failure and had to undergo kidney dialysis for life. One of the greatest talents, the promising American Dennis Newman, developed leukemia – fortunately it healed – shortly after winning his IFBB pro card in 1994 (NPC overall winner). We shouldn’t neglect the very first victim, Mohammed “Momo” Benaziza of Algeria (The Killer of Giants). He tragically died of diuretics abuse (spironolactone) and severe dehydration at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1993. Potassium-sparing diuretics lead to electrolyte imbalances, known as hyperkalemia. This can lead to fatal heart arrhythmia, such as ventricular tachycardia.

 

Three years later in 1996, the Austrian Andreas Münzer died at age of 31. It was just three weeks after his last participation in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic. Münzer was admitted to the hospital with intense stomach pains. During surgery, an extensive hepatic tumor was revealed, along with undissolved pills that were found in his stomach. An autopsy revealed atrophic adrenals, atrophic testicles and heart enlargement, twice the normal weight. Münzer was speculated to have abused a cortisol blocker (aminoglutethimide), leading to severe secondary Addison’s disease and insufficiency. His cardiomegaly was the result of somatropin abuse, while his testicular atrophy was a common side effect of steroid abuse without the use of HCG.

Of course, there are other professionals who died later in life, such as the legendary Mike Mentzer, betrayed by his heart in 2001 at age 49. Moreover, the mythical Sergio Oliva (Mr. Olympia, 1967-1968-1969) died at age 71 and the legendary Serge Nubret died at age 72, after being hospitalized for almost a month until he passed away in coma.

Mr. Universe and Mr. America and actor Steve Reeves died from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2000 at age 74. The iconic South African, Reg Park, died from malignant melanoma in 2007 at age 79.

In the summer of 2017, two young and famous professionals died. Rich Piana died from cardiovascular issues at age 46 and Dallas McCarver (who placed second at the 2017 Arnold Classic), so young at age 26, died from the same issues.

 

Last but not least, the first Mr. Olympia in history (1965-1966), Larry Scott, died at the age of 75. 

More recently, the Sultan of Symmetry, four-time Arnold Classic winner and two-time Mr. Olympia runner-up Flex Wheeler, had part of his right leg amputated. Rumors speculate it was linked to poor circulation as a result of his kidney transplant, or perhaps vasculopathy coming from DM2 and GH abuse.

 

Additionally, two-time Mr. Olympia (1976, 1981) Franco Columbu passed away from a heart attack at age 78 in 2019.

 

Irrational use and years of abuse can be fatal, sort of a time bomb. Hepatocellular carcinoma, acute renal failure, prostate tumor, psychotic behaviors, bipolar disorder, acne, infertility, sleep apnea, heart enlargement, hypertension, diabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome are some of the complications.

 

Bodybuilding is impressive, but is also a double-edged sword when it is not consistent with the requirements of knowledge, know-how and prevention. You should not blame the drugs if you use them carelessly, neglecting the significance of medical prevention rules, while carelessly stacking different compounds. 

The most dangerous drugs in bodybuilding are:

1) insulin
2) diuretics
3) CNS stimulants

These medications can lead respectively to lethal:

 

1) hypoglycemic coma
2) hypovolemic shock and severe heart arrhythmia
3) aneurysm rupture, leading to hemorrhagic stroke and acute myocardial infarction – in other words, heart attack

 

The contradictory and paradoxical issue with the use of chemical enhancement is that while you improve your external appearance, at the same moment, you risk your health. Conversely, when you cease using drugs, your physique starts to flaw, but your health starts getting better and laboratory tests improve. 

It is an indisputable fact that competitive bodybuilding deals with a minority of few genetically gifted (physically and mentally) individuals. However, for every dream in life, there is a price to pay.

If I have regretted the use of chemical enhancement, it is mainly due to two reasons (as I have mentioned in one of my interviews):

1) Because of my health issues (LV hypertrophy, intramuscular abscess-hospitalized, heart arrhythmias-hospitalized, dehydration-hospitalized, pharmaceutical hepatitis, atheromatosis-statins administration, roid rage-psychotherapy, hypogonadism-TRT).

2) Because of what AAS and PEDs abuse cost me in terms of social relationships with relatives, family, friends, colleagues, relationships-marriage (divorce).

 

Unfortunately, quite many are willing to sacrifice their lives, even for the sake of their vanity and glory. These are options that for others seem shallow and careless, especially for those who live with disabilities or chronic diseases. It seems unfair to be born with an organic failure. But it seems quite idiotic to end up with organic failure as a result of your poor choices. Nature is smarter than people think; if you don’t show respect for your health, you will regret it somehow, someday.

George Touliatos, MD is an author, lecturer, champion competitive bodybuilder and expert in medical prevention regarding PED use in sports. Dr. Touliatos specializes in medical biopathology and is the medical associate of Orthobiotiki.gr and Medihall.gr, Age Management and Preventive Clinics in Athens, Greece. Heis the author of four Greek books on bodybuilding, has extensively developed articles for www.anabolic.org and is the medical associate for the book Anabolics, 11th Edition (2017). Dr. Touliatos has been a columnist for the Greek editions of MuscleMag and Muscular Development magazines, and has participated in several seminars across Greece and Cyprus, making numerous TV and radio appearances, doing interviews in print and online. His personal website:  www.gtoul.com 

 

 

 

 

 

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