On the first day of Clean Sport Week, 11th May, the UK Anti Doping Agency put a statement out stating that a ‘concerning amount of young people are being shown adverts for life-threatening substances’ such as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) and peptides.
‘Looksmaxxing’ is a new term that is definitely not dictionary defined, but a term that has exploded in popularity in recent months by an American streamer called Clavicular, who recently had an overdose live on stream.
In essence it means doing things to elevate your face or body in order to look better, however many young people are trying to ‘looksmax’ by any means necessary, including taking these Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs to the detriment of their own health.
The CEO of UKAD Jane Rumble has warned young people of such dangers that they seem to be disregarding.
“It’s simply not worth the risk to your health.”
A new survey has revealed almost one third of people aged 16-25 have been exposed to adverts for these substances online on platforms like Instagram or Tiktok at least once a week, something deeply concerning as these drugs are clearly labelled ‘not for human consumption’.
These drugs in the past have been consumed by elite level athletes in order to gain an athletic advantage over their opponents (Russia throughout the 2010s), but the exposure they are receiving on social media has led to average gym-goers believing they should use these drugs.
“None of them have been approved for human consumption, and what has happened in clinical trials has revealed serious risks to your health, hence none of them have been approved.
Young people have seen ‘superhero’ and ‘shortcut’ results on various social medias, and staggeringly have risked their health in order to see results faster and easier.
These drugs are also not extremely expensive, due to the fact many of the companies are not selling the completed product, instead a product that is 50% of what it’s meant to be, enabling them to sell cheaper.
20 year-old University of Lincoln student and gym fanatic Corey has admitted he has been tempted to indulge in these substances due to how accessible they have become.
“I have never seen it promoted by any legitimate sporting companies however I have seen lots of promotion on Tiktok especially for peptides.
“I would say I’ve actually considered using them due to the results posted online by various influencers.”
‘Built not bought, 100% me’ is the UKAD’s slogan for the campaign, in an attempt to discourage the use of these drugs, especially SARMs, and instead build a body that is 100% natural and safe.
NHS Gloucestershire have been approached for comment and are yet to reply.
