BEING JUICED VERSUS BEING NATTY.

 


Steroid use is a complex topic that fitness enthusiasts shy away from while the few who openly talk about it and their own personal use are battered.
A guy claiming to be natty 
for 23 years.



Training natural without any enhancement is perceived as a by product of discipline, hardwork and determination. This gives insights as to why most juice-heads often times claim to be "natty", even when everything else suggests otherwise.
Does this have any effect on people's perception about fitness in general?

Being Juiced means being in use of performance enhancement drugs(PEDs) for fitness or sports purposes. The usage has been there since its inception in 1930s as seen in this articlehttps://fitness1543-45.blogspot.com/2024/07/anabolic-steroids-verses-growth-hormone.html. The commonly abused steroids are:

  1. Anavar.
  2. Anadrol.
  3. Winstrol.
  4. Trenbolone.
  5. Deca Durabolin.
Steroid use in bodybuilding is common for some are used in the bulking phase to pack substantial amount of muscle, while others in the cutting phase to bring the conditioning and symmetry needed to win competitions.
Being Natty is a slang used to describe natural bodybuilders and lifters. The exemption given to them is, use of natural supplements like the dietary ones. They don't have similar effect on the body's response to exercises like steroid use.



Why is the usage of PEDs quite common in modern times than before?

a) Competitive pressure - it's difficult to get and maintain the high standards of elite athletes in most sports. This becomes a trigger for most athletes endup indulging in proper gear use to get the added advantage over the rest.
Among the fierce competitors in the recent Mr. Olympia lineup.


b) Availability - internet advancement has made it easier to source them making it among the booming black market business there is today. According to https://www.ukad.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-04/UKAD%20IPED%20Report.pdf, there are roughly about 5 million dosage of anabolic steroids seized per year at the UK border.
c) High stakes - as compared to being natural, the reward system favours the enhanced individual for the appealing effect. This could be in being brand ambassadors of products, being among the elite athletes, selling fitness related products like supplements and workout programs etc.
Even though we as the targeted audience clearly know, no amount of supplements can get us that physique.


d) Lack of detection - despite efforts from certain regulatory bodies like World Anti-doping Agency (WADA), athletes are advancing to designer steroids which makes it difficult to be spotted. This often creates unfairness to the average athletes/competitor despite the effort invested in the craft.
Tetrahydrogestrinone also known as "The Clear" a form of PEDs that was undetectable in
 the 90s. This gave leverage to athletes that were into it
causing a lot of unfairness in sports. 


e) Cultural shifts - this is highly influenced by social media and how everything is programmed to create a perception of what success is. Attaining it at all cost seems to be the trend leading to most people leaning more towards PEDs to get recognition and validation from the society.
https://fitness1543-45.blogspot.com/2024/07/delayed-gratification-over-instant.html




Why do people opt to stay natural despite the constraints? 

It takes a lot of patients, dedication and tunnel vision being a natural athlete, bodybuilder or a weight lifter. Results tends to be slow once you get to a certain threshold. Other times, guys plateau which can causes frustrations comparing the input versus output. 
This is the point where most guys opt for a different route which is, use of PEDs. Why would anyone opt to remain natural despite the opportunity to make something great out of their state?
a) Health concerns - the side effects and long-term repercussions of using PEDs are quite dire. It's not always the case but most times especially for guys with no clue on how to go about them, end up with physical complications like severe acne and liver damage.

b) Ethical reasons - rules and regulations created by WADA helps promotes this. It does ruin an athlete's reputation once he/she is caught. This trasends to decline in many other things like business ventures, society's perception etc.
c) Personal integrity - success being a byproduct of purely hardwork and dedication, hits different. This affirms many things to the individual. It results in a different form of pride well understood by the participant.
d) Legal and regulatory issues - breaking rules and regulations especially on matters concerning enhancement drugs could result in dire consequences. The act of being banned to participate in something you have spent almost your entire life in, could have serious psychological effects. This ensures that the competition is fair for every athlete.
e) Role models - coming from poverty-stricken communities, no successful individual wants to be associated with shortcuts. This could change the perception of success in the minds of young kids growing up. 


How to spot a juice head.

Rise in social media has also resulted in the rise of "fake natties" who are really messing up the industry. They link their progress to genetics, discipline, hardwork and most important "Broccoli, chicken and rice" as if people are dumb enough not to connect the dots.
This is altering people perception on how the fitness ought to be unlike the reality of things. The misinterpretation and misinformation results in innocent teenage kids indulging in things they have no clue about.
 How to tell that someone is a "fake natty":


a) Overdeveloped shoulders, upper chest and traps.
It's funny how someone can easily lie to our eyes when we can literally see it. This muscle groups exposes them for they do have higher concentration of androgen receptors than other muscle groups. 
Androgen receptors are particular types of proteins in the cells that respond to anabolic hormones like testosterone.


b) Development of acne and an oily face.
This is a very common side effect for first timers into PEDs. This happens as a result of increased production of androgen which stimulates sebaceous gland, leading to excess oil production and clogged pores that manifest as acne.
There is other anabolic steroids used to suppress this side effect reducing its visibility.













c) Massive gains is a short-span.
Without doubting the power of genetics, there gets a point where broccoli, chicken and rice can't be the only fuel. This is the case for most of modern day fitness influencers. Building a physique in 6 months that surpasses a physique build naturally for 5 years isn't a byproduct of handwork and tunnel vision. Someone somewhere is a low-key juice head.

During off season/bulking phase, the athlete looks almost stage ready.

d) Low body fat even when bulking.
It's difficult to stay lean all year round. The human body can't leave with a single digit percentage of fat for long. Speaking of bulking for bodybuilders, this is when they build some extra muscle tissue and give the body a break from the competition look. Use of steroid-like substances for example clenbuterol and human growth hormone help metabolize fat in the body, hence being used as energy. This creates the vascular look and fat mass reduction even in the bulking season.

It can also occur naturally as a result of age, medical conditions or obesity.


e) Development of gynecomastia.
This is a common occurrence for guys that are into gear use. The causes are hormonal imbalance and increase in estrogen levels triggered by gear use. Increase in testosterone levels forces the body to convert some into estrogen through a process called Aromatization. 

Comparing the two, which is worth it?

It's a difficult question to answer for we all have different preferences. On that note, it's important for anyone to understand their main reason for sticking to one as compared to the other. Being aware of the repercussions will be an added advantage.
Personally, I find it difficult to understand why anyone would be taking PEDs for looks and validation. Speaking from a risk to reward perspective, it makes more sense if they are used to generate revenue like participating in competitive bodybuilding to win shows or to get endorsements. 
Staying natty according to me makes sense for regular gym bros or anyone whose main focus is building some muscle mass and stay in shape for a very long time.  
Newbies have no business getting enhanced. It's best they understand the basics first. Those that want to venture into bodybuilding, it's best they understand the basics of nutrition, training and recovery. Those in athletics, understanding the biomechanics of how to go about their specific sport, nutrition and recovery will go a long way.
The ability to explore and maximize on one's natural capabilities before moving to the next level, could be a solid reason.












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