The bodybuilding community continues to face harsh criticism for apparent steroid abuse. The recent deaths of elite bodybuilders Jo Lindner and Gustavo Badell stirred further discussion among the fitness community about it’s health effects. To clear the air on the usage of steroids, 4x Mr. Universe, Mike O’ Hearn,  arranged for a question-and-answer session.

The Titan discussed the effects of androgens on bodybuilders and how to overcome life-threatening health issues in his latest YouTube video with John Tsikouris, the CEO of Titan Medical Centre.

The harmful effects of TRT, as per bodybuilding experts

Gustavo Badell died at 50, sending the bodybuilding community into shock. Having received multiple queries from clients worried about their fitness strategy, O’Hearn decided to end the doubts with scientific backing. So, he invited a medical expert John Tsikouris to bust the myths in the fitness arena.

Reasoning out the death of Gustavo, Tsikouris said, “Stroke or whatever it may be, you know this could happen possibly if hemoglobin, hematocrit red blood cell count was very high and the blood was thick, and he didn’t donate or anything like that it could turn the sludge.” 

But to clarify to the layman, the Titan rephrased the medical expert statement and said, “The blood would thicken because of the possibility of being on HRT or something.” They both agreed that regular blood work would help to unearth any issues that could be life-threatening. Gustavo entered the list of bodybuilders who succumbed to a stroke in the past few years.

The bodybuilding icons who died due to strokes

Even before the community overcame the disaster of Jo Lindner’s death at 30, Gustavo’s loss due to stroke hit the tabloids. Badell was known for his shredded physique and gave a tough fight to Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman during the early 2000s. However, the bodybuilding community lost him to a heart stroke. But he is not the first to die due to a stroke.

Dallas McCarver, who occupied 2nd place in the Arnold Classic 2017, died at 26 due to cardiac arrest in the same year. Daryl Stafford also reportedly passed away due to a heart stroke at 58. The devastating news of the death of Shawn Rhoden, Mr. Olympia of 2018, shook the bodybuilding world in 2021. He was 46 when he died of a heart stroke.

Read More: “Some of It Is Very Painful”: 4X Mr. Olympia Beast Reveals the Tough Road to Avoiding Injuries During Training to Get Jacked

One should note, most bodybuilders who died early collapsed due to heart strokes, and the reasons quoted by John Tsikouris can substantiate the cause. What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments below.

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