The use of performance-enhancing drugs for bodybuilding is addictive, physically harmful, and encourages dishonest behavior regarding natural status.

“people like to lie and say no it it's not a drug it it definitely is a drug it's just as addictive as anything else because once you take it and see the results you want more”

The use of performance-enhancing drugs in bodybuilding comes with significant trade-offs to long-term health, particularly cardiovascular risks, and should only be undertaken after careful considerati

“my body has taken a considerable amount of damage over the years from anabolic androgenic steroid use”

Testosterone usage should be reserved for individuals with clear medical conditions that prevent natural production.

“in my opinion you should use testosterone when someone has a bona fide organic reason for not making testosterone like for example you had a pituitary tumor and it got taken out but now you can't make the hormones that help you make testosterone”

Exogenous testosterone at doctor-prescribed levels is considered very healthy, while higher unprescribed doses pose significant safety risks.

“I'm on HRT prescribed by my doctor. I get my blood work done multiple times a year. I feel very healthy. But if I push that dose higher than the doctor recommends, that's when it becomes dangerous.”

Abusive levels of steroid use can cause serious health issues like enlarged heart, but moderate, medically managed use is safe and beneficial.

“abusive levels can cause ventrical hypertrophy which means an enlarged heart okay it can abusive levels but but if you keep it to moderate levels that you know that is within the realm of what your body would naturally produce then then it doesn't cause you know these issues”

Testosterone replacement can be a safe, effective tool for health when used correctly under professional guidance, rather than being inherently harmful.

“I think that's like sort of my message is like don't make testosterone the bad guy. Use it if you need it. If you don't use it, if you don't need it, then don't use it.”

He suggests that anabolic steroids are a common and widespread practice within service-related fields like the military and law enforcement.

“anabolic steroids are just they're not uncommon in service-related fields, whether that's military, law enforcement, fire. They're everywhere, right?”

Amin Elhassan believes that performance-enhancing drug use is a reality in every professional sport, including basketball.

“Henry Abbott looked at me and said, "A mean, every single sport on the face of the earth has performance-enhancing uh scandals. You think basketball is this just this charm sport that doesn't like, oh, they're above it, but track and field and swimming and b and football and baseball and rugby like ”

He believes the use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional cycling was so prevalent that it was effectively an industry standard he felt forced to accept.

“I just came to accept that either I'm going to have to quit or I'm going to have to accept that this is just what it is.”