BOUNCERS RISKING ALL FOR SIZE . . .The grim reality of steroid abuse

At first glance, Moses Tandi (name altered) is an unmistakable picture of strength.

His bulging biceps, broad shoulders and chiselled chest command attention every time he enters a room or walks down the street.

The 25-year-old bouncer, standing well over six feet tall, is a fixture at one of Harare’s most exclusive nightclubs, where his intimidating presence keeps rowdy patrons in check.

Behind his formidable physique lies a dangerous secret: a cocktail of steroids, hormones and body-enhancing drugs that have transformed him into the beast he now is, but slowly destroying his health.

The ill-fated journey

Tandi’s journey began innocently as a skinny teenager desperate to fill out his frame. Natural gains, however, were agonisingly slow.

A friend, with a knowing smirk, introduced him to steroids, promising it was “safe, if used correctly”.

Within a short space of time, Tandi was transformed into a hulking figure of raw power, but the transformation came at a price.

Severe mood swings, crippling acne and constant, thrumming anxiety became his new reality.

He watched his libido dwindle, replaced by a desperate, addictive craving for the illusion of invincibility.

“It is clear every injection was a gamble, a roll of the dice with my own life. It felt like power, like I was untouchable, invincible,” Tandi paused, flexing his swollen bicep.

When he closes his eyes, he said, the image of his late friend flashes behind his eyelids.

In this journey, Tandi is not alone.

Across Zimbabwe, young men, driven by the ruthless demands of the night-life industry, inject themselves with dangerous cocktails.

“These guys mix steroids with hormones, even veterinary drugs,” revealed Furawu, a gym owner in Harare, his voice laced with concern. “They are playing with death.”

He told The Sunday Mail Society that there is a “very broad spectrum of people who use steroids”.

“It ranges from young guys aged 18, 19 or 20 who are just starting training and some are looking to bulk out just for the sake of it, others think they can attract girls. But we have some who do it to secure employment as bouncers,” said Furawu.

Caution

Dr Daniel Moyo, a Harare physician, sounded a warning.

“These are not supplements; they are potent drugs that cause irreversible damage before one reaches 30 years,” he said.

The shortcuts are tempting.

They include anabolic steroids for rapid muscle gains, the human growth hormone (HGH) to accelerate growth and black market concoctions that promise instant results, often delivering fatal consequences.

For bouncers, the equation is simple: size equals security.

Fear of losing jobs, of being deemed inadequate, pushes them to extremes.

But the wake-up call came in the form of a fellow bouncer, a mountain of muscle built on steroids, collapsing and dying aged 28.

“That scared me. Now, I am trying to quit, but it is no longer possible. I am finding it difficult to do so. I guess damage has already been done,” said a visibly worried Tandi.

Sensei Mugove Muhambi, a karateka and nutrition specialist, painted a grim picture.

“They just fall and die. My friend Vusimusi, one of the best in South Africa, passed away at 33,” he said.

“Another one, a Zimbabwean whom I cannot name for the sake of the daughter he left behind, died on a plane. Steroids are just like selling your soul, a shortcut to an early grave.”

Gareth Chamutinya (29), who lives in Chadcombe, Harare, confessed that he has been using steroids for nearly five years.

“Everything that we do in life now carries the risk of a heart attack, cancer, whatever it is, so I am literally exposed to diseases in one way or another. Even our daily food is risky,” he said, justifying his steroid use.

Chamutinya works as a bouncer for a nightclub along Chiremba Road.

While he does not plan to stop taking steroids immediately, he said he plansi to wean himself off them soon.

Peer pressure/Hazards

The desperation to bridge the gap between his humble backyard workouts and the sculpted physiques of the affluent gym-goers drove one young man, only identified as Tawanda, to make a daring life decision.

“I saw those guys at the uptown gyms with perfect bodies, like they were carved from stone,” he said, muscles straining against a worn tank top in his backyard gym in one of the city’s high-density suburbs.

“I am using scrap metal as weights while they make use of top-of-the-range machines, some worth even more than my house. I hoped to achieve that. I wanted to look like them, be respected like them. That is how someone told me about the ‘shortcuts’,” he revealed.

A study by Horwitz, Andersen and Dalhoff, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, revealed that androgenic anabolic steroid (AAS) users face a mortality rate three times higher than non-users, with a hazard ratio of 3,0 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1,3 – 7,0) and significantly increased hospital admissions, demonstrating the severe life-threatening consequences of steroid abuse.

Additionally, the study showed that cardiovascular issues, such as nonischemic heart diseases and thromboembolic disorders, are increased three and five-fold, respectively, and reproductive issues like infertility are increased 2,4-fold.

Tom Nolan’s 2024 review of research in Denmark highlights an observational study that found a nearly three-times higher death rate among males who tested positive for anabolic androgenic steroid use compared to non-users.

Of the 1 189 males who tested positive for anabolic androgenic steroid use, 333 died due to cardiac arrest during the 11-year follow-up period.

Prevalence/Curbing

Zimbabwe Men’s Physique champion and bodybuilder Ryan Gumbo acknowledged the global scale of the issue.

“Indeed, there have been several reports on the passing away of several bodybuilders from different countries due to steroid usage or, I would say, steroid abuse,” he said.

He further explained the prevalence of steroids across various sports, emphasising that “most sporting disciplines have made it a rule to actually try and avoid steroid usage not only because of the advantages, but also because of the potential life-threatening risks associated with steroid usage.”

Gumbo pointed out the varying legal statuses of steroids.

“In some other states, steroids are controlled substances, whereby if an individual is seeking to get into steroid usage, they have to be under the guidance of a qualified physician or a qualified doctor,” he said.

He addressed the behavioural changes linked to steroids.

“We have had cases of bodybuilders or bouncers creating commotion in public places. Most of these are associated with steroid or substance usage because it is something that really tampers with someone’s moods,” he said.

“So, you would see now some bodybuilders, most of these bouncers, they will be suffering from mood swings and they are always angry for no reason and that is why you see most of them, if they are at work, if someone then comes into their path, they are very quick to react violently.”

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) is stepping up efforts to combat the misuse of steroids, particularly within gym environments.

MCAZ spokesperson Davison Kaiyo revealed that injectable testosterone is among the most widely used injectables by gym personnel in Zimbabwe.

In response to concerns about the rising abuse of performance-enhancing drugs, he outlined the fight against the illegal practice.

“MCAZ already has a memorandum with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to do joint inspections. We also have a memorandum with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) to prevent the entrance of such unwanted products through our border posts,” he said.

“We are currently in deep discussions with our partners from ZRP CID Drugs and Narcotics to do intensive enforcement activities targeting these gym areas.”

Kaiyo urged the public to actively participate in curbing the illegal practice by reporting any suspected misuse of steroids to MCAZ.

To enhance the effectiveness of these collaborations, he said, MCAZ empowers ZIMRA, police and port health officials through annual training programmes across all provinces, equipping them with skills to identify illicit medicines.

Furthermore, the authority is developing a public awareness campaign to educate the public about the dangers of steroid abuse. “We are currently developing a detailed circular targeted at the public to make them aware of the dangers. We also use our radio time to warn and educate the nation,” said Kaiyo.

“Heart disease and liver damage are some of the consequences. We need to reach these people, to show them the true cost.” It is evident from the above tales that an unconditional pursuit of an ideal physique can come at a deadly cost. Sunday Mail