In a recent discussion on the Huberman Lab podcast, bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates and neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman tackled one of the most controversial topics in fitness: PEDs. Their conversation provided rare insight into the realities of anabolic st**oid use at both elite competitive and recreational levels.
Yates revealed his progression from natural training to eventually using performance enhancers. Starting in 1983, he reached 185 pounds naturally within six months and competed in his first contest without any pharmaceutical assistance, defeating competitors who were already using st**oids.
“I went from 180 to 210, so that’s 30 pounds I put on in a year and a half training,” Yates explained. He emphasized this natural foundation was crucial before introducing any substances.
When Yates finally decided to compete in the IFBB, where PED use was widespread, he started conservatively. “I did some D-Bol, 20 milligrams a day for about six weeks and I switched to Anavar for the contest,” he said. This measured approach resulted in gainin, demonstrating the significant impact even moderate doses can have.
Yates was remarkably transparent about his rationale for using anabolics. “I justified it because everyone else is doing it and I did it as a professional,” he stated.
However, he set clear boundaries: “I said, ‘Look, I’ve been doing all this. I’m taking st**oids, which may have some negative effects on my health later on. So I’m going to go to Knight of Champions. If I don’t get in the top five, I’m not good enough.'”
This approach reflected his logical thinking. “At that point, if that’s the case, no longer justified to take the st**oids, right? Or compete because I’ve gone as far as my genetics will allow me.” When he placed second at that competition, he continued his professional career.
One of the most important points Yates emphasized was the distinction between natural and enhanced athletes. “There’s a big difference between somebody using anabolic st**oids than somebody that’s not,” he explained. “Somebody that’s using can recover from that process more quickly than somebody that isn’t.”
This recovery advantage means enhanced athletes can handle higher training volumes and frequencies. For natural athletes, Yates stressed the importance of not copying professional bodybuilders’ routines: “When you’re looking at a champion bodybuilder, how he trains and you’re young guy trying to build up, that’s probably not appropriate for you right now.”
Both Huberman and Yates expressed concern about young people rushing into hormone use. Huberman mentioned the current trend of teens and twenty-somethings “who immediately think they should be on testosterone enhancement, TRT, or gear.”
Yates’ advice was unequivocal: “Get as far as you can naturally. Whatever gains you make by taking anabolics is a temporary situation. You will lose it when you get off. So it’s a merry-go-round. Once you get on the merry-go-round, you don’t really want to get off because when you do get off, you start to lose all those gains.”
He continued with a stark warning: “You’re probably going to be forced to continually do this over a long period of time and that might be bad for your health. A lot of them are gone. A lot of guys that I used to compete against are no longer here. So is it worth the risk?”
Yates highlighted an often-overlooked aspect of steroid use: mental health. “Negative possible effects physically and also is not talked about a lot mentally. I believe there’s a lot of people in the sport with mental health problems, especially women now, because they’re in the high doses now, where before they really weren’t.”
Both Huberman and Yates disclosed their current use of testosterone replacement therapy at moderate doses. Huberman shared he started at age 45 with approximately 125 milligrams per week. Yates noted similar dosing, emphasizing this was therapeutic replacement, not performance enhancement.
However, Yates cautioned that even with TRT, he later reduced his muscle mass from 250 pounds to 230 pounds for health reasons. “I had excessive amounts of muscle mass actually. I was a few years ago still at like 250 just on TRT and some training and I went for a checkup. My blood pressure was a bit high.”
Yates described the modern landscape where performance enhancers have become mainstream. “Everybody knows about st**oids. And I think it’s seen as by males as a cosmetic enhancement, just like females putting breast implants in or Botox.”
He noted that actors preparing for roles often use these substances: “Come on, man. It’s not happening in two months that transformation without some chemical help.”
While Yates acknowledged his professional use was part of his career, both men emphasized that for most people, the risks outweigh potential benefits.
