The conversation around PEDs in fitness culture has shifted dramatically in recent years. In a recent podcast, Dr. Mike Israetel offered his perspective on how roid use has evolved from taboo to trending topic among social media personalities.
When asked about jacked influencers claiming to be natural, Israetel suggested most are actually telling the truth.
“I think more of them are telling the truth than not,” he said. ” The internet has become very good at detecting who’s lying about roids. There’s like a skinned hue to it even.”
The cultural shift represents a complete reversal from previous eras. Israetel noted that PEDs have become more culturally accepted in influencer spaces, to the point where admitting use has become fashionable.
“It’s actually cool and fun to be on it,” he observed. “You gain some popularity for admitting that you’re on PEDs. You’re like more edgy and cool.”
He pointed to specific examples of this trend. “You have influencers named the Tren Twins. Tren’s a roid. These are real people in the world,” he said, highlighting how blatant the references have become.
This represents a fundamental change from when claiming natural status while using steroids was more common. “That whole thing of posing as a natural when you’re not really natural, it used to be a bigger thing culturally than it is today,” Israetel explained.
The shift has practical implications for content creators. Because admitting PED use no longer carries the stigma or consequences it once did, fewer influencers feel compelled to maintain false narratives. “Nowadays people, because they can be super popular, it’s actually like you gain some popularity for admitting that you’re on PEDs. You are more edgy and cool,” he said.
Israetel himself has always been upfront about his own use. “I was always upfront about my PED use, so it skipped me entirely,” he stated plainly.
The peptide phenomenon represents another facet of this cultural shift. These are available on gray markets, are “really cheap, completely unregulated, and you can just get however many of them you want.” He believes peptides are currently experiencing an inflated hype cycle, noting that while some like semaglutide and tirzepatide are genuinely effective, many others have questionable benefits.
When asked directly why he continues using roids despite knowing the health risks, Israetel responded matter-of-factly: “I do an intelligent calculated decision about taking roids and I’m comfortable with the risk trade-offs.” He disputed the characterization that he’s driven by something unhealthy, stating, “I don’t think I’m driven by anything unhealthy to take them very reluctantly. They’re not fun to take.”
