Fitness influencer Dr. Mike Israetel of RP Strength recently reviewed the practices of online personality Clavicular, a young creator who has built a following around his aggressive approach to “looksmaxxing.” In a recent video, Israetel focused on the very real physical and neurological risks associated with using performance-enhancing hormones during adolescence.
The central concern came from Clavicular’s admission that he began injecting testosterone at just 14 years old. While watching the clip, Israetel paused in disbelief.
“Am I reading that right? Fourteen?” he said, reacting to the claim.
The dosage added another layer of concern. At 300 milligrams, Clavicular was reportedly taking roughly double what would typically be considered a standard testosterone replacement dose for an adult male. According to Israetel, the consequences of that level of hormone use during adolescence extend far beyond appearance.
High-dose testosterone at a young age carries a significant risk of premature growth plate closure, meaning a teenager may never reach their full genetic height potential. Beyond physical development, Israetel warned that neurological development can also be affected, potentially increasing aggressive tendencies while impairing cognitive functions such as verbal fluency.
“If you take high doses of exogenous testosterone, there’s a very high probability your growth plates close early,” he explained. “That means you don’t get to be as tall as you could have been.”
He added that the risks are not limited to height. “There’s also a decent chance your neurological development doesn’t proceed on track,” he said. “You may end up more confrontational and aggressive long term, and somewhat less sharp cognitively, especially in verbal fluency.”
“And that’s a pretty serious trade-off,” he concluded.
Clavicular defended his decision by arguing that natural puberty is not optimized for the demands of the modern world. Israetel strongly disagreed with that framing, suggesting the logic runs in the opposite direction.
In his view, natural puberty already produces more aggression and androgen-driven behavior than modern social environments require, not less. Seeking even higher hormone levels, he implied, only amplifies traits many teenagers are already struggling to manage.
In another video, Clavicular acknowledged that he was also taking additional medications alongside testosterone.
“I’m taking testosterone every single day,” he said. “I also take 7.5 milligrams of Accutane a day.”
Israetel was particularly critical of combining testosterone use with Accutane, a medication commonly prescribed for severe acne. He noted that the d**g carries significant side effects, especially related to liver health, and warned that stacking treatments can create a cycle in which one d**g is used to counteract the side effects of another.
“Accutane has a lot of serious side effects,” he said. “It can be very hard on your liver.”
He added that he hoped proper medical monitoring was in place. “I sure hope he’s getting regular blood work,” Israetel said.
At the same time, he questioned whether the hormonal approach was even achieving the intended cosmetic outcome. “If you use a lot of testosterone, I don’t think it makes you look better,” he said. “Almost categorically, it doesn’t, even by his own standards.”
Similarly, Clavicular’s reported use of low-dose prescription stimulant medication for appetite suppression drew sharp criticism. Israetel noted that d**gs in the amphetamine class can negatively affect cardiovascular health, disrupt sleep quality, and interfere with muscle growth. Behaviorally, he argued, they may also undermine the very social confidence and stability that appearance-focused optimization is supposed to support.
Ultimately, Israetel framed the issue as one of timing and trade-offs. A teenager who sacrifices long-term development for short-term aesthetic gains, he suggested, is prioritizing the wrong phase of life.
“He’s trying to max out for age 17,” Israetel said.
By the time someone reaches their mid-20s or 30s, factors such as confidence, career stability, communication skills, and financial security tend to matter far more than marginal differences in physical appearance. Permanent physical or neurological consequences, he argued, are not a reversible cost.
Israetel concluded by saying: “If you’re under the age of 20, I would say the vast majority of what he does is terrible idea. For every one Clavicular that ends up seemingly still pretty okay on this side of the fence now that he’s in his 20s, there are going to be like 10 people who have a really bad time with all of this.”
