Sports scientist Dr Mike Israetel highlights the serious physical, mental, and sexual health risks of anabolic steroid use during adolescence, emphasising the importance of waiting until full physical maturity.
Dr. Mike Israetel is challenging the familiar conversation around anabolic steroids, arguing that for teenagers the biggest dangers are not just acne, hair loss or even future heart problems. In a recent YouTube video, the Renaissance Periodization co-founder said the more serious concern is what steroid use can do at a stage when the body and brain are still developing. He acknowledged that the drugs can deliver dramatic muscle gains, but said that warning young people about the headline side effects misses the deeper risk.
One of Israetel’s central arguments is that steroid use can interfere with normal growth. He said some anabolic steroids raise oestrogen levels, which can accelerate the closure of growth plates and potentially limit adult height. That concern is echoed in guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical resources, which warn that teenage steroid use can stunt growth and cause lasting physical harm. Those same sources also cite liver damage, high blood pressure and other complications that can emerge during adolescence.
Israetel also warned that steroids may disrupt brain development. The prefrontal cortex, which helps govern judgement, impulse control and planning, continues maturing into early adulthood, and he said altering hormone levels during that period could affect decision-making and emotional regulation. Medical literature and public health guidance support the broader concern, linking adolescent steroid use with behavioural changes, including aggression, mood swings and other psychological effects.
He further pointed to sexual health as an overlooked issue. According to Israetel, anabolic steroids can contribute to erectile dysfunction during use or after stopping, because they disturb the balance of androgens and oestrogen. Teen-focused health advisories also describe sexual and hormonal problems as part of the risk profile, alongside the possibility of legal trouble, since steroids are illegal without a prescription. Drugs.com and the FDA have both warned that the consequences can be temporary or permanent.
Israetel’s wider message is that timing matters as much as the decision itself. He argued that once physical development is complete, adults can at least work with doctors, monitor blood work and make informed choices, whereas teenagers are better served by training, sleep and nutrition, all of which can still produce substantial gains. Research from the University of Minnesota suggests that early muscle-building supplement use may also be a stepping stone towards later steroid use, reinforcing the case for caution. Israetel said he did not start testosterone until age 27 and considers that patience one of his better decisions.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
