Experts also fear that unregulated access to drugs has gotten many bodybuilders and sportsmen hooked on steroids, supplements, and performance enhancing drugs such as amphetamines, all of which can lead to long-term health risks. According to Musa Khan, who is a local gym trainer in Karachi, almost 70 per cent of bodybuilders rely on steroids and amphetamines to reach their peak physique.
“There is a lot of competition in the bodybuilding community, so everyone wants to be the biggest guy at the gym but few are ready to invest the time, energy, and dedication it requires. Steroids are the cheat sheet here, but people don’t realise how dangerous they can be for one’s reproductive health with side effects like erectile dysfunction, shrunken testicles, and reduced sperm count. Amphetamines on the other hand are a sort of performance enhancer; taken to prevent fatigue and to increase confidence and training intensity, but they are considered highly addictive, and unregulated dosing can pose various physical and psychological risks,” he explained.
When the matter was brought to the attention of Sindh Health Department’s Director-General (DG) Dr Juman, he said that certain drugs like paracetamol and cold and flu medication can be bought over-the-counter. However, he reiterated that the aforementioned drugs such as amphetamines, antidepressants, sedatives, antibiotics and protein, and other supplements can only be bought through a valid doctor’s prescription.
