Fitness Influencers Linked to Illegal Online Steroid Trade

A new investigation by The Guardian has revealed a worrying connection between fitness influencers and an illegal market for performance-enhancing drugs. These influencers, who often represent a wellness brand called Gencore Global, are using the messaging app Telegram to sell anabolic steroids and other unregulated substances. This report follows earlier findings that identified a network of ambassadors and employees promoting these drugs to their thousands of followers on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Gencore Global describes itself as a UK-based health company. It has appeared at major fitness events and sponsors various sports activities. On its official website, the company sells items such as skincare products and supplements. However, behind this professional image, the company’s ambassadors have been caught recruiting people into an underground Telegram group. This group, currently known as 'Anabolic By Nature,' acts as a marketplace for illegal drugs. When asked about the connection, one ambassador admitted that the group is a rebranded version of a previous illegal network that had been shut down.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of testosterone, a male hormone. While they can help increase muscle size and speed up recovery after exercise, they come with severe health risks. According to medical experts, using these drugs without a doctor’s supervision can lead to heart disease, liver damage, and serious mood changes like aggression or depression. The Telegram network also sells other dangerous items, including prescription-only medicines and experimental substances known as peptides. These peptides are often sold with claims that they help with weight loss or injury recovery, even though there is very little scientific evidence to prove they are safe for humans.

In the United Kingdom, it is legal to own anabolic steroids for personal use, but it is against the law to sell or supply them without a proper license. Importing these drugs without permission is also illegal. Despite these laws, the Telegram marketplace continues to operate. In one message, an administrator of the group joked about the difficulty of running an illegal business, noting that users should not expect the website to be available at all times.

The pressure to achieve a perfect body is a major factor driving this trade. Jamie Mantzouridis, a 29-year-old nutritionist and former bodybuilder, shared his personal experience with the dangers of these drugs. He started using steroids in his early 20s because he wanted to look like the larger men he saw at his gym. He soon discovered that the reality was far from the healthy image promoted online. He suffered from painful skin infections and even had to be hospitalized. He also experimented with insulin, a drug meant for people with diabetes, which can be life-threatening when used incorrectly by healthy individuals.

Mantzouridis recalls the moment he decided to stop. He felt dizzy and realized he was close to collapsing. He believes that social media creates unrealistic expectations for men, pressuring them to look a certain way. 'Everyone believes they’re meant to look a certain way,' Mantzouridis said. He explains that this pressure makes it difficult for people to appreciate their own natural progress, leading them to take dangerous risks that they will regret later in life.

Experts are concerned that the influence of these fitness personalities is making it harder for young people to distinguish between healthy habits and dangerous drug use. By using their large followings to normalize the use of steroids and experimental peptides, these influencers are blurring the lines between legitimate wellness and illegal activity. As the investigation continues, the focus remains on how these brands use their public image to hide a dangerous underground trade. For many, the lesson from stories like that of Mantzouridis is clear: the short-term gains promised by these drugs are never worth the long-term damage to one's health.