Ukad survey: Social media ads expose young people to ‘dangerous’ performance-enhancing substances

SARMs are not the only potentially harmful substance being marketed towards young gym-goers online.

Online searches for peptides have increased five-fold in the past year, according to data from Google Trends, having been promoted for muscle growth and injury recovery by influencers focused on fitness and looksmaxxing – predominantly US-based young men promoting extreme forms of appearance modification.

Peptides are chains of amino acids which can occur naturally in the body, but some synthetics types have historically been injected by weightlifters and bodybuilders to enhance performance.

Synthetic peptides are generally unregulated and can present a variety of health issues, including sepsis, allergic reactions, swelling, heart palpitations and thyroid dysfunction.

Use of anabolic steroids can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and psychiatric issues.

According to the Ukad survey, 5% of young people said they were exposed to online ads for peptides every day, while 6% saw promotion for anabolic steroids on a daily basis.

“Our advice to young people is don’t trust everything you read on social media,” said Rumble.

“Real success is built, not bought.”