In a candid video, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete Josh Saunders has addressed the widespread use of PEDs in the sport, sharing his personal experiences and offering advice to those considering their use.
Saunders acknowledges the “elephant in the room” regarding the prevalence of ste*roids in Jiu-Jitsu, particularly in untested federations. He points out that even in tested competitions, athletes often find ways to circumvent the system.
Drawing from his own journey, Saunders reveals he began using PEDs as a blue belt, not for competitive advantage but out of curiosity after a decade of natural weightlifting. He cites concerns about modern lifestyle factors negatively impacting natural testosterone levels as part of his decision-making process.
“I didn’t plan on taking it for Jiu-Jitsu, I was just doing it while doing it. I think I started when I was a blue belt, but it was never to get an edge in Jitsu; it was literally out of pure curiosity. I did a lot of reading into the limitations of natural testosterone in terms of some outside factors—sedentary lifestyles, food quality, the way that we live, the blue lights that are all around us, endocrine disruptors, microplastics in food, and other factors. There’s a good book, I forget the name of it, the author was on Joe Rogan a couple of times—she talks about microplastics and taint size shrinking.”
Saunders couldn’t remember the name – but we can. He’s talking about Dr. Shanna Swan’s appearance on JRE. Dr. Swan explained that research initially conducted on animals in the early 2000s revealed concerning changes in male offspring when exposed to phthalates. These changes included smaller genitalia and a decreased anogenital distance (AGD), colloquially known as the “taint.” The AGD, Dr. Swan claimed, is a key indicator of masculine development and is typically 50-100% longer in males compared to females across most mammal species.
Dr. Swan and her team found similar genital alterations in human boys. This research, first published in 2005 and replicated in 2008, established a link between prenatal phthalate exposure and altered male genital development. When these claims went viral in 2021, they were criticised by the scientific community. an NY Times article details:
“a group of interdisciplinary researchers from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology contend that fears of an impending Spermageddon have been vastly overstated. In a study published in May in the journal Human Fertility, they re-evaluated the 2017 review and found that it relied on flawed assumptions and failed to consider alternate explanations for the apparent decline of sperm.”
“In an interview, Sarah Richardson, a Harvard scholar on gender and science and the senior author on the new study, called the conclusion of the 2017 review “an astonishing and terrifying claim that, were it to be true, would justify the apocalyptic tenor of some of the writing.”
“Fortunately, she and her co-authors argue, there is little evidence that this is the case.
The 2017 authors were “methodologically rigorous” when it came to screening sperm-count studies for quality and consistency, Dr. Richardson and her colleagues write. However, even the data that passed muster was geographically sparse and uneven and often lacked basic criteria like the age of the men. Moreover, its authors took for granted that a single metric — sperm count — was an accurate predictor of male fertility and overall health.”
These is especially suspect because there is no ‘optimal’ sperm count. Above a certain threshold — 40 million per milliliter, according to the W.H.O. — a higher sperm count does not mean a man is more fertile.
According to Huberman’s recent episode on Microplastics, a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that certain phthalates, chemicals used in plastics that can leach into food and water, were associated with decreased serum testosterone in men, women, and children. The strongest inverse relationships between phthalate levels and testosterone were observed in women and men aged 40-60 years old. Animal studies have shown microplastics can cross the blood-testis barrier, potentially interfering with hormone production. More studies are needed.
This funny take comes just under a week after Nick Rodriguez went viral for stopping to use deodorant due to unsubstantiated claims that deodorant significantly impacts testosterone production in healthy adult males.
While Saunders outlines several benefits of PED use, including increased muscle mass, strength, and faster recovery, he strongly cautions against their use without proper education and medical supervision. He emphasizes that using PEDs is a lifelong decision with potentially serious health consequences.
The athlete expresses particular concern about young individuals considering PEDs, noting he’s had conversations with teens as young as 14 about the topic. Saunders consistently advises against use, stressing the importance of understanding the long-term implications and the need for ongoing medical monitoring.
