After Brazilian athlete Ramon Dino’s historic win at Mr. Olympia 2025, bodybuilding has never been more popular in Brazil. The sport seems to be living its golden era — but not without raising an important question: is bodybuilding really synonymous with health?
While the discipline, dedication, and aesthetics are inspiring, it’s crucial to understand that performance and health aren’t always aligned. Let’s break down both sides of the story.
The Positive Side 💪
The growing popularity of bodybuilding undeniably promotes healthier habits. It sparks interest in regular exercise, nutrition awareness, and overall fitness.
Strength training, in particular, offers numerous scientifically backed benefits:
- Builds muscle mass and strengthens bones
- Boosts metabolism and supports weight control
- Improves blood sugar regulation
Studies show that people who engage in resistance training regularly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, exercise enhances mental well-being — it reduces anxiety and depression, improves sleep quality, and contributes to a longer, more fulfilling life.
The Other Side ⚠️
However, comparing yourself to professional bodybuilders can distort your perception of what health truly means. Competitive bodybuilding often requires extreme measures focused on aesthetics and short-term performance, not longevity.
To achieve the “stage-ready” physique, many athletes endure:
- Highly restrictive diets
- Severe dehydration
- Use of anabolic steroids
These substances carry serious risks. One of the most dangerous effects is irreversible heart damage, such as cardiac hypertrophy, which increases the likelihood of arrhythmias and heart attacks.
A long-term study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association tracked over 1,000 men who used anabolic steroids for 11 years, compared with 59,000 from the general population.
The findings were alarming: steroid users were 3 to 9 times more likely to develop serious cardiovascular diseases.
And that’s no small issue — heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide.
Beyond the heart, long-term steroid use disrupts hormone balance, reducing fertility, altering mood, and harming liver function.
Bodybuilding can inspire discipline, consistency, and self-care, but it’s vital to separate the healthy pursuit of fitness from the extreme quest for perfection.
In a world shaped by social media and idealized body images, credible information is our best defense against harmful trends.
The key takeaway?
Train for health, not just for the mirror.
