Placing a total ban on the use 0f steroids by professional bodybuilders has both positive and negative implications that should be carefully considered before any decisions are made. Such a monumental decision should be thoroughly debated amongst all stakeholders because any final decision reached is bound to have far reaching implications. Some will argue that the sport of bodybuilding is all about displaying the extremes the body can be taken to and that the current state of affairs needs to be upheld. Well, it is common sense that most if not all professional bodybuilders use steroids to develop their massive physiques.



These physiques are what attract people to the sport in the first place. This is not necessarily to become the next Mr. Olympia but think of it in terms of magazine sales, ticket sales to the events, and the sale of supplements. It is indeed these massive physiques that can only be created through the use of chemical steroids that attract the fans and in so doing keep the multibillion dollar industry in existence. The decision to ban steroids seems to be hinged on what the fans desire to see. If it is possible that the fans will be contented to pay and see naturally developed bodies on display then well and good, the ban can be effectuated. This eventuality will come as a result of a total paradigm shift in the mindset of the fans and the paying public, a very difficult proposition.

A ban on steroids by the IFBB will demand a huge investment in the form of drug testing for each and every bodybuilder competing in events sanctioned by the body. This is no mean investment, the costs of doing so are sky-high and they will definitely hurt the bottom lines of the stakeholders. Drug testing is a dynamic procedure that needs to be adjusted time and again so as to be up to speed with the crafty users who are constantly inventing novel ways to escape detection. This is another cost altogether. A ban on steroids will spur the design and engineering of many more steroid varieties that will take ages before they can be sanctioned, be approved or disapproved. The market will be awash with excessively many options that will be beyond the control of industry regulators.

A ban from the IFBB will almost likely see the creation of splinter federations each with its own set of protocols. The industry will experience many divisions and defections that are bound to impact negatively.

The situation will see the emergence of plenty of bureaucracy and time wasting, total shambles. Reaching a consensus will take ages. A ban on steroids is likely to take away the shock value appeal and that steroid-developed bodies carry. If competitions are reserved for naturally developed bodies, the attendances are likely to diminish significantly simply because these physiques are commonplace. The massive frames of Dorian Yates and Ron Coleman are responsible for attracting the fans in the first place.