Is Michael Phelps On Steroids?

TRT Trey

Last Updated August 28, 2022

TRT Trey

 August 28, 2022

Curious…

Is Michael Phelps on steroids?

Then you’ve come to the right place. Inside, you’ll find the official Testosterone.org breakdown of whether or not Michael Phelps has ever used gear before…

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer and one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time. Some of Michael’s greatest accomplishments include winning an unbelievable 8 Olympic gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as 23 gold medals throughout his entire career.

Some people have questioned if Michael Phelps is really a natural athlete. After all, is it even possible for someone to win that many gold medals without using anabolic steroids?

Did Michael Phelps really earn his gold medals as a drug-free athlete? Or did he use performance enhancing drugs to beat out his competition? Let’s find out!

Disclaimer: The contents of Testosterone.org are for informational and educational purposes. We do not provide legal advice. Likewise, we do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your physician prior to consuming any over-the-counter supplements, like a natural testosterone booster, and/or getting a prescription for a pharmaceutical medication. Your access to Testosterone.org is subject to our full disclaimer and terms of use.


Michael Phelps Stats

Age: 36 Years Old
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 194 lbs
Estimated Body Fat %: About 8 Percent
Nickname: "The Baltimore Bullet”

What Are Steroids?

Steroids are man-made chemicals or hormones that are naturally produced by the human body. Steroids help your cells, organs, and tissues to perform their normal everyday functions.

Bodybuilders and other athletes sometimes inject man-made versions of steroids into their bodies to enhance their physical performance.

Anabolic steroids, which are the steroids that help build muscle mass, are technically illegal in the United States and many other countries. However, they are still used by a large percentage of the global population.

A recent meta-analysis found that as many as 6.4% of all men in the world have used anabolic steroids before [1]. Recent analyses suggested that 2.9–4.0 million Americans may have used anabolic steroids, with possibly one million of these having experienced anabolic steroids dependence [2].

So how do steroids work?

Steroids raise endogenous testosterone production and other muscle-building hormones in your body. These hormones bind to your muscles and other tissues and trigger an increase in various muscle-building pathways.

Bodybuilders and other athletes are sometimes attracted to steroids because of their ability to build muscle mass and enhance their physical performance. Many recent studies found that anabolic steroids enhance total muscle mass, muscle strength, power, and cardiovascular endurance [3, 4].

Steroids can be beneficial for improving athletic performance. However, they also have serious side effects which can negatively impact the human body.

Two recent meta-analyses performed in 2021 found that steroids can cause adverse effects to your brain, cardiovascular system, muscular system, liver, urinary system, and reproductive system [5, 6].

Most people should carefully examine the risks before using drugs as dangerous as anabolic steroids.


Michael Phelps


Signs Of Steroid Use

What are the most common signs of steroid use? The truth is steroids have many side effects.

Here are some of the most common signs of long-term steroid use:

  • Pronounced Jawline
  • Flushed, Red Skin
  • Bloated Stomach
  • Insanely Muscular
  • Rapid Mood Swings

Let’s take a closer look at each of these signs.

One of the most obvious signs of steroid use is a very pronounced jawline. Testosterone and other steroids are known to change the shape of the users facial bones, giving them a hyper-masculine appearance.

Just think of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his exaggerated jawline!

Another common sign is red, flushed skin. Testosterone actually raises the temperature of your skin, and if you take enough of it, your skin will take on a dark red color.

The actor Dwayne Johnson is a good example of a possible steroid user with red, flushed skin.

Other potential signs of steroid use include a bloated stomach, an insanely muscular physique, and rapid mood swings, aka “roid rage.”

If you see someone with most or all of these signs, then they may be a long-term steroid user.


Is Michael Phelps On Steroids?

Michael Phelps does not have any of the normal signs of long-term steroid use. In his prime Michael had a lean, muscular physique but this is exactly what we would expect from a world-class swimmer who trains 7 days per week.

There is some speculation that Michael tested positive for drug use during the 2008 Olympic games but we think this is “fake news.” Matthew Irby from Bleacher Report says that he read a report that the International Olympic Committee that states Michael Phelps tested positive for anabolic steroids during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The report claims Michael tested positive for DDP, or Delphinus delphis ponticus. Matthew also said that the information contained in the report is questionable and is not available to the public.
There is no confirmation of this information from any other websites or official news. Matthew also added these words at the end of his article “Thanks for reading, don’t take this seriously”. So we do not confirm the authenticity of this information.
Michael Phelps says that he was tested a total of 13 times leading up to the Rio Olympics in 2016 and all of the tests came back negative. He was shocked to find out 1,913 athletes in 10 sports who were known to have “doping” issues were not tested at all.

Michael Phelps won 23 gold medals in five Olympics and he did it without using steroids. He did it the right way, even while looking around the pool at suspected cheaters who could get in his way. The fact that Michael was racing against competitors who were possibly using drugs makes his accomplishments even more impressive.

Michael has never tested positive for steroids and he really doesn’t look like he’s using performance-enhancing drugs. Michael, who was outspoken on drug cheats throughout his career, says he can “guarantee” no athlete has been tested as much as he was on an Olympic level and insists everyone should be held to the same high standards.

“If you test positive once you should never be allowed to compete again,” Michael said. “That has to change,” added Michael, as he reflected on the issue of doping in sport.


Michael Phelps Before And After Steroids

Michael Phelps doesn’t have any of the obvious signs of long-term steroid use. Sure, Michael is ripped, but this is expected for an Olympic level swimmer at the peak of his career.

Michael doesn’t really have an insanely muscular physique, massive shoulders and traps, or any of the other obvious signs of steroid use.

Just take a look at pictures of Michael Phelps when he first started swimming. Even as a teenager Michael had six-pack abs and his trademark lean, athletic physique. He was slightly more muscular as an adult, but nothing too crazy.

Michael’s lean, athletic physique is further proof that he did not use steroids. If he was really juicing, then we would expect him to have a much more muscular physique, or some other signs of steroid use.


Michael Phelps steroids before and after


Legal Steroid Alternatives?

Michael Phelps is proof that you can build an incredible physique as a natural athlete. This is good news, as anabolic steroids can be extremely dangerous, and using them is a poor decision for most individuals.

Fortunately, there are many “legal steroid alternatives” that you can use to transform your physique in record time.

One of the best legal steroid alternatives on the market today is called ecdysterone.

Ecdysterone belongs to a family of naturally occurring steroids called “ecdysteroids.” Don’t worry – ecdysterone is completely different from traditional anabolic steroids. Ecdysterone is found in many plants such as spinach and quinoa, as well as many insect species.

Here’s how it works: ecdysterone binds to the estrogen receptors in humans, and causes an increase in protein synthesis levels in muscle cells [7]. This results in faster gains in muscle mass and strength, and quicker recover between workouts [8]. Best of all, ecdysterone has no known side effects in humans – especially if you take the science-based dose of 500 mg per day.

There are many great companies selling ecdysterone on the internet, but our favorite by far is Huge Supplements. They manufacture all of their products right here in the United States in FDA-regulated facilities, which means they use nothing but the highest-quality ingredients.

Order Ecdysterone from our top-rated USA vendor...


Testosterone Therapy vs. Steroids

Testosterone replacement therapy is one of the most exciting developments in men’s health.

The goal of testosterone therapy is simple: to raise your total testosterone levels to the high end of the normal, healthy range. This is done by supplementing your body’s natural testosterone production with a prescription testosterone medication.

Research shows that TRT has many benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, decreased body fat levels, and improved performance in the bedroom [9, 10, 11].

Testosterone therapy is also extremely safe, as it is performed under the supervision of a medical doctor. Compare this to steroids, which are often used without appropriate medical oversight.

There are many ways to get started with testosterone therapy, but one of our favorite options is to work with a trusted online TRT provider, like Fountain TRT.

Sign up for TRT today with our top-rated USA doctors...


Michael Phelps And Steroids | Verdict

What’s the verdict – does Michael Phelps use steroids?

We believe the odds are very low that Michael Phelps used steroids during his professional career.

Michael does not show any of the normal signs of long-term steroid use such as an insanely muscular physique, a large skull, or red, flushed skin.

Michael looks like a regular athlete who did everything he could to maximize his performance including optimizing his training, nutrition, and recovery.

If you are serious about maximizing your performance and longevity then other options like legal steroid alternatives or even testosterone replacement therapy can be great choices as well.


References

  1. Sagoe D, Molde H, Andreassen CS, Torsheim T, Pallesen S. The global epidemiology of anabolic-androgenic steroid use: a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis. Ann Epidemiol. 2014 May;24(5):383-98. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2014.01.009. Epub 2014 Jan 30. PMID: 24582699.
  2. Pope Jr HG, Kanayama G, Athey A, Ryan E, Hudson JI, Baggish A. The lifetime prevalence of anabolic‐androgenic steroid use and dependence in Americans: Current best estimates. The American journal on addictions. 2014 Jul;23(4):371-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12118.x. PMID: 24112239.
  3. Andrews MA, Magee CD, Combest TM, Allard RJ, Douglas KM. Physical Effects of Anabolic-androgenic Steroids in Healthy Exercising Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2018 Jul;17(7):232-241. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000500. PMID: 29994823.
  4. Storer TW, Woodhouse L, Magliano L, Singh AB, Dzekov C, Dzekov J, Bhasin S. Changes in muscle mass, muscle strength, and power but not physical function are related to testosterone dose in healthy older men. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2008 Nov;56(11):1991-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01927.x.
  5. Albano GD, Amico F, Cocimano G, et al. Adverse Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids: A Literature Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(1):97. Published 2021 Jan 19. doi:10.3390/healthcare9010097.
  6. Chegeni R, Pallesen S, McVeigh J, Sagoe D. Anabolic-androgenic steroid administration increases self-reported aggression in healthy males: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Psychopharmacology. 2021 Jul;238(7):1911-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-021-05818-7.
  7. Gorelick-Feldman J, Maclean D, Ilic N, Poulev A, Lila MA, Cheng D, Raskin I. Phytoecdysteroids increase protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 May 28;56(10):3532-7. doi: 10.1021/jf073059z. Epub 2008 Apr 30. PMID: 18444661.
  8. Parr MK, Botrè F, Naß A, Hengevoss J, Diel P, Wolber G. Ecdysteroids: A novel class of anabolic agents?. Biol Sport. 2015;32(2):169-173. doi:10.5604/20831862.1144420
  9. Al-Zoubi RM, Yassin AA, Alwani M, Al-Qudimat A, Aboumarzouk OM, Zarour A, Al Ansari A. A systematic review on the latest developments in testosterone therapy: Innovations, advances, and paradigm shifts. Arab J Urol. 2021 Aug 8;19(3):370-375. doi: 10.1080/2090598X.2021.1959260. PMID: 34552788; PMCID: PMC8451690.
  10. Kim SH, Park JJ, Kim KH, Yang HJ, Kim DS, Lee CH, Jeon YS, Shim SR, Kim JH. Efficacy of testosterone replacement therapy for treating metabolic disturbances in late-onset hypogonadism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Urol Nephrol. 2021 Sep;53(9):1733-1746. doi: 10.1007/s11255-021-02876-w. Epub 2021 Jun 5. PMID: 34089171.
  11. Lunenfeld B, Mskhalaya G, Zitzmann M, Corona G, Arver S, Kalinchenko S, Tishova Y, Morgentaler A. Recommendations on the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of testosterone deficiency in men. Aging Male. 2021 Dec;24(1):119-138. doi: 10.1080/13685538.2021.1962840. PMID: 34396893.
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