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By Austine Okande
In today’s generation where fashion and appearance is the mainstay, most youths’ have indulged in inherently dangerous practices both to their physical and mental being.
With the insatiable desire to look sexy or have swag, as dudes and dudettes call it, many have resorted to risky behaviours.
They are racing with time, trying to adjust their appearances to look cool, and eventually attract sexual partners
Away from unhealthy dieting, extreme haircuts, expensive colognes, tattoos, piercing of body parts (eyelids, belly, tongue, nose, cheeks etc) men are on mission to look good. They have taken extreme measures to get that good physique.
A visit to gyms in Nairobi and other major towns will be an eye opener. Nowadays many young men spend valuable time toning their bodies in pursuit of love or just to impress women.
Develop muscle
To an extent they will do anything to develop muscles, and lean toned body, which is believed to be a magnet to attract women.
In order to get the desired body physique most guys have resorted to use and abuse body enhancement products.
The products include Mega mass 4000, Amino acid powder, Amino acid tablet, Amino 2000 powder, Creatine supplement powder and Cretin mono hydrate among others.
There are also some commonly used steroids like D-nabol 25, Tren 75, Test-600x, VAR 10 and even bhang.
Just like women do extreme surgical operations such as lip, hip, breast enlargements, butt enlargements and body pills young men are now caught up in the craze.
Some of the drugs are harmful with dangerous side effects.
These drugs are readily available and can be bought over the counter in most chemists in tablets, powder and injections.
Apart from steroids, which have been used for body building for a long time, there are new substances readily available to body builders that can boost their muscles and help in fat loss.
Nancy Wangari, a chemist owner in Nairobi’s Central Business District agrees that the drugs are readily available even online.
“We have different products for clients and prescibe according to their needs. Some clients want to gain muscles, harden the muscles or increase body mass and strength,” explains Wangari.
“On average, I make good money daily selling drugs customers who are mostly the youth, colleges students, male models and club bouncers,” she adds.
Wangari also cautions customers on the side effects of such drugs.
Side effects
Dr Joseph Nkuranga, a medical doctor running the Maryland University programmes Kenya advises the youth on the emerging trend.
“If one has been hitting the gym and using such substance then it is important to know that those muscles come with dangerous side effects.” He said the drugs used for performance enhancing are largely in a class called anabolic-androgen steroids.
“These drugs are mainly used in medicine to address hormonal disturbances in men that have been diagnosed and are being managed by a qualified medical doctor, preferably an endocrinologist,” Dr Nkuranga states.
However, as with many other drugs, there has been rampant abuse of these drugs by bodybuilders. For them, the desired effect is the protein synthesis enhancement by these drugs that lead to faster and more pronounced muscular enlargement, also known as hypertrophy.
Dr Nkuranga alludes to the fact that most of such cases are hardly monitored and the prolonged use just like alcohol, can lead to dependency. It brings withdrawal syndrome on disuse. He reiterates that the combination of higher doses and prolonged use of these hormone-like drugs lead to many side effects such as: hypogonadal — a state which men would experience reduced fertility or even worst still lead to infertility.
From reduced sperm counts to even no sperms (azospermia), and reduction in the actual size of the testis (testicular atrophy) or even the reduction of penis size are also some of the diverse effects of such drugs to men.
Dr Nkuranga also observes that such drugs would also have bad side effects on women by affecting their menstrual cycle or even start experiencing secondary male features such as bearding.
Another shocker, according to research is that men can grow man boobs with prolonged use of such drugs, also known as gynecomastia in medicine.
“Ever been harassed or thrown out of a club with a rough ruthless bouncer? Then don’t be shocked as most of them do use some of these products.
Traits of aggression and emotional upheavals are just some of the side effects from such drugs,” says John Gachoka, a professional gym instructor at Great Body Gym in Nairobi.
Abuse drugs
Mr Gachoka confirms that most bouncers actually abuse such drugs and blames the chemists for not cautioning them on side effects.
Most youth actually admit that the new trend has taken root particularly in urban centres.
“I started taking steroids while still in high school as rugby captain,” said Victor a captain in one of the local University rugby team.
When probed why he had to use such drugs Victor says, “Look here, as dudes, we have to go with the pace with which the world is moving and you don’t expect me not to go to gym, wear studs and even put on trendy outfits. No, it is not just possible.”
He says with his muscled body combined with talent in sports, he easily attract chicks wherever he goes, as opposed to when he was skinny. “They just love my six packs,” he brags.
What others think
But there are a few fitness trainers who don’t agree with Victor. Dennis Baddy and Zola, who are both gym instructors at Billy’s Fitness Depot in Eldoret say fitness lifestyle requires an individual to have strict self discipline, balanced diet and enough body rest in order to allow gradual body growth.
good diet
“Guys should stick to the conventional training techniques like those in the estates where they practice proper training and good diet,” Baddy says.
He adds that the portrayal of ‘the sexy and adorable man’ has been copied from the media, especially in soap operas, western music and the movies where the male physique has been immensely overrated.
Vicky Mwamba an actress and a model say: “I am not fascinated in men’s physique. To me personality matters a great deal,” she encourages young women to not be carried away by the men’s physique saying that what they see is not what they always get.
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