Another death shocks the bodybuilding industry.
The sport of bodybuilding and fitness can be a fascinating sport, with athletes stepping on stage with Greek God like physiques, mesmerizing the spectators.
The sudden death of Jodi Vance during the 2025 Arnold Classic has sent shockwaves throughout the bodybuilding and fitness industry.
According to reports, Jodi was only 20, and according to her family, the cause of her death was due to severe complications from dehydration, which resulted in a heart attack.
Unfortunately, just as the 300 plus deaths in the last 4 years, related to PEDs and other related substances, Jodi will be another statistic, unless we all come together to solve this problem, that is killing the sport.
Since the start of bodybuilding, the typical person would always wonder how these typical people turn into freaks of nature.
There are a few major factors that help create the chiseled physique we are witnessing on male and female athletes.
The main factor is genetics, not everybody has the same genetics, and that’s why there will only be just over a dozen of the top bodybuilders in the world on the Mr. Olympia stage.
A strict training routine is also important, a workout cannot be missed, and each workout has to mean something, and be done correctly.
The diet is possibly one of the most important factors. Even if a person does not have the gifted genetics, a diet can help change their physique drastically, even without spending a lot of time in the gym.
As they say, “abs are built in the kitchen”, meaning no matter how much you exercise, what you eat will be the main factor.
Finally, we turn to the dark side of the sport of bodybuilding and fitness, and that is PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs).
Unfortunately, at present, many athletes that strive to step on the Arnold Classic, Mr. Olympia, or any other international stage, will turn to PEDs to get that extra edge.
The majority of athletes start using PEDs to add size in the shortest amount of time, and others will put their life on the line, using substances that help burn fat and manipulate their water levels.
It must be noted that the abuse of PEDs and other substances is taking place not only in bodybuilding, but in the majority of other sports disciplines worldwide.
Trusting your life with a so-called “Expert”
The majority of these young athletes will not know where to start, so they turn to the so-called “Expert”, in other words, a dietician.
The majority of these dieticians are not qualified, and work with experience, with some, who do not have a lot of experience, experimenting on these young innocent athletes.
In the bodybuilding and fitness industry, there are a handful of dieticians that have vast experience, and are lucky to have made a name for themselves, working with athletes that were gifted with great genetics.
The majority of these dieticians will refuse to work with clients that ask for the impossible, or it’s evident their physique will only take them so far.
The top dietitians are honest, and will explain what the risks are, making sure the health of their athlete is their main priority.
No amount of money or prestige is worth risking the life of an athlete.
Unfortunately, there are those dieticians that are just in it for the money and pump whatever they have into their client’s body, not realizing they are killing them slowly.
When an athlete gets very sick or dies, the so-called “Expert” will dodge any questions related to their client’s death, or they will say they did not suggest the PEDs they consumed before their death.
What is mind-boggling is that the majority of these dieticians or “Experts” are not doctors and do not have a license to prescribe these illegal substances especially in the USA.
Then when an athlete unfortunately suddenly passes away, the bodybuilding federation or authorities never question the dietician or “Expert”.
Who is responsible for educating these athletes?
It’s about time the federations should step in and educate all the young and even some experienced athletes.
These athletes have to know the risks of certain PEDs and what the short and long-term effects are on their bodies.
The old saying “Use don’t abuse”, goes a long way, especially when an athlete wants to turn to PEDs to enhance their physique.
Of course, with modern science and medicine, there are always ways to enhance the physique, especially for older athletes. Something such as testosterone will decrease, and some athletes turn to TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) to bring their levels back up to normal.
The athletes that are at the highest risk of putting their lives on the line are the young and the older athlete, who either want the quickest way to earn their pro cars, or won’t accept that Father Time is taking its course on their physique, so they take more PEDs to try and win back their youth.
While most dieticians are not medically qualified, many have great knowledge in what or what not to use, but at the same time, a lot are trying to make easy money, not caring about their client’s health.
Bodybuilding and fitness federations all over the world should organize seminars on educating their athletes, informing them about everything related to extreme training and the use of PEDs, and how it can affect their body and mind.
Important facts about the use of PEDs
Professional athlete Lisa Saygun, who has over 25 years of experience in the sport of bodybuilding and fitness, shared some important facts with Evolutionofbodybuilding.net.
Check out her new podcast for in-depth interviews with the biggest personalities in the industry – The Go Figure Podcast
What is REAL Research?
✅ Conducted using peer-reviewed scientific methods
✅ Performed in controlled settings (labs, clinical trials)
✅ Published in credible medical and sports science journals
✅ Designed to eliminate bias and ensure accuracy
What Most Are Actually Doing:
❌ Reading about compounds from sources NOT specific to bodybuilding
❌ Applying pharmaceutical or medical use cases to a performance setting (which is NOT what these drugs were designed for)
❌ Relying on anecdotal bro-science rather than evidence-based data
The Risk?
When you base your PED decisions on incomplete or misapplied research, you open yourself up to unknown long-term health consequences.
Most PEDs have only been studied for medical applications, not high-dose, long-term use in elite bodybuilding. That means:
⚠️ Lack of long-term data: No controlled, long-term studies exist on the safety of many PED stacks at the doses bodybuilders use.
⚠️ Unknown interactions: PED users often mix multiple compounds without scientific evidence on how they interact in the body over time.
⚠️ Individual variability: What “works” for one person may cause severe side effects in another, but without clinical trials, there’s no standardized data to predict outcomes.
⚠️ Masked health risks: Just because you feel fine now doesn’t mean damage isn’t happening at a cellular or hormonal level. Many issues (organ damage, cardiovascular disease, endocrine dysfunction) take years to surface.
PEDs are NOT studied in the context of bodybuilding at the same level as other medical treatments, meaning much of what’s being done is trial and error on human bodies. That’s not research—it’s gambling with your health.
⚠️ Just because something “works” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Science exists to minimize risks and maximize efficacy, and without true scientific backing, you’re making educated guesses at best.
