Ep 319 - Bodybuilding Mortality Across the Eras (ft. Drs Conor Heffernan and Juan Carlos Cassano)

Iron Culture

The MASS Crew

Sports & Recreation, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 827 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2025

⏱️ 100 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Helms and guests Conor Heffernan and Dr. Juan Carlos Casano delve into the intricate relationship between bodybuilding, performance-enhancing drugs, and athlete welfare. They discuss the historical context of bodybuilding, the cultural norms that have evolved over the years, and the alarming trends in mortality rates among bodybuilders. The conversation emphasizes the need for transparency in the sport and the impact of social media on perceptions of bodybuilding. The guests advocate for a more nuanced understanding of the issues surrounding drug use in bodybuilding and the importance of separating competitive practices from recreational bodybuilding for the sake of athlete safety. This conversation delves into the complexities of bodybuilding, focusing on the democratization of drug information, cultural issues, historical perspectives, and the impact of social media. The speakers discuss the need for regulation and safety measures in the sport, the motivations behind bodybuilding, and the legacy of past champions. They emphasize the importance of having open conversations about athlete safety and the future of bodybuilding, particularly in light of the increasing influence of social media and the need for a cultural shift within the sport.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
02:57 The Importance of Bodybuilding History
05:51 The Golden Paradox: Mortality Trends in Bodybuilding
08:58 Cultural Norms and Bodybuilding Standards
11:54 The Role of Performance Enhancing Drugs
15:03 The Need for Academic Discussion on Bodybuilding Deaths
17:56 The Shift in Bodybuilding Culture and Athlete Welfare
20:52 Natural vs Enhanced Bodybuilding
24:08 The Future of Bodybuilding and Athlete Safety
36:05 Embedding Safety in Bodybuilding Organizations
39:55 The Overton Window and Evolving Physique Standards
41:17 Athlete Safety and the Role of Competition
47:12 Historical Context of Steroid Use in Bodybuilding
54:09 Cultural Problems in Bodybuilding and Athlete Health
01:00:37 Motivations Behind Bodybuilding and Artistic Expression
01:06:59 The Legacy of Bodybuilding Champions
01:10:21 The Impact of Steroids and Judging Standards
01:12:57 The Need for Constraints in Bodybuilding
01:15:16 The Role of Social Media in Bodybuilding Culture
01:25:44 The Future of Bodybuilding and Athlete Safety

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to another episode of Iron Culture. Today, it is only one Eric, and as you know, it is the better Eric. I will never say that with him on. And if you tell Eric that I said that, I will deny it. And yes, I know that this is being recorded. But you know, Trexler has no time being a postdoc at Duke and also just being a busy man himself to actually listen to our own podcast.
0:25.8	So I'm not afraid.
0:27.0	Even though he's now that I think about actually editing this episode as I talk, I have made a grave error.
0:32.3	So we're going to move right along.
0:34.0	And the good news is if you like this podcast, there are things you can do to support it.
0:39.9	First off, this is now Iron Culture presented by Mass. So if you are interested in making
0:44.5	sure that we have more awesome episodes of history, science, and culture, and in this one,
0:48.5	we've got all three, then please do consider supporting us. Check out mass research review.com
0:53.6	and also support the podcast
0:55.2	itself. Five star ratings are appreciated. Thumbs up are appreciated. Shares are appreciated. All of
1:01.0	these things. Additionally, if you want to see the entire mass crew live in person in Austin,
1:08.0	Texas on the 12th and 13th of April at the annual Sports Nutrition Association Conference.
1:12.5	All four of us will be presenting there, and it would be awesome to meet you if you want to come out.
1:16.6	And more importantly, we are just less than a quarter of the presenters that are out there who are really true experts in their field, both practitioners,
1:24.8	athletes, as well as academics, who are all just in love with sports nutrition,
1:29.2	and a lot of it is applied to resistance training.
1:31.7	So make sure to check it out.
1:33.5	We'll have the link to that in the podcast notes.
1:36.7	And without further ado, I would like to introduce one of our older guests, who I would actually say is a host as well coming over from the obelisk to the pyramid.
1:47.0	I tell you, you're a guest host, Connor.
1:48.6	Would you agree with that?
1:50.5	So I'm just so caught up on the idiot.
	...

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