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Time of India
13-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Young gym-goers developing severe hip conditions due to protein powders and steroids, warn health experts
Indian orthopaedic experts are reporting a disturbing rise in hip problems among young gym-goers, linking it to steroid misuse and unregulated protein supplements. Doctors are seeing cases of avascular necrosis and early hip degeneration in individuals as young as their early 20s. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Sharp rise in hip disorders in early adulthood Steroid-tainted supplements sold without oversight Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Unnatural gains, irreversible damage Fitness industry lacks checks and awareness Call for caution and education A growing number of young gym-goers in India are suffering from serious hip problems due to misuse of steroids and unregulated protein supplements , according to leading orthopaedic experts who spoke at the Delhi Hip 360 conference held on Sunday, a TOI report reported a rise in avascular necrosis (AVN) and early hip degeneration—conditions typically seen in older people—now being diagnosed in individuals as young as their early 20s. Many of these cases are linked to unsupervised use of anabolic steroids and consumption of unauthorised protein L Tomar, organising chairman of the Delhi Hip 360 conference and senior director at Max Hospital, said, "We are observing a significant surge in hip-related complaints among young patients in recent years. Every week in my OPD, I see 2-3 patients under the age of 30 — many in their early 20s — complaining of persistent hip pain. Investigations often reveal avascular necrosis, a condition where blood supply to the hip bone is compromised, leading to bone death. In over 70% of these cases, there is a history of anabolic steroid use or excessive consumption of unverified protein powders."Medical studies now show that alcohol and steroid use are two of the main contributors to AVN among young adults. Doctors said the femoral head—the upper part of the thigh bone that fits into the hip socket—is especially vulnerable to poor blood circulation caused by steroid inspections by the Maharashtra Food & Drugs Administration revealed that several brands of protein powders sold online and in gyms contained banned performance-enhancing steroids. These products were found to be easily available without proper authorisation or has a large unregulated market for muscle-building supplements, often promoted through gyms and social media. Health experts say this is encouraging youth to seek quick fitness results without medical supervision, putting their skeletal health at Rajiv Jain, chief coordinator of Delhi Hip 360 and a senior orthopaedic surgeon, said, "Steroids, especially when misused or consumed unsupervised, directly impact blood supply to the bones. The femoral head, being the most vulnerable, is often the first to suffer. It begins with pain, stiffness and limping, and in many cases, leads to complete collapse of the hip joint. Hip replacements are required for patients whose condition cannot be treated using medications."Doctors noted that AVN is often irreversible unless detected early. For advanced cases, the only treatment option is total hip replacement—a surgery usually performed on elderly patients. However, doctors are now seeing this procedure being increasingly used for urban shared at the conference, held at Hotel Ashoka in Delhi, showed that over 30% of AVN patients treated in the city's top hospitals in the last three years were under the age of 35. Most of these cases were linked to steroids taken either orally, by injection, or through supplement Sharad Agarwal, scientific chairman of the conference, said, "The youngsters are misled into believing that bigger muscles equal better health. What they don't realise is that behind that muscle, their bones might be silently deteriorating."He added, "We urgently need awareness drives, regulation of supplement markets and basic orthopaedic screening at gyms. The message is clear: fitness should not come at the cost of mobility. The youth of India need better guidance to build their bodies—without breaking their hips."Medical professionals urged gym trainers, influencers, and fitness centre operators to educate clients about the dangers of taking shortcuts through steroids and unauthorised supplements. They stressed the importance of promoting safe, supervised training methods that support natural body concluded that without proper intervention and awareness, hip disorders among India's youth could become a serious long-term public health concern.
Economic Times
13-05-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Young gym-goers developing severe hip conditions due to protein powders and steroids, warn health experts
A growing number of young gym-goers in India are suffering from serious hip problems due to misuse of steroids and unregulated protein supplements, according to leading orthopaedic experts who spoke at the Delhi Hip 360 conference held on Sunday, a TOI report stated. ADVERTISEMENT Doctors reported a rise in avascular necrosis (AVN) and early hip degeneration—conditions typically seen in older people—now being diagnosed in individuals as young as their early 20s. Many of these cases are linked to unsupervised use of anabolic steroids and consumption of unauthorised protein powders. Dr L Tomar, organising chairman of the Delhi Hip 360 conference and senior director at Max Hospital, said, "We are observing a significant surge in hip-related complaints among young patients in recent years. Every week in my OPD, I see 2-3 patients under the age of 30 — many in their early 20s — complaining of persistent hip pain. Investigations often reveal avascular necrosis, a condition where blood supply to the hip bone is compromised, leading to bone death. In over 70% of these cases, there is a history of anabolic steroid use or excessive consumption of unverified protein powders." Medical studies now show that alcohol and steroid use are two of the main contributors to AVN among young adults. Doctors said the femoral head—the upper part of the thigh bone that fits into the hip socket—is especially vulnerable to poor blood circulation caused by steroid misuse. Recent inspections by the Maharashtra Food & Drugs Administration revealed that several brands of protein powders sold online and in gyms contained banned performance-enhancing steroids. These products were found to be easily available without proper authorisation or labelling. India has a large unregulated market for muscle-building supplements, often promoted through gyms and social media. Health experts say this is encouraging youth to seek quick fitness results without medical supervision, putting their skeletal health at risk. Dr Rajiv Jain, chief coordinator of Delhi Hip 360 and a senior orthopaedic surgeon, said, "Steroids, especially when misused or consumed unsupervised, directly impact blood supply to the bones. The femoral head, being the most vulnerable, is often the first to suffer. It begins with pain, stiffness and limping, and in many cases, leads to complete collapse of the hip joint. Hip replacements are required for patients whose condition cannot be treated using medications." ADVERTISEMENT Doctors noted that AVN is often irreversible unless detected early. For advanced cases, the only treatment option is total hip replacement—a surgery usually performed on elderly patients. However, doctors are now seeing this procedure being increasingly used for urban youth. Research shared at the conference, held at Hotel Ashoka in Delhi, showed that over 30% of AVN patients treated in the city's top hospitals in the last three years were under the age of 35. Most of these cases were linked to steroids taken either orally, by injection, or through supplement misuse. Dr Sharad Agarwal, scientific chairman of the conference, said, "The youngsters are misled into believing that bigger muscles equal better health. What they don't realise is that behind that muscle, their bones might be silently deteriorating." ADVERTISEMENT He added, "We urgently need awareness drives, regulation of supplement markets and basic orthopaedic screening at gyms. The message is clear: fitness should not come at the cost of mobility. The youth of India need better guidance to build their bodies—without breaking their hips." Medical professionals urged gym trainers, influencers, and fitness centre operators to educate clients about the dangers of taking shortcuts through steroids and unauthorised supplements. They stressed the importance of promoting safe, supervised training methods that support natural body development. Doctors concluded that without proper intervention and awareness, hip disorders among India's youth could become a serious long-term public health concern.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Hip Hip No Hurray: Steroid Misuse Linked To Rising Damage In Youths
New Delhi: Leading orthopaedic experts have voiced serious concern at the misuse of steroids and unregulated protein powders that are severely damaging the hips of gym-going individuals in their 20s. This warning came on Sunday at the Delhi Hip 360 conference, where orthopaedic specialists highlighted an alarming rise in cases of avascular necrosis (AVN) and early hip degeneration in young people, conditions traditionally seen in older L Tomar, organising chairman of the conference and senior director and unit head of orthopaedics and joint replacement at Max Hospital, said, "We are observing a significant surge in hip-related complaints among young patients in recent years. Every week in my OPD, I see 2-3 patients under the age of 30 — many in their early 20s — complaining of persistent hip pain. Investigations often reveal avascular necrosis, a condition where blood supply to the hip bone is compromised, leading to bone death. In over 70% of these cases, there is a history of anabolic steroid use or excessive consumption of unverified protein powders."Studies indicate increasing hip problems among youth, with alcohol and steroid usage identified as primary factors contributing to AVN in young adults. The Maharashtra Food & Drugs Administration recently initiated statewide inspections of protein supplements after discovering several brands containing unauthorised performance-enhancing steroids, which are readily accessible online and in gyms without proper documentation or individuals pursuing quick physical results are inadvertently harming their skeletal health, particularly affecting the femoral head of the hip joint, which is notably susceptible to blood circulation issues. India has a substantial unauthorised online market for performance-enhancing substances and muscle-building Rajiv Jain, chief coordinator of Delhi Hip 360 and senior orthopaedic surgeon, said, "Steroids, especially when misused or consumed unsupervised, directly impact blood supply to the bones. The femoral head, being the most vulnerable, is often the first to suffer. It begins with pain, stiffness and limping, and in many cases, leads to complete collapse of the hip joint. Hip replacements are required for patients whose condition cannot be treated using medications."AVN is not only painful but also often irreversible if not diagnosed early. In extreme cases, the only treatment is total hip replacement, a complex procedure typically meant for older patients. Orthopaedic experts say this is becoming disturbingly common in India's urban findings shared by orthopaedic specialists at the conference held at Hotel Ashoka indicated that among AVN patients treated in Delhi's tertiary care facilities in the previous three years, over 30% were younger than 35 years old. The majority of these cases were linked to inappropriate use of steroids, whether through injections, oral consumption or misuse of Sharad Agarwal, scientific chairman of the conference and senior orthopaedic surgeon, said that fitness had become a booming industry in India, but lacked proper regulation and education. "The youngsters are misled into believing that bigger muscles equal better health. What they don't realise is that behind that muscle, their bones might be silently deteriorating," said Agarwal. "We urgently need awareness drives, regulation of supplement markets and basic orthopaedic screening at gyms. The message is clear: fitness should not come at the cost of mobility. The youth of India need better guidance to build their bodies—without breaking their hips."Medical experts are urging fitness trainers, social media influencers and gym owners to educate their clients about the risks of using steroids and unverified protein supplements as shortcuts to achieve physical fitness goals. These healthcare practitioners emphasise the importance of warning exercise enthusiasts against opting for unsafe methods instead of following natural bodily development through proper training.
