'Scary' uptake of unregulated peptide usage in macho gym environments

Uptake of unregulated peptide use in young Australian men concerning eating disorder experts Wed 5 Aug 2026 at 5:36am More young Australian men are using unregulated peptides, blinded by the promise of a ripped physique and not understanding the damage to their long-term health. Alex Boutin was a healthy, young Australian who became addicted to steroids and unregulated injectable peptides his peers at the gym told him about. Aged 33, he died of a heart attack in 2024. Police discovered a cache of bodybuilding drugs in his home, some of which are used to restore testosterone production. All of the steroids and peptides he used were recommended by people with no medical qualifications. Eating disorder dietician Alex Rodrigues said unregulated peptides being sold or shared in gym communities is a concerning trend in Australia. "They really don't know what they're getting, and they don't know the risks involved,"Mr Rodrigues said. He added the frequent use of steroids and peptides is an example of a potential eating disorder, something that more young Australian men are being diagnosed with. "It's a very scary and upsetting thing that there are more and more people experiencing," he said. Mel Wilton, head of communications and engagement at the Butterfly Foundation, said "the rise of unregulated peptide use is of concern". "It is particularly concerning when these substances are targeted at vulnerable people, including young men who may be viewing this content online or hearing it discussed within their social circles," she said. "Many of these substances provide a 'quick fix' to achieving an ideal body, but in reality, that ideal body is likely to be unrealistic and unattainable, and the practices to get you there are highly dangerous." Ms Wilton added young men taking these unregulated peptides are often unaware of their potential to cause serious harm to their health. The Butterfly Foundation's most recent BodyKind Youth Survey, published last year, found 84 per cent of boys aged 12 to 18 reported a desire to be more muscular. The Foundation said about 365,000 men are living with an eating disorder in Australia. Influenced at the gym Isabella Boutin, Alex Boutin's sister, said the statistics reflected what her brother went through. She felt she lost him soon after he became embedded in the macho gym environment when he began working out as a teenager. "At the gym, he met a few older guys who were really big. They approached him and asked him if he wanted to take some steroids to help him bulk up quicker," Ms Boutin said. Over the next 16 years, she watched as her sweet brother spiralled into aggression, anxiety, and addiction. "He was on these drugs for over a decade". Mr Boutin died on October 16, 2024. A loved one found him collapsed in his Sydney home. "He was out at dinner with all his friends; he got home and suffered a heart attack," his sister said. While a post-mortem examination report listed his cause of death as myocarditis, his sister said doctors had told the family his drug usage "would have had that impact on his heart". Almost two years on from her brother's death, Ms Boutin flicks through family albums, reminiscing on childhood memories. She believes Mr Boutin's first trip to the gym could have sparked a journey of self-optimisation, but instead he fell prey to predatory older members, and ultimately it may have cost him his life. "Alex was, essentially, a really sweet boy. Very vulnerable. Didn't have much self-confidence. When he was about 17, he started going to the gym. He wanted to bulk up, as a lot of guys want to at that age," she said. "He had been dumped by a girlfriend at the time. Apparently, the girl had told him he was small and a bit skinny." What are peptides? Peptides are short chains of amino acids that make up proteins in our bodies. There are a number of peptide-based medicines and products approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), but unregulated peptides not approved for human use are also being sold. Like steroids, these peptides promise radical physical transformations: muscle growth, fat loss, anti-ageing, injury recovery, even tanning. Unregulated peptides are illegal to import or sell in Australia. In June 2026, the TGA announced it had been notified of six cases of acute liver toxicity, associated with unapproved weight loss peptide Retatrutide. Multiple studies have revealed samples contain significantly different dosages to those advertised. Studies on enhancement drugs also found samples contaminated with heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, with levels measured outside of permissible daily limits. As with Mr Boutin's experience becoming hooked on steroids and peptides through the gym, many people are sold or told about peptides through fitness communities. Users also exchange information via bodybuilding and looksmaxxing forums, as well as private chats and Telegram channels. Mr Rodrigues said many users are lost in "dark corners and funnels of the internet, where people are obsessively sharing in forums, sharing online how they can go to extreme measures to change their appearances". "There are so many unrealistic expectations online — from people who are drug-enhanced, from people who are using AI to edit what other people are seeing." 'My brother has megarexia' Ms Boutin believes her brother had an undiagnosed eating disorder. "I often used to say, my brother has megarexia. It is very similar to anorexia, in a way," she said. "When he was big, that's when he felt in control. When he was off (the drugs), he would have a really big mental crash, and he would go on about feeling small." Ms Boutin believes her brother's DIY attitude contributed to his death at a young age. "He didn't go see doctors and get his bloods checked. He was just doing this on his own," she said. "If you at least get your bloods done or see a cardiologist and get your heart checked, that could save your life. "And talk. I think talking is one of the most powerful things you can do." It's that talk treatment which has spurred Ms Boutin's next project. "I want to start a talk group for guys and girls affected negatively by hormone growth drugs, who wish to come forward to share their story. I hope that the more people who come forward, the more awareness can be spread."