Exercise Scientist Critiques The 16-Year-Old on Tren

TL;DR

Dr. Mike from RP Strength breaks down why a 16-year-old's trenbolone use is dangerous, citing stunted growth, brain development risks, and legal consequences.

Key Points

• 1.Steroids at 16 risk permanently stunting height. High estrogen from testosterone conversion closes growth plates early, potentially costing 1–3 inches of adult height that can never be recovered.
• 2.Trenbolone is a livestock steroid that is illegal for teens to possess. Tren is a Schedule III classified anabolic developed for cows, and no prescriptions are issued to 16-year-olds, making Zed's possession straightforwardly illegal.
• 3.Early steroid use can cap brain development. Dr. Mike warns that using steroids before age 25 can steer brain development toward increased aggression, emotional instability, reduced rationality, and lower peak intelligence.
• 4.The doctor's body dysmorphia diagnosis is rejected by Dr. Mike. He argues Zed is not dysmorphic — he's a normal teenager with a high risk tolerance who wants to look better, not a clinical case requiring medicalization.
• 5.Zed's parents are unsupportive and his dad is described as 'not too supportive,' a massive understatement per Dr. Mike. Dr. Mike notes the situation warrants zero support, not a spectrum, given the illegality and health risks involved.
• 6.Dr. Mike's final verdict is sympathetic but firm: stop or at minimum lower the dose. He tells Zed he's a good person, but continuing steroid use risks baldness, acne, erectile dysfunction, mood swings, and wasted growth potential that compounds the longer he stays on.