Consuming 'God Juice': Using 'ethnopharmacological‐connoisseurship' to situate trenbolone use and knowledge among image and performance enhancing drug communities.

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Title: Consuming 'God Juice': Using 'ethnopharmacological‐connoisseurship' to situate trenbolone use and knowledge among image and performance enhancing drug communities.
Authors: Piatkowski, Timothy (AUTHOR), Gibbs, Nick (AUTHOR), Neumann, David (AUTHOR), Dunn, Matthew (AUTHOR)
Source: Drug & Alcohol Review. Jan2025, Vol. 44 Issue 1, p298-309. 12p.
Subjects: Anabolic steroids, Ethnopharmacology, Harm reduction, Psychosocial factors, Treatment effectiveness, Experiential learning
Abstract: Introduction: Trenbolone, a potent anabolic‐androgenic steroid (AAS), is used for its muscle growth benefits but poses significant health risks, including psychosocial issues. Existing research among humans is limited by lack of targeted investigation. This study addresses gaps in existing research by leveraging the ethnopharmacological expertise of trenbolone consumers. By engaging with the community's connoisseurship, we sought to enhance harm reduction strategies and foster collaboration between consumers, scholars and health practitioners. Methods: An international sample of trenbolone consumers (N = 30) were interviewed. Interviews explored trenbolone use, knowledge levels and harm reduction strategies. Analysis involved an iterative categorisation approach, incorporating the lead author's lived experience with trenbolone. Results: Participants described trenbolone as both a physical enhancer and a source of psychological boosts, tempered by adverse effects such as emotional volatility and intrusive thoughts. Despite warnings about its dangers the drug's allure was amplified by social media and community visibility. Consumers spoke of a developing connoisseur‐like knowledge about trenbolone through personal and shared experiences. Through this collective expertise, they developed harm reduction strategies such as conservative dosing and regular health monitoring. Discussion and Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of integrating ethnopharmacological‐connoisseurship from the image and performance enhancing drug community to develop a contextually relevant understanding of AAS use—trenbolone being one of these. By elevating community insights, we advocate for a collaborative approach to harm reduction. Ultimately, we call for partnerships between researchers, health professionals and consumers to enhance health and reduce harm in image and performance enhancing drug communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Drug & Alcohol Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Consuming 'God Juice': Using 'ethnopharmacological‐connoisseurship' to situate trenbolone use and knowledge among image and performance enhancing drug communities.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Piatkowski%2C+Timothy%22">Piatkowski, Timothy</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gibbs%2C+Nick%22">Gibbs, Nick</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Neumann%2C+David%22">Neumann, David</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dunn%2C+Matthew%22">Dunn, Matthew</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Drug+%26+Alcohol+Review%22">Drug & Alcohol Review</searchLink>. Jan2025, Vol. 44 Issue 1, p298-309. 12p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anabolic+steroids%22">Anabolic steroids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnopharmacology%22">Ethnopharmacology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Harm+reduction%22">Harm reduction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treatment+effectiveness%22">Treatment effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+learning%22">Experiential learning</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Introduction: Trenbolone, a potent anabolic‐androgenic steroid (AAS), is used for its muscle growth benefits but poses significant health risks, including psychosocial issues. Existing research among humans is limited by lack of targeted investigation. This study addresses gaps in existing research by leveraging the ethnopharmacological expertise of trenbolone consumers. By engaging with the community's connoisseurship, we sought to enhance harm reduction strategies and foster collaboration between consumers, scholars and health practitioners. Methods: An international sample of trenbolone consumers (N = 30) were interviewed. Interviews explored trenbolone use, knowledge levels and harm reduction strategies. Analysis involved an iterative categorisation approach, incorporating the lead author's lived experience with trenbolone. Results: Participants described trenbolone as both a physical enhancer and a source of psychological boosts, tempered by adverse effects such as emotional volatility and intrusive thoughts. Despite warnings about its dangers the drug's allure was amplified by social media and community visibility. Consumers spoke of a developing connoisseur‐like knowledge about trenbolone through personal and shared experiences. Through this collective expertise, they developed harm reduction strategies such as conservative dosing and regular health monitoring. Discussion and Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of integrating ethnopharmacological‐connoisseurship from the image and performance enhancing drug community to develop a contextually relevant understanding of AAS use—trenbolone being one of these. By elevating community insights, we advocate for a collaborative approach to harm reduction. Ultimately, we call for partnerships between researchers, health professionals and consumers to enhance health and reduce harm in image and performance enhancing drug communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Drug & Alcohol Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1111/dar.13965
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Harm reduction
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              M: 01
              Text: Jan2025
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              Y: 2025
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