Muscle-Building Shots Leave Woman With Enlarged Adam's Apple

A Shanghai woman who developed an enlarged Adam's apple and other male characteristics after taking "muscle-building injections" recommended by her fitness coach has cast a spotlight on the hidden dangers behind so-called "miracle" performance enhancers in the bodybuilding world.

An investigation by China Central Television's Weekly Quality Report found that numerous social media accounts and online vendors are promoting "tech fitness" products, claiming they can increase muscle growth three to five times faster than natural training. The substances behind these claims are anabolic steroids — synthetic derivatives of testosterone.

According to the broadcast, the woman, surnamed Chen, had trained for years and decided to compete in an amateur bodybuilding contest. To prepare, she hired a coach and began an intense regimen, sometimes training twice a day and spending up to seven hours in the gym.

Her coach later suggested a "shortcut": injections of metenolone, an anabolic steroid popular in bodybuilding circles, assuring her that it was safe and had no side effects. Chen was instructed to inject 0.5 milliliters weekly for four months, later increasing to 1 milliliter per week. The coach administered the injections discreetly in a parking garage beneath the gym.

While her muscle definition improved rapidly, the physical toll soon became evident. Chen developed rough skin, excessive body hair, severe acne, a deepened voice and a visibly enlarged Adam's apple. Blood tests showed a sharp rise in testosterone levels, leaving her hormone profile similar to that of a male.

Chen said her coach was unable to provide proof of the drugs' legal origins. She later reported the case to police, and it is now under prosecutorial review.

Medical experts warn that abuse of anabolic steroids can suppress the body's natural hormone production, leading to hypogonadism in adult men. In minors, it may disrupt normal growth and sexual development. In women, excessive androgen exposure can result in irreversible masculinization.

The investigation also uncovered a hidden profit chain in the fitness industry. CCTV reporters found that some fitness planners allegedly collaborate with illegal suppliers, repackaging unapproved anabolic steroids as "muscle-building miracle drugs." A vial costing less than 50 yuan ($7) to produce can sell for several hundred yuan, generating profit margins of more than 300 percent.

Reporters purchased an imported "muscle-building combo" from a WeChat seller. The three vials carried no Chinese labeling and listed incomplete manufacturer information. Laboratory testing confirmed they contained anabolic steroids not approved for sale in China.

Among the substances detected was boldenone undecylenate — a compound not approved for human use anywhere in the world and used in some countries as a veterinary drug. Experts cautioned that veterinary medicines have not undergone human clinical trials and may cause organ damage or even life-threatening consequences.

Under China's 2026 doping control regulations, anabolic steroids are classified as controlled substances and are strictly prohibited for non-medical use.

In a recent case disclosed by prosecutors in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, a criminal network was found to have manufactured anabolic steroids in a rented apartment and recruited 16 distributors, including fitness coaches, selling to more than 2,000 customers across over 10 provinces. Customs officers in Wuhan, Hubei Province, also intercepted a package from Poland falsely declared as "fertilizer" that contained multiple vials of steroids.