Your risk of acquiring gynaecomastia may be elevated if you engage in bodybuilding. Gynaecomastia is especially problematic for bodybuilders because the sport is all about looks.

To optimise muscular growth, these sportsmen frequently use anabolic steroids, which can result in hormonal imbalances and gynaecomastia. Everything you need to know about gynaecomastia in bodybuilders is explained in this article.

What Do You Understand About Gynaecomastia?

Male breast tissue development is known as gynaecomastia. It can cause the chest and nipple area to appear bloated, puffy, and breast-like. Although it can create psychological and social suffering for those who have it, the ailment is often benign.

Published study indicates that an elevated circulating oestrogen to androgen ratio is the primary cause of gynaecomastia (1Trusted Source).

Gynaecomastia can be reversed in its early stages, depending on how the condition develops. However, if the disease continues, the nonfat breast tissue that has developed around the nipple area will either be permanent or require surgery to remove.

Despite the fact that it might be mistaken for chest fat accumulation, gynaecomastia specifically refers to the growth of glandular tissue surrounding your nipple area.

Although body fat around the chest may accompany gynaecomastia, this condition is not caused by an overabundance of fatty tissue. Men with varying amounts of body fat and fitness can be affected by this particular ailment.

What Signs of Gynaecomastia are Present?

Gynaecomastia is characterised by growth of breast tissue around the pectoral and nipple area, as well as a hard, symmetrical rubbery mass that extends concentrically from the nipple, according to clinical research. The benign growth of glandular breast tissue coincides with this development (2Trusted Source).

As previously stated, body fat deposition in the same location may accompany gynaecomastia. This is not a defining sign of the illness, though.

What is the Prevalence of Gynaecomastia Among Bodybuilders?

The prevalence of gynaecomastia in bodybuilders is hard to pinpoint, but it’s by no means a unique occurrence.

According to a study on gynaecomastia in bodybuilders, 1,574 bodybuilders in the US underwent surgery to cure the ailment between 1980 and 2013 (3Trusted Source).

Additional research indicates that the issue affects between 30 and 40 percent of males in the general community (2Trusted Source).

All things considered, it’s reasonable to assume that gynaecomastia is a common occurrence among male bodybuilders, especially those who take anabolic steroids.

What Makes Bodybuilders Get Gynaecomastia?

Numerous prescription medications are among the numerous causes of gynaecomastia, according to studies (4Trusted Source).

As previously stated, the usage of anabolic steroids, such as exogenous testosterone derivatives, is usually the cause of gynaecomastia among bodybuilders. In reaction, the body tries to eliminate the circulating testosterone, which results in gynaecomastia.

Oestradiol, a kind of oestrogen hormone that causes the development of female secondary sex traits, is one of the consequences of testosterone breakdown.

Breast tissue growth and enlargement are among the outcomes for males with elevated oestradiol levels.

Additionally, some medications and over-the-counter supplements can result in gynaecomastia. But these adverse effects are not experienced by everyone.

Are Gynecomastia-Reducing Exercises Available?

Gynaecomastia can occasionally be treated with exercise. This strategy, however, is mainly useless if you have glandular tissue growth-induced gynaecomastia, which is frequently the result of using anabolic steroids.

The development of glandular tissue associated with clinical gynaecomastia need medical intervention because it cannot be decreased by diet or exercise.

Although exercise has many additional benefits, it is often not advised as a specific treatment for gynaecomastia because it is largely a medical illness rather than a sign of being unfit or deconditioned.

It should be noted that even if you do not have clinical gynaecomastia, an excess of adipose tissue in the chest region may give the impression of gynaecomastia.

In this case, a calorie deficit may be a useful strategy for lowering total body fat. When combined with dietary changes, exercise can assist boost calorie expenditure and promote weight loss.

Relatedly, if your body fat percentage is low enough, doing chest workouts will assist build greater muscle mass in the pectoral region, giving the illusion of a more chiselled chest.

Nonetheless, the majority of bodybuilders with gynaecomastia already have a lot of pectoral muscle and engage in chest exercises.

Are Gynecomastia-Reducing Supplements Available?

Numerous over-the-counter supplements claim to be effective in lowering gynaecomastia. Increased oestrogen processing, or avoiding gynaecomastia altogether, is one of the alleged main processes.

Among these supplements are:

• extract of indole-3-carbinol from white button mushrooms

• Mucuna pruriens

• vitamin E

• choline

Peer-reviewed studies on the effectiveness of these supplements in treating steroid-induced gynaecomastia are scarce at this time.

Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US does not regulate supplements in the same manner that it does prescription medications, and the majority of claims regarding the effectiveness of supplements are unsupported by data. Before taking any supplements, especially if you want to treat a medical issue, always get advice from your doctor.