Shocking Report Claims 56 Bodybuilders Died in 2025 at an Average Age of Just 35
A troubling new report is once again raising questions about the health risks associated with competitive bodybuilding.
BoxLife Magazine published an analysis claiming that 56 bodybuilders died during 2025, with the athletes having an average age of approximately 35 years old. Even more concerning, the outlet reported that more than half of the deaths involved heart-related issues.
The numbers have not been independently verified by Generation Iron, and there is no comprehensive official database tracking deaths across the global bodybuilding community. However, BoxLife’s findings add to an ongoing conversation surrounding the number of athletes who have died at relatively young ages.
Report Claims More Than Half of Deaths Were Heart-Related
According to BoxLife’s analysis of documented cases from 2025, more than 50 percent of the deaths it tracked were attributed to heart-related issues. The report also highlighted deaths involving infections, extreme dehydration and other medical complications.
The outlet pointed to several cases involving athletes in their 20s and 30s, including competitors who reportedly suffered cardiac arrests.
BoxLife also raised concerns about some of the extreme practices that can exist within bodybuilding, including the use of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances, diuretics, severe dehydration protocols and unregulated injectable products.
However, it is important to distinguish broader concerns about bodybuilding practices from the cause of any individual athlete’s death. Unless medical authorities or a family have established a cause, the use of PEDs or contest-preparation methods should not automatically be assumed to have played a role.
Bodybuilding Community Has Continued To Suffer Losses in 2026
The string of young deaths has unfortunately continued into 2026.
Former Olympia competitor Jason Lowe died at just 38 years old in January. Lowe competed from 2015 through 2025 and reached bodybuilding’s biggest stage twice, finishing 16th at the 2019 Olympia before taking 11th in the 212 division in 2020. His cause of death was not publicly reported.
More recently, 212 bodybuilder Dwayne Quamina died at 40 in August, just days after finishing sixth at the 2026 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro. Quamina previously finished 10th at the 2018 Olympia and had returned to competition in 2025 following several years away from the stage. The family hasn’t disclosed his official cause of death.
One 2026 death has been officially linked to a heart condition. Brazilian bodybuilder and fitness influencer Gabriel Ganley died at only 22 years old in May. CNN Brasil subsequently reported, citing information from the medical examiner, that Ganley’s death certificate listed sudden death caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition characterized by abnormal thickening of the heart muscle.
Health Concerns Remain a Major Issue in Bodybuilding
The deaths of Lowe, Quamina and Ganley in 2026 have continued a discussion that has followed bodybuilding for years. While it would be irresponsible to attribute every premature death to steroids, PEDs or contest preparation without medical evidence, cardiovascular health and the potential consequences of extreme bodybuilding practices remain serious concerns within the sport.
BoxLife’s reported figure of 56 deaths may be difficult to independently verify, but the individual tragedies behind the larger number are very real.
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