Tavi Castro discusses the unfortunate truth about performance enhancing drugs in not only bodybuilding but all sports.
With Tavi Castro’s first return to competitive bodybuilding coming up this weekend, we decided to connect with Tavi a few weeks prior to discuss his current business controversy troubles, his competition prep, and his opinion on hot trends in bodybuilding today. One such topic was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments to have drug testing in pro bodybuilding. With Tavi about to compete again, we wanted to know his stance on drug testing and the drug culture in bodybuilding as a whole. In our latest GI Exclusive interview segment, Tavi Castro explains why he believes the only way to make bodybuilding and all other sports completely fair is to allow drugs completely.
Beyond the health factor of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs – a large part of the controversy around regulating PEDs comes down to competitive fairness. If an athlete uses PEDs to improve their physique or performance – that gives them an unfair advantage over others who do not. Some people believe that it’s unfair to put athletes that want to stay healthy in a precarious position. Others believe that’s simply the choice an athlete needs to make.
Most sports try and regulate PEDs with drug tests. While bodybuilding does not condone the use of PEDs, it does not have any drug testing protocol to stop it. But according to Tavi, even the sports that drug test are unable to stop rampant drug use. Ultimately, no sport is fair regardless of drug regulations.
That’s why Tavi unfortunately believes that in this day and age, the only way to truly make sports fair is to allow all PEDs in sports – including bodybuilding. By not banning PEDs in a sport, it makes it so that every athlete knows that enhancing with steroids or other drugs is a possibility for any athlete, therefor it’s up to each individual on how they want to proceed.
Currently with drug testing in certain sports, it puts some athletes who want to play by the rules at a disadvantage as other athletes break them. Tavi Castro references the documentary Icarus as an example – which showcased the Russian Olympics team going to great conspiratorial lengths in order to gain an advantage on the world athletic stage.
It’s this kind of deep rule breaking that makes Tavi Castro believe there’s no way to ever make sports fair while also regulating performance enhancing drugs. It’s a statement that he’s not proud to have to admit – but it’s something that he thinks is the only solution. Make drugs open in all sports so everyone knows exactly what kind of playing field they are competing in.
You can watch Tavi Castro’s full explanation in our latest GI Exclusive segment above.
