New masculinity standards push men toward DIY drug experiments, report says

The substances discussed in those spaces range from prescription testosterone to unapproved peptides, The Verge reported. Some men say they are seeking better physical results at the gym, some say they want to attract partners, and others appear to believe the protocols will help them find the fountain of youth. The report compares the dynamic to women buying snake oil that preys on their insecurities.

Tadalafil, widely known as Cialis, has become a prominent example. Biohacker and tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson wrote on X that he takes Cialis "but not for sex," calling it a longevity medicine that improves blood flow, according to the report. Tadalafil is a vasodilator that relaxes muscles and widens blood vessels. It is most widely known as an erectile dysfunction treatment, but it is also prescribed for urinary issues in people with enlarged prostates and for high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery.

Biohackers such as Johnson promote a low daily dose of tadalafil as a way to lower cardiovascular risk and cognitive decline, The Verge reported. Gym goers often microdose it as a preworkout supplement because the erections are supposedly better and dilated blood vessels are thought to lead to better muscle pumps. Enhanced, the company behind the pro-doping Enhanced Games, sells low-dose tadalafil on its site, the report said. Clavicular, described as the most infamous looksmaxxer, has said he took about 5mg of tadalafil in the past as part of an extensive stack, even though he is 20 years old and does not fit the conventional profile for a prescription. Podcaster Andrew Huberman has recommended that every man over 40 take a low dose of tadalafil as a preventative measure.

The report notes that tadalafil carries the same caveats as any medicine. While many people may not experience adverse effects at low daily doses, some will, and some people should not take it because of drug interactions. The concern grows when influencers promote multiple substances at once. Testosterone is popular in the same cohort, and 91 percent of athletes at the inaugural Enhanced Games dabbled with it, according to the report. Pete Hegseth recently announced mandatory testosterone screenings for troops.

Other promoted substances include retatrutide, an unapproved peptide in phase three clinical trials, along with TB-500 and BPC-157, two gray-market peptides colloquially called the Wolverine stack for their supposed wound-healing and muscle-recovery benefits, The Verge reported. The more substances a person stacks, the greater the risk that a combination has an unintended effect. For lesser-studied experimental treatments, even doctors may not know those effects, and may not know them for a long time.

The stated reasons for taking the risks vary, but the report says they boil down to a single message: it will make you more of a man. Dr. Arthur Burnett, the Patrick C. Walsh professor of urology at Johns Hopkins, said in the report that this kind of masculinity is "a little bit fantastical."