The literature on bodybuilder health is primarily based on case studies and clinical surrogates, but there is little direct epidemiologic evidence that bodybuilders are at increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes.

Androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) likely contribute to morbidity and premature mortality in bodybuilders, but it is difficult to disentangle AAS use from multiple other bodybuilding-specific risk factors which may have adverse effects on short- and long-term health.