What happens in Vega$: steroids, swimmers, and a billion-dollar hustle

In the intense Nevada heat, I watch as a man attempts to lift a bar overhead, a feat that could earn him $250,000 if successful.

This man is Boady Santavy, a Canadian weightlifter who has competed twice in the Olympics. His muscles are so impressively large they seem fit for a superhero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Santavy is trying to set a new world record in the men’s snatch, aiming to lift 183 kilograms, about 403 pounds. However, after a tense moment, he is unable to complete the lift, dropping the bar with visible frustration.

Santavy is among 42 athletes, including weightlifters, swimmers, and track runners, who have come to Las Vegas during Memorial Day weekend for the Enhanced Games. This unique and controversial event features athletes who are largely using performance-enhancing drugs.

Critics have labeled the games as the “steroid Olympics.” The event has boldly allowed numerous athletes to use a variety of substances, including anabolics, testosterone, peptides, and human growth hormones. This chemical enhancement occurs under the supervision of medical professionals. The athletes, diverse in age, skill level, and background, spent 12 weeks training in the United Arab Emirates, where they worked with doctors to customize their drug protocols.

The athletes receive “appearance fees” for participating, and those who break world records or win events can earn bonuses, with up to $1 million for certain events.

Essentially, Enhanced has thrown out the traditional rulebook for athletic competition.

Why am I, a technology journalist, covering this event?

Surprisingly, Silicon Valley is a significant force behind Enhanced. The event is a creation of a startup involving veterans from crypto, AI, and biotech sectors, backed by investors like Peter Thiel and Balaji Srinivasan. It represents a new industry of human enhancement that Silicon Valley is eagerly embracing.

Traditional athletic health organizations are strongly opposed. The World Anti-Doping Agency has labeled the Enhanced Games as “dangerous,” and Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, describes it as a “clown show” prioritizing profit over people.

Steroids have long been viewed with caution by the international health community, and even approved drugs raise concerns. Enhanced’s organizers argue they aim to address the issue of secret doping by allowing athletes to use drugs under medical supervision.

Enhanced is not just a sports event but a business venture. Enhanced Group, Inc., which recently went public with a $1.2 billion valuation, sells personalized health treatments, including peptides, GLP-1s, and testosterone injections. The company also collaborates with Rezolve Ai to launch a digital telehealth platform.

Enhanced aims to transform its Vegas model into a global business, offering a network for consumers seeking physical enhancement. Though FDA-approved, there are concerns that normalizing steroid use could lead to a wider cultural impact, encouraging some to seek unregulated, dangerous compounds.

One nation, under peptides

I am among 200 journalists in Vegas covering the games. Enhanced provides us with workspaces, meals, and access to athletes and executives, perhaps because we are crucial to their marketing strategy.

This business is part of an industry that may experience significant growth later this year, pending regulatory changes.

In February, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed his support for peptides on The Joe Rogan Experience. He indicated plans to make some peptides more accessible, and in July, an FDA advisory committee will consider easing restrictions on previously banned peptides.

The peptide industry is at a crossroads, with some startups creating products based on chemicals in a legal “gray” zone, hoping to be first when regulations change. Others focus on FDA-approved products. Silicon Valley has become a hotbed for this trend, with techies both using and investing in peptides. Companies like Superpower and Noho Labs are gaining attention, while elite clubs host peptide parties.

Beyond the Bay Area, peptides are gaining popularity nationwide, fueled by a fitness culture boom. Reports indicate that young people are turning to peptides to “looksmax” — a term for extreme self-improvement efforts — while gyms have become cultural hubs for youth. Social media promotes this trend, with influencers and podcasters discussing peptides.

This is all about “health,” right?

Peptide producers, including Enhanced executives, claim their main concern is consumer health, though they acknowledge financial interests.

Maximilian Martin, Enhanced’s CEO, defends the company’s practices. He discusses plans to monetize the creation of a new generation of chemically-enhanced individuals, comparing the market to that of Hollywood’s enhanced superheroes.

Christian Angermayer, Enhanced’s co-founder, bluntly states, “I’m a capitalist,” emphasizing that health and business can coexist.

Let the games begin

On May 24th, the games take place in a newly built $50 million open-air stadium. The venue, featuring a track, swimming pools, and a weightlifting pavilion, hosts an enthusiastic audience despite the heat.

The event resembles a mix of the Olympics, America’s Got Talent, and WWE, with influencers in the crowd and an announcer narrating the events. The Killers are set to perform at the end of the day.

Athletes move through the venue like mythical figures, their muscles gleaming in the sun. Martin, dressed impeccably, frequently rushes to congratulate winning swimmers. Angermayer moves through the event with a cheerful demeanor.

Tech industry figures, like biohacker Bryan Johnson, are present. Johnson, though not a professional athlete, offers commentary with a retired athlete’s flair and appears in an eccentric outfit.

The competitions are exciting, with athletes like James Magnussen, a retired swimmer from Australia, hoping to return to the sporting scene. Magnussen supports the peptide industry but finishes last in two races.

Others, like Hafthor “Thor” Bjornsson, a Nordic bodybuilder, see this as a chance to use steroids under supervision. Bjornsson, known for his role in Game of Thrones, attempts a world record in deadlifting but falls short.

Some competitors, like American swimmer Hunter Armstrong, compete without enhancements. Armstrong aims for Olympic success and participates for the prize money, avoiding doping to maintain eligibility.

“The Olympic movement is something that is very important to me,” Armstrong says. He wins his race, the 50-meter backstroke, despite not using enhancements.

The day concludes with Enhanced’s first world record. Kristian Gkolomeev from Greece sets a new record in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, completing it in 20.81 seconds. The audience erupts in celebration as the event ends on a high note.

The future is enhanced?

Critics say the Enhanced Games are more about money than health. However, the event also reflects a cultural vanity. America’s fitness culture often extends beyond health into self-promotion, and the Enhanced Games align with this aspect of American identity. Set in Las Vegas, a city associated with excess and spectacle, the event represents a gamble on the future of human enhancement.

Injecting drugs for immediate muscle growth may not prioritize long-term wellness but rather focuses on present appearance, ignoring future health risks.

For the organizers, the games mark the potential beginning of a new industry, promising scientific breakthroughs and human advancement. The success of this venture remains uncertain, but the organizers appear focused on the present moment.

As the event concludes, the press corps, exhausted, retreats to the media center. Preparing to leave, I encounter Martin in the bathroom, admiring his suit. In a brief exchange, I offer a simple “Congratulations” before exiting.

“Thank you,” he replies, turning back to the mirror.