Bodybuilding, Exercise, and Image- and Performance-Enhancing Drug Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and the worldwide government-enforced restrictions that were implemented to curb the spread of the virus affected many aspects of life, including exercise and fitness. This chapter draws upon netnographic research conducted early in the pandemic, which involved monitoring four open-access fitness forums to observe the real-time impact of the pandemic on fitness behaviours. Thematic content analyses were used to evaluate 115 forum threads. A significant impact on individuals’ body goals and motivation to use image- and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs) was observed, with many forum posters being unable to maintain their pre-pandemic exercise routines. Key thematic results included physical limitations to fitness, fitness routine adjustment and innovation, availability of and access to IPEDs, changes in motivation for using IPEDs, and misinformation about the relationship between IPED use and COVID-19. The chapter discusses these themes in the context of exercise and fitness-related behaviours during the initial months of the pandemic.