Social media may cause emergent SARMs abuse by athletes: a content quality analysis of the most popular YouTube videos

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) social media interest is at an all-time high. The aim of this study is to analyze the: (1) quality; (2) educational content; and (3) reliability of the most relevant YouTube videos on SARMs to explain growing SARMs abuse by recreational and professional athletes.

Methods

‘SARMs’ was queried (28 November 2021) through the YouTube video library. The top 100 videos filtered by relevance were categorized by source, type of content, educational quality by Global Quality Score (GQS), reliability by Journal of American Medicine Association (JAMA) criteria, YouTube tags, attitude toward SARMs use, and whether the video provided specific support on how to use SARMs. For all outcome variables, descriptive statistics and comparison among source types and category types were performed.

Results

Mean JAMA score was 1.6 ± 0.7 out of 4. Mean GQS score was 2.5 ± 1.1 out of 5. Patient videos were of lower educational quality than athletic trainer videos (GQS: 2.11 ± 0.95 vs. 2.95 ± 1.00, p < 0.01), and videos categorized as user experience were of lower educational quality than videos categorized as general SARMs information (GQS: 1.92 ± 0.90 vs. 2.72 ± 1.07, p < 0.05). User experience and dosing recommendation videos were statistically significantly more positive in attitude than both general SARMs information and SARMS vs. other PEDs.

Conclusion

Quality, content, and reliability of SARMs YouTube videos was low. Social media likely causes SARMs abuse through disseminating biased SARMs misinformation. These results serve to educate public health oversight bodies, healthcare providers, and sports team members to better identify signs of SARMs abuse, and promote discussion to discourage SARMs abuse.

KEYWORDS:

• Performance enhancing drugs
• drug abuse
• substance use disorder
• selective androgen receptor modulators
• YouTube
• social media
• athletes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, NV, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Nikhil Vasireddi

Nikhil Vasireddi, MHA is a medical student pursuing orthopedic sports medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His clinical interests surround the emerging use and effects of novel performance enhancing drugs by athletes. His other research interests include robotic hip arthroplasty approach, outcomes, and complications.

Henrik A. Hahamyan

Henrik A. Hahamyan, BS is a clinical/translational research coordinator in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Henrik’s research interests focus on the identification of novel risk factors in the development of peripheral artery disease, venous thromboembolism, and other forms of vascular disease. His other research interests involve studying the rise in popularity of selective androgen receptor modulators and other performance enhancing drugs.

Yash Kumar

Yash Kumar¸ BS, is a medical student pursuing dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His clinical interests surround new and innovative surgical techniques for Mohs micrographic surgery to reduce recurrence rate.

Mitchell K. Ng

Mitchell K. Ng, MD, is an orthopedic surgery resident at Maimonides Medical Center. His clinical interests are total knee and total hip arthroplasty.

James E. Voos

James E. Voos, MD, is a nationally renowned expert in the care of athletes and active patients of all ages, from adolescence to adult. Specializing in sports-related injuries of the knee, shoulder and elbow, he performs a high volume of knee ACL reconstructions including revision and multi-ligament surgeries in addition to shoulder and elbow arthroscopy. Dr. Voos is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine and has obtained the subspecialty Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in sports medicine. Dr. Voos currently serves as Chairman of the Orthopedics Departments at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, which includes overseeing their renowned orthopedic training programs and research divisions.

Jacob G. Calcei

Jacob G.Calcei, MD is a fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine physician and shoulder surgeon at University Hospitals and an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He specializes in the treatment of acute injuries and chronic conditions of the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle. As an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Calcei teaches and mentors medical students, residents and fellows. He has authored a number of peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters and has research interests in cartilage preservation and restoration and the use of biologics in treating sports medicine injuries and early arthritis. He also has a particular interest in injury prevention and finding ways that we can make sports safer while optimizing athlete performance.