Mike Tyson: Natty or Not

Everyone must have seen the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight, undoubtedly one of the most anticipated events of 2024. Seeing Mike Tyson’s physique at almost 60 years old, many people have wondered if he’s natural or not. In this article, I’ll give my professional opinion as a trainer on the matter.

Young Mike Tyson had an impressive physique, not just within the realm of professional boxing but also one that many bodybuilders would have envied in his era. But was that physique natural?

First of all, we have to consider that Tyson has a privileged one-in-a-million genetic makeup. His neck measured over 50 centimeters (partly due to a specialized neck training regimen I’ll detail in another article). From a young age, he had a very low body fat percentage and a muscular build. Taking all this into account, it seems likely he could have been natural, right?

No. Considering the historical context of that era regarding PED use, I don’t see it as possible that a professional athlete, especially a boxer, could have avoided them. Many PEDs that are now banned were unregulated at the time, and there was no doping testing, making it an easy and complication-free way to gain an advantage in sports.

We should also note that while Mike Tyson had a gifted physique, his strength, muscle maturity, and body fat percentage were far beyond what even someone with one-in-a-million genetics could naturally achieve. Additionally, one of his most characteristic traits—his bouts of rage (he famously bit off a piece of one of his opponent’s ears)—is often a side effect of certain anabolic steroids, particularly Cheque Drops, which were popular at the time. For these reasons, I believe young Tyson was not natural.


What Did Mike Tyson Use?

 • Testosterone: Very high doses of testosterone, probably around 500–1000 mg per week, which were commonly used in sports during that era.

 • Cheque Drops: A steroid widely used to boost strength and adrenaline in short periods. It’s highly toxic.

 • Fluoxymesterone: A steroid that could enhance strength and reduce muscle loss, popular in strength sports.

Mike Tyson has publicly admitted to being on HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Considering that just months before the fight, he was close to dying from an illness, and then was able to complete all the rounds of the fight, it’s impressive what good HRT can do.


What Is Mike Tyson Using?

Obviously, this is speculative, but I believe Mike Tyson might be using:

 • Testosterone: Supra-physiological doses (not excessively high, e.g., 250–300 mg) to maintain healthy testosterone levels, preserve and gain muscle mass, and sustain a healthy libido at age 58.

 • Growth Hormone: Using 2–3 IU per day could slightly elevate levels above what he produced as a teenager, with benefits for preserving muscle mass, losing fat, improving sleep quality, and speeding up recovery from injuries.

 • TB-500 / BPC-157: Both compounds are excellent for recovering from injuries and maintaining a healthy, functional physique as an adult.