How Mr Olympia bodybuilders like Shawn Rhoden and George Peterson are dying in an industry under fire
SHAWN Rhoden is the latest bodybuilding athlete to die this year.
News of Rhoden's death at 46 comes as the bodybuilding community is still reeling from the passing of George Peterson, John Meadows, and Andy Haman earlier in 2021.
Rhoden, 46, suffered a fatal heart attack according to .
Days later, bodybuilder Victor Richards reportedly passed away, according to a fellow fitness icon.
Richards was just 56 years old when news broke that he died, however, his family has not yet confirmed his tragic passing.
This follows Peterson's death last month. His cause of death remains unknown.
Police later revealed they found bottles of testosterone and white powder in the house and his girlfriend Chanel admitted to responders that he had been juicing for more than 20 years.
Following Meadows' death in August, fans speculated his passing may have been related to a heart attack the bodybuilder suffered early last year following a career that spanned 30 years.
Just months earlier bodybuilding icon Haman died at the age of 54.
And it is not just well-established stars who succumb to the pressure.
In 2017 a young British bodybuilder died after taking a lethal cocktail of drugs he bought on the dark web.
Robbie Ryder, 20, was found collapsed at his home in Hull just hours after opening a package containing items he had bought illegally online, an inquest heard.
Mr England runner-up Ben Harnett, 37, died in 2019 after taking steroids before a bodybuilding event.
He had been married less than a year and had a five-month-old baby girl when he was discovered dead.
'MY BODY FIGHTS ME'
Coroner Eric Armstrong said: "He was proud of his body but became 'overproud' and in attempting to make the most of his body, began to use steroids.
"I sincerely hope that if nothing else, Ben's death reverberates around the bodybuilding world and people realize the risks they are taking.
"This is the loss of a life that shouldn't have happened."
Dad Ben Snr added: “Some people like having a drink. For Ben, he enjoyed the gym. It was his life."
Shortly before his death, Piana spoke about his body's "fight" against being 300 pounds.
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He said: "My body fights me the whole way, my body does not want to be 300 pounds.
"Whether it’s muscle or fat, the heart doesn't know the difference. I definitely suggest people not be big bodybuilders."
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