Geschatte leestijd: 9 minutenSynthol is used to appear more muscular, but it does not actually increase muscle size. In some cases, Synthol has even caused muscle tissue to die.
Site Enhancement Oils
If you follow a number of fitness Facebook pages, you’ve likely come across them. Men with the inflated arms of a Michelin man stuck on Aunt Sidonia’s body. A bit like Popeye. Gigantic arms where the triceps are as round as the biceps instead of having a normal horseshoe shape. Men with Hulk arms who lose an arm wrestling match to someone who appears never to have trained a day in their life at the gym.
I’m talking about Synthol, or SEO, Site Enhancement Oils. An oil-based substance injected to make certain body parts appear more muscular, also known as “fluffing”.
While I would personally never consider the use of anabolic steroids and growth hormones but don’t judge others who do, I can only say that Synthol is really crap that should never have been invented. John Bosley Ziegler, the inventor of Dianabol (the first and popular anabolic androgenic steroid), once said about his discovery: “but I wish to God now I’d never done it. I’d like to go back and take that whole chapter out of my life.” If only someone could go back in time and prevent the creation of the crap known as SEO, like Synthol. It would save the world a lot of freaks.
In this article, I explain what SEOs like Synthol are and how they came about. I will also discuss the effects, both intended and unintended. Finally: The freak show. Examples of hopeless Synthol cases who have lost all sense of reality and inflate themselves until they literally burst.
Origin of SEO, Site Enhancement Oils: Esiclene
SEO, Site Enhancement Oils. Not to be confused with SEO, Search Engine Optimization. The latter involves writing internet content in a way that Google will “rank” it favorably and how high you are placed as a result on a search query. Yet, there are similarities. If I consider Google’s ranking, my article does not get any better in content, but “prettier” for Google. Similarly, oils used to make you look more muscular make you appear bigger but do not actually increase muscle size. Worse yet, there are cases where the use of Synthol and similar oils have caused surrounding muscle mass to die off.
It’s not entirely clear when SEOs, now often called Synthol, were first used. Probably in the 1980s when bodybuilders noticed a “positive” side effect of an anabolic steroid that was otherwise quite mild. Formebolone, sold under the brand name Esiclene, did not provide much extra muscle mass compared to other anabolic steroids. However, what the bodybuilders who used it noticed was that it could cause a local inflammation that lasted about a week [1].
“Not exactly positive,” thinks any rational person, but not some bodybuilders who compete. When directly injected into the muscle belly of small muscle groups like the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and calves, the local inflammation made the muscle appear about 2.5 to 4 centimeters larger. In larger muscle groups, however, it caused a strange lump that looked like a tumor.
Esiclene was not an SEO since it was not oil. However, the idea of a large increase in muscle mass in just one day was born. When Esiclene was taken off the market, German bodybuilder Chris Clark saw opportunities. He developed a substance called “Pump & Pose”. Supposedly an oil for rubbing in before posing, but actually used for injection.
Synthol
The oil soon became known by the name Synthol. Synthol consists of 85 percent oil (usually an MCT), 7.5% alcohol, and 7.5% lidocaine [1,2,3]. The alcohol is intended to sterilize the substance, while the lidocaine is meant to numb the injection pain. Lidocaine was also in Esiclene for the same reason. Soon, several brands came out, different names with the same principle.
Sesame oil, walnut oil, and paraffin as cheaper alternatives
Because all these brands are quite expensive, many have switched to simply injecting sesame oil or walnut oil. Others even use paraffin, which was used in 1899 to correct deformities [4,5,6]. Back then, it was quickly discovered that this could have devastating side effects, leading the medical world to stop using it quickly [7,8].
There are also websites that give “the recipe” for synthol and explain how much MCTs, alcohol, and lidocaine to use and how to keep your stuff sterile.
Muscles that actually grow through synthol(?)
The use of synthol and other SEOs is sometimes “justified” by stating that they actually make your muscles grow. By injecting it in various places in a muscle, the connective tissue in and around the muscle would be stretched. This connective tissue would otherwise limit muscle growth. Once stretched, there would be room for growth. However, this has never been proven.
On the contrary, what has been proven is that muscle mass can die off or be replaced by scar tissue and cysts filled with pus and oil.
Synthol Side Effects
What has been proven, are the possible complications. Not so difficult. If you wait long enough, they will eventually walk into the hospital. There are enough “case studies”, known cases of patients who had to be treated for complications caused by synthol. I am happy to show you some of these cases.
It should be noted immediately that these are the more severe cases, while most synthol users will not come close to what the men below have used. Your arms will not immediately explode when you use synthol once.
Case 1 [8]:
A 21-year-old bodybuilder enters the hospital with severe muscle pain and subcutaneous bleeding. A week earlier, he had injected 10ml of sesame oil into both biceps. He had done this five times before. MRI of the biceps showed edema (fluid accumulation), which can be an indication of local necrosis, dead cells. A biopsy showed inflammation of the blood vessels in combination with cell displacement by inflammation (cell infiltration). This was still treatable by taking corticosteroids for 2 weeks and high doses of morphine for the pain.
Case 2 [9]
A 48-year-old man suffers from subcutaneous lumps near his pectoral muscles. Nine months earlier (!) he had injected sesame oil into his pectoral muscles. Ultrasound revealed that he had multiple lumps with a diameter of about 1 centimeter in both breasts. Upon removal of one of these lumps, it turned out to be a cyst, filled with an oily substance surrounded by scar tissue.
Case 3 [10]
And then my personal “favorite”:
A 40-year-old semi-professional bodybuilder walks into a hospital (almost sounds like the beginning of a joke). He complains about multiple painful swellings and red discoloration of the skin that he has been suffering from for two months. So bad that he has not been able to train for two months (and that says something in these kinds of cases).
He had been injecting himself with sesame oil for eight years. Until four months prior, he injected 2ml of sesame oil into 20 different locations. As a result, he had an upper arm circumference of almost 70 centimeters!
For comparison: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s was about 53cm, Ronnie Coleman’s 56-58cm.
MRI showed more than 100 subcutaneous and especially intramuscular cysts in his arms, shoulders, legs, and chest. Not surprisingly, these were the locations where he injected himself. In his right brachialis (the outside of the biceps), the entire muscle mass had disappeared and was replaced by cysts filled with pus and oil. The entire right biceps and the long and lateral heads of the triceps were replaced by scar tissue that was hugely swollen. In the right arm, only muscle tissue remained in the medial head of the triceps, and even that contained cysts and scar tissue. His loss of muscle mass was so severe that it was considered irreversible.
Whole body MRI showed more than 100 intramuscular rather than subcutaneous oil cysts and loss of normal muscle anatomy. 2-step septic surgery of the right upper arm revealed pus-filled cystic scar tissue with the near-complete absence of normal muscle. MRI 1 year later revealed the absence of relevant muscle regeneration. Persistent pain and inability to perform normal weight training were evident for at least 3 years post-surgery. This alarming finding indicating irreversible muscle mutilation may hopefully discourage people interested in bodybuilding and fitness from oil-injections. The impact of such chronic tissue stress on other diseases like malignancy remains to be determined.
…In the histopathologic examination most parts of the muscular tissue were replaced by fibrosis ([Fig. 5a]) and chronic resorptive inflammation with extensive abscess ([Fig. 5b]) and granuloma ([Fig. 5c]) formation. The inflammatory tissue contained numerous oil cysts with foreign body giant cells ([Fig. 5a]). In addition, there was widespread secondary vasculitis. Areas of fresh muscle necrosis and atrophy were also present ([Fig. 5d]). The diagnosis of a partially inflamed and necrobiotic oleoma with irreversible loss of healthy muscle was made.
-J. Banke, Universität München
As the researchers indicate, it is a question what the long-term effects will be, with malignant tumors not being excluded.
“But those are just horror stories. It can also be safe”
Now there will be people who think I am just as bad as those who say that by using anabolic steroids, you will definitely die an early death with hairy pimples on your back that are larger than the peas in your underwear that once were your balls.
Granted, there are more people who use synthol and do not look like Arlindo de Souza, the man in the image at the top of the article. Such excesses naturally color the media just as there is a campaign against anabolic steroids every time someone is said to have died from them.
Speaking of dying, Arlindo’s friend Paulinho has since died. But according to him, he went “further than him with this kind of stuff” [11]. Arlindo himself found out that Brazilian doctors are apparently tougher than the Dutch. They didn’t want to help him since he did it to himself. Quite difficult since the use of SEOs seems to be quite popular in Brazil. Not entirely surprising for a country where the same applies to plastic surgery.
But the point is, it might possibly be used safely, as far as we can already say anything about that. But why would you want to?
I see it no differently than placing an implant. Just like a woman with fake breasts with the difference that a man can grow his muscles through training and nutrition where a woman can’t. :” Like putting a loud exhaust on your car instead of a bigger engine,” I found an appropriate comparison that was made about this topic.
Yet, there are situations where I can somewhat understand the choice more. Somewhat understandable, I find still bodybuilders who perform well on all fronts and keep up with the top except at one point. That one lagging muscle group that genetically just isn’t able to grow in the same proportion as the rest. Think, for example, of the well-known “black calves” (as a “half” African, I’m allowed to say it). Calves that are strong but often not big.
It has sometimes been claimed that Ronnie Coleman therefore injected synthol into his calves. But hey, you shouldn’t believe everything. Rich Piana found that out when he injected 5 “boxes of synthol” into his arm at his first adult competition because he had heard that the great Flex Wheeler did that too. Now I don’t know how much “5 boxes” is (quantity varies per box), but I do know what it earned Rich:
“It was fucking horrific! My arms looked like they were holding 10 pounds of water. My triceps where hanging of my elbows. I learned the hard way that’s probably not what Flex Wheeler did”
Rich Piana
Numerous bodybuilders are mentioned who are said to use synthol. It even seems to be used so often that the question is more about how it is used than whether it is used. Flex Wheeler, for example, would have them injected by a plastic surgeon, which reduces certain risks. Especially also the degree of use in relation to the real muscles determines to what extent it still looks natural. As far as you can still speak of natural at the top level of bodybuilding.
These are still men who do everything to be as muscular as possible: Train twice a day, eat at least 8 times a day, “a bit of Maggi” (use of anabolics and growth hormone) so that the muscles really grow, and synthol “for that extra bit”. Moreover, that’s just a handful of bodybuilders who can retire with bodybuilding. For me, it’s only a very small group that can say that something comes back for it.
A totally different class concerns the guys who only go for that extra bit and seem to train for the form. To be able to say, “Look, I earned this with training” while everything literally came from the syringe.
Conclusion
Ultimately, of course, everyone must know for themselves. But in the list of lesser evils, I see SEOs at the very end. If you want to be big and muscular, then train and eat well. Use supplements as extra support and take the time to learn about all facets of strength training and nutrition.
Pulled out all the stops regarding this and still not satisfied? Well, some will then go for anabolic steroids and possibly growth hormone. Still not satisfied and then use SEOs anyway? Can, but it seems easier and wiser to just set your bar lower. If you have already gone through all the foregoing steps, it’s probably already too high.
References
- ironmanmagazine.com/inject-to-grow/
- Pupka A, Sikora J, Mauricz J, Cios D, Płonek T. [The usage of synthol in the
body building]. Polim Med. 2009;39(1):63-5. Review. Polish. PubMed PMID:
19580174. - Foggo, Daniel (13 May 2007). “Bodybuilders puff up with ‘Popeye’ oil jab”. Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
- Gersuny R, Über eine subcutane Prothese. Zeitschrift f. Heilkunde 1900; 21: 199.
- Henriksen TF, Løvenwald JB, Matzen SH. [Paraffin oil injection in bodybuilders calls for preventive action]. Ugeskr Laeger. 2010 Jan 18;172(3):219-20. Danish. PubMed PMID: 20089216.
- Iversen L, Lemcke A, Bitsch M, Karlsmark T. Compression bandage as treatment for ulcers induced by intramuscular self-injection of paraffin oil. Acta Derm Venereol. 2009;89(2):196-7.
- Smetana HF, Bernard W. Sclerosing lipogranulomas. Arch Pathol Lab Med 1956; 50: 296–325.
Newcomer VD, Graham JH, Schaffer RR. Sclerosing lipogranuloma from exogenous lipids. Arch Dermatol 1956; 73: 361–372. - Koopman M, Richter C, Parren RJ, Janssen M. Bodybuilding, sesame oil and vasculitis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2005 Sep;44(9):1135. PubMed PMID: 16113147.
- Darsow U, Bruckbauer H, Worret WI, Hofmann H, Ring J. Subcutaneous oleomas induced by self-injection of sesame seed oil for muscle augmentation. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000 Feb;42(2 Pt 1):292-4.
- Banke IJ, Prodinger PM, Waldt S, Weirich G, Holzapfel BM, Gradinger R, Rechl H. Irreversible muscle damage in bodybuilding due to long-term intramuscular oil injection. Int J Sports Med. 2012 Oct;33(10):829-34. Epub 2012 May 16. PubMed PMID: 22592548.
- dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2577998/Real-life-Popeye-doesnt-eat-spinach-injects-potentially-lethal-cocktail-oil-ALCOHOL-grow-monster-arms.html
