How does the lifespan of a body builder compare with someone who does not work out? How does the lifespan compare between body builders who use rogue supplements to build themselves up to those who don't?

All things being equal the bodybuilder will probably outlive the person who does not exercise. This is a bit of a loaded question because the term “bodybuilder” elicits a variety of images.

When a person picks up a weight with the intention of changing his/her body, he/she is bodybuilding. More specifically, bodybuilding is using resistance (free weights or machines) training to increase (or maintain) muscular strength and size. If performed with good form (proper amount of weight and correct movement), adequate workload (number of sets/reps per workout) and proper frequency (number of times per week) resistance training is one of the best forms of exercise.

Muscles have a “use-it-or-lose-it” nature. Muscle that is not used will atrophy (shrink). If you have ever had the misfortune to spend a week or two flat on your back due to injury or illness you know how quickly muscles lose strength from nonuse. While our bodies do change with age, this “use-it-or-lose-it” characteristic never changes. Resistance training will keep muscles and connective tissues strong, help to maintain range of movement (along with stretching), and is good for the cardiovascular system (working muscles place a demand on the heart – another muscle - for blood supply). This is true whether a person is eight or eighty.

Using too much weight, improper form, and doing too much work too frequently can damage muscles, joints, and connective tissues. So, the answer to your question depends on healthy, constructive types of resistance training rather than destructive ones.

Regarding “rogue” supplements, only time will tell. It can take years for negative effects of certain supplements or combinations of supplements to manifest and the effects may vary from one individual to the next. Although testing is far from conclusive at present, supplements that cause dramatic increases (“spiking”) in hormone levels (like testosterone) appear very risky. Under normal conditions and good health the human body has a system for regulating hormones. Tamper with that system at your peril.