What Percentage of High School Athletes Use Performance-Enhancing Drugs?

Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) have long been associated with professional sports, but their presence in high school athletics is a growing concern. With increasing pressure to perform and earn scholarships, some student-athletes are turning to substances like anabolic steroids, SARMs, and growth hormones to gain a competitive edge.

                                                   Picture from Canva, 2025, Digicomphoto
The Issue

Go to any top D1 football camp and you will see them - athletes that are way too chiseled and muscular for their age.  The steroid and HGH boys tend to stand out. Some you can even smell from 20 - 30 feet away - the Tren smell.  Some popular steroids like Trenbolone cause athletes to emit strong body odors, some are even chemically smelling and unique to the point where you can clearly identify the steroids they are using. But, its not just football - you will find them in wrestling, track, even basketball.

The Numbers

Recent studies show that:

Up to 12% of male high school athletes have tried anabolic steroids.

3% of female athletes report steroid use.

11% of high school athletes have experimented with synthetic growth hormones.

In total, an estimated 550,000 U.S. high school athletes have used PEDs.

These numbers reflect a troubling trend, especially as access to these substances becomes easier through online black markets and sketchy doctors and clinics.

The Trend:

Here is a graph showing the trend of performance-enhancing drug (PED) and steroid use among high school athletes over the past 40 years, along with a forecast for the next 10 years:

                Data from National Institutes of Health, 2025.

Key Insights:

Historical Trend (1983–2023): PED use has gradually increased, with fluctuations likely due to changes in awareness, testing, and access.

Forecast (2024–2033): If current trends continue, usage may rise modestly, potentially reaching 7–8% by 2033.

While there was a slight dip in reported use around 2020, due to the Covid Pandemic and limited sports seasons, the numbers have surged again in recent years — likely due to increased competition, social media influence, and access to unregulated supplements.

Why Are Teens Using PEDs?

Performance pressure from coaches, parents, and peers.

Body image issues and the desire to look more muscular.

Scholarship opportunities and the dream of going pro.

Social media visibility and comparison.

Little chance of being caught and penalized.  States with highest percentages and numbers of athletes using PEDs (Florida, Georgia, Texas and California) rarely ever drug test high school athletes.

What Can Be Done?

Education: Schools, coaches and parents must talk openly about the risks.  Current required parent/coach meetings are solely about concussions and PT (physical therapy and rehabilitation), and maybe 10 seconds on the requirement that the athletes must live in their zone (most don't and use affadavites or a relative's address , and 10 seconds on they can't have a felony on their record. This is usually followed by 10 minutes of fundraiser/booster stuff.  There is no mention at all about PEDs and HGH usage or abuse.

Testing: Random drug testing along with consistent and strict punishment can act as a deterrent.  This needs to be implemented in each state and refusal to participate should get same penalties as testing positive.

Recommendations are for an automatic 1 year ban from all high school sports for failing or refusal of a drug test.  A second occurance would be a permanent ban.  This finding should be added to the students academic records as most that fail will change schools, especially across state lines to avoid a 1 year ban. 

Support: Mental health resources and coaching alternatives can help reduce pressure.

Conclusion: 

Abuse of steroid and human growth hormone (HGH) among high school sports competitors is a growing problem driven by the desire to remain competitive in sports and achieve ideal physiques. The substances are extremely risky and carry hazards including hormonal imbalance, liver damage, and increased risks of cardiovascular complications, particularly in developing adolescents. Prevention and education campaigns, such as those conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, emphasize early intervention to deter abuse, but 1-3% of high school athletes remain steroid users, as CDC reports. Parents, coaches, and schools must collaborate to promote natural training practices and possess strong policies against PED use to ensure the health of young athletes. By instilling a culture of fair play and focusing on long-term health rather than short-term achievement, we can reduce the allure of steroids and HGH in high school sports.

References

Muscle & Brawn - High School Steroid Use Stats 

National Instituts of Health - National Library of Medicine.  Performance enhancing drugs.

The Advocate – PED Use on the Rise in High School Athletics

ZipDo – Performance Enhancing Drug Statistics

Generation Iron. Steroids & Body Odor. 

NFHS. Steroid Abuse in High School and College Athletes.

Keywords:

high school athletes, performance enhancing drugs, PED use statistics, steroid abuse in teens, youth sports doping, data on PEDs, teen athlete drug use, PED trends 2025

Hashtags:

#YouthSports #PEDAwareness #HighSchoolAthletes #SteroidAbuse #CleanAthletics #DataDriven #SportsEthics #TeenHealth #PerformanceDrugs #AthleteWellness