Testosterone boosters are supplementary substances that can be used for the purpose of increasing testosterone levels in the blood. This study aimed to evaluate the side effects and health risks of testosterone boosters among athletes. A sportsman came to the King Saud Hospital, Unaizah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, suffering from abdominal pain. The attending doctor requested general laboratory tests. He admitted to having consumed two courses of a testosterone booster over a period of 42 days following the instructions of the manufacturer. In total, the athlete in question consumed several courses, twice before the abdominal pain started and twice after it subsided. The blood tests and reports suggested that the commercial product consumed might negatively affect several hepatic functions and resulted in slightly increased testosterone concentrations after the fourth course. In conclusion, administration of testosterone booster products, although obtained from trusted sources, may still present some health risks. Further studies with large sample size and for a long period need to be done to confirm the current findings.
Keywords: Anabolic-androgenic steroids; Qassim; Saudi Arabia; testosterone.