The Dynamo Steroid Effect

Photo provided by bigfightweekend.com

Dec 10, 2025

By: Michael Alaimo

In Nov. 2025, the boxing world was caught by surprise when Kazakh boxer middle weight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly tested positive for meldonium, a banned performance enhancing drug. In response, his highly anticipated fight was cancelled, and he is possibly going to get punished even more once they finish testing his second drug sample. Accused steroid users like Alimkhanuly, are more often than not exposed or influenced by using such illegal substances. But beyond these headlines, this is more about how the influence of these problems has on new young athletes rising. 

The drug that Alimkhanuly allegedly used (meldonium), was originally used for the purpose of treating heart conditions, according to University of Florida Professor Christopher Brown. 

Meldonium was made to treat heart disease; it changes how the human body uses energy and oxygen. This can help the endurance of an athlete like Alimkhanuly. This cannot be produced naturally making it a banned drug to use.” Says Professor Brown.

For athletes, like the boxer Alkimkhanuly. Choosing to risk punishment by taking banned drugs is caused by influence and exposure of the drugs or the ambition. While Alimkhanuly suspension may seem like not a big deal at the elite level, researchers and experts warn this extends farther into the influence of other people like young ambitious athletes. Young athletes always admire the older generation of athletes and copy the older athletes' diet, training routine and even what substances they take. This is a “Halo effect” that younger athletes like to copy the older generation of athletes they originally admired growing up. This means for example if an older athlete is using a banned substance, then the younger generation of athletes that look up to that someone may copy them and want to get into banned substance use as well.

Health professionals stress that the risk of drugs like meldonium are more theoretical. Consequences from these drugs are well known as for example hormone level imbalance, cardiovascular strain and mental health problems. Unlike naturally training and recovery methods drugs like these push the body past it’s capable limits.

 “Athletes assume that meldonium is safer because it isn’t a steroid.” said University of Florida Human Performance Professor Blain Harrison. “Any drug that forces the body into unnatural performance levels comes with long-term consequences.”  

In Alimkhanuly’s case he faces the consequences of his actions, the dynamo effect however will spread to his admires especially the young atheletes that look up to him. Experts say this only worsens the doping problem; it encourages young athletes to take short cuts to get to their goals no matter what. 

Alimkhanuly became a top contender in the middle weight division and is well known for his endurance and relentlessness. Experts in the sport say that his dedication and work is what really made him a top tier world class athlete in boxing. Now that he tested positive for meldonium it makes people wondering the obstacles face and what they do to deal with them and how they influence the younger athletes. 

The influence of world class athletes on young athletes is something that is concerned with. With social media, tv and streaming young kids now have it easier than ever to watch professional athlete's and copying their routines and behaviors at the pro level. When a famous boxer like Alimkhanuly tests positive it creates mixed messages, while the league in charge of enforcing the ban may put consequences down, younger athletes may focus on how the performance drug really worked and see it as a short cut necessary to take to achieve goals. They see the product and the success that Alimkhanuly may have gotten from using meldonium and want to copy what he did.

Organizations and Anti- Doping Agencies have recognized this risk and have organized programs to educate the youth about the negative health effects that come with taking steroids in hope that will decrease the amount of steroid or PED users soon. Agencies like WADA and USADA offer important resources that young people can use at the college and highschool level for athletes. However, enforcement is challenging; young people are tougher to get to then the average middle-aged person. So, we have to trust parents and children in enforcing these ideas to their children. 

“We’re starting to witness a society where people just see how enhancement is expected, not cautioned or questioned.” said Professor Harrison. “Users are even encouraging people online to use them to achieve their physical goals.”

Combat sports like boxing have seen a lot of use of PEDs over recent years. These sports value endurance, toughness, and stamina. Experts say when younger athletes see role models gaining an edge through illegal substances, it may normalize the use of PEDs and start the Dynamo effect of influence on each younger generation and so forth. 

Social media recently has not helped the situation as now you see people being open and coming out about their use and experience with steroids, which is currently now influencing a lot of people to take them who are much younger. You see young kids even posting videos on social media about steroid use and always say how you can do it, but know the consequences. But when a viewer of this video sees this, they're not thinking about the consequences. They're thinking about the positive consequences, like gain of endurance or muscle mass, or strength (whatever the viewer might want to achieve) that PEDs can give you. And younger people tend to listen to their idols, not their coaches and parents. This is where it’s a struggle to get to the younger generation on countering this PED influence. 

In conclusion, the dynamo effect is really hitting and continuously starting to ramp up and hit every generation of athletes. For younger athletes, the message is clear: shortcuts may offer temporary gains, but at the cost of health and integrity. As the Alimkhanuly continues, the fight against the use of PEDs and the culture of PEDs, fight continues. This reminds us that the battle against PEDs is also a cultural one.