Bodybuilding icon Lee Priest recently compared the long-term effects of steroid use to the impact of his McDonald's-heavy diet throughout his competitive career.
In a YouTube video uploaded on February 13, 2025, Priest candidly discussed the toll each took on his body.
Renowned for his rebellious approach in the IFBB Pro League, Priest never obsessed over the minutiae of nutrition. He regularly packed on substantial mass in the off-season, indulging in calorie-dense fast food, yet he always managed to sculpt a razor-sharp, contest-ready physique when it mattered most. Despite his love for junk food, he counteracted it with grueling, high-volume cardio.
Now retired, Priest is reflecting on the methods that fueled his success. Having bested the legendary Ronnie Coleman seven times, his unconventional approach was undeniably effective. However, he's now assessing the long-term health consequences of his extreme dietary choices versus the moderate use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Lee Priest Claims ‘McDonald’s Did More Damage’ Than His Steroid Regimen
In his latest YouTube discussion, Priest stated that anabolic steroids never significantly impacted his health, as he maintained conservative dosages throughout his career.
“It didn’t [steroids didn’t affect my health] because I used I didn’t abuse. Even like I say, as small amounts that I used, to me, okay, I might have taken 400 milligrams of test, to me, I think that’s okay but who knows? 400 might be too much but to me, 400 seemed better than taking 2,000 which some people take or 1,000.”
While he was aware that many competitors escalated their drug protocols to extreme levels, Priest remained disciplined,
“If I heard people were taking these large amounts I would always go smaller. Like I said, if I used a smaller amount and got results from it, I didn’t have that sort of thinking okay I gained this on 200 milligrams if I go 600 that will be three times better won’t it? I never had that mentality that some people do,”
relying on minimal amounts to achieve maximum results. In his opinion, his relentless off-season consumption of McDonald’s did far more harm than his measured steroid use.
“I’d die more from off-season McDonald’s than [steroids],” he shared. “I’d probably done more damage with the chemicals in McDonald’s than what I injected into my body.”
During mass-gaining phases, Priest ballooned to nearly 300 pounds, gorging on fast food while completely neglecting cardiovascular training. He now believes that this phase of unchecked overeating and inactivity was far more detrimental to his well-being than any compound he injected during contest prep.
“Me sitting around at 285 pounds doing no cardio, doing stuff like that compared to okay, contest time, I’m using a bit of steroids but I’m eating healthy. I’m doing cardio two to three hours a day. The off-season with no drugs just eating bad food would have been worse for me.”
“If an obese person dies, oh he died from the heart from the food. But if you’re a bodybuilder, it’s always the drugs. It’s not the food that killed me which it probably would be more.”
With the rise of obesity-related health issues in the U.S., Priest’s perspective holds weight. While steroids carry risks, he argues that excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle likely inflicted greater damage over time.
