Rethinking Women’s “Performance and Image-Enhancing Drug Consumption”: An Agenda for Ontopolitically-Oriented Research

Abstract

Women’s “performance and image-enhancing drug consumption” is a growing phenomenon yet remains an under-studied area of research. This essay reviews the existing literature on women’s consumption and draws on Fraser’s concept of ontopolitically-oriented research to develop an agenda for future research. Ontopolitically-oriented research applies insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS) to consider the ontological politics of research practices, that is, the realities they enact and foreclose. We argue that the current focus in the existing literature on a limited set of methods and issues risks obscuring the diverse meanings and practices of women’s substance consumption for fitness and strength-training, and genders agency in ways that further entrench assumptions of women’s vulnerability and passivity. We consider issues pertaining to the nomenclature of performance and image-enhancing drugs, the gendering of agency in formulations of “health” risks and initiation experiences, and the need to understand women’s consumption practices in relation to broader cultural changes in health optimization and digital fitness cultures. We argue that ontopolitically-oriented research into women’s substance consumption for fitness and strength-training requires greater methodological diversity and attention to the politics of data generation. It should aim to constitute women’s experiences through terms, connections and coalitions that expand our understandings of women’s agency, and the gendered and social contexts of enhancement practices.

Performance and Image Enhancing Drug Use Among Australian Women: The Role of Interpersonal Relationships in Facilitating Use

“…Given the conceptualization of PIED use largely through the lens of male hegemonic patterns (Andreasson & Henning, 2022), the question remains regarding how best to reorient discussions of PIEDs with consideration given to women's perspectives and experiences. Fomiatti et al (2023) have advocated for alternative language that prioritizes specific substances (e.g., AAS) and activities (e.g., strength training) rather than reinforcing the assumed effects of substances. For example, scholars have asserted that men who use PIEDs should not be viewed as damaged and vulnerable outliers, but rather as rational and self-aware individuals who actively manage their health and wellness, often with careful consideration and expertise in navigating associated risks (Fraser et al, 2020;Latham et al, 2019;Piatkowski & Cox, 2024).…”

“…However, an issue that scholars have raised with the application of this framing of masculinity is that it can lead to an almost absolute and unquestioned understanding of power dynamics, particularly regarding men's dominance over women (Sverkersson et al, 2023). Such viewpoints contrast sharply with alternative forms of resistance discussed in critical studies on both men and masculinity (Latham et al, 2019) as well as women and gendered notions of PIED use (Fomiatti et al, 2023). We complement these views by drawing on an intersectional perspective.…”

“…Fomiatti et al (2019) recognized the gendered social dynamics inherent in AAS use, which perpetuates this further. Fomiatti et al (2023) go on to explain that this is predicated on the fear that normative masculinity, as associated with the contemporary ideals of health, may be eroding to resemble a traditionally "feminine" approach to bodily care and management, which is often stigmatized. Female bodybuilders, for instance, are often labeled as "gender outlaws" for challenging these norms and embracing aesthetic strength sports (Shilling & Bunsell, 2009).…”

“…For men who use PIEDs, they often inject with others, particularly within training partnerships and social or intimate settings, especially during initiation phases (Fomiatti et al, 2020); therefore, we draw on these social dynamics and extend them to women. Specifically, Fomiatti et al (2023) go on to suggest there are varied interpretations and behaviors surrounding women's consumption of substances for fitness and strength training and we should take care not to reinforce assumptions of female vulnerability and passivity. They emphasize the portrayal of agency in discussions of health risks and initiation experiences and the importance of contextualizing women's consumption practices within wider cultural shifts toward health optimization and digital fitness cultures.…”

“…Building on Fomiatti et al's (2023) valuable insights for interrogating the nexus of women's PIED consumption within the context of gendered practices, we explore these interpersonal relationships, as related to gendered PIED practices. We do so by utilizing an intersectional perspective on femininity and the enhanced body (Andreasson & Henning, 2022).…”