The world of bodybuilding continues to mourn the death of the Czech Illia Yefimchyk, popularly known as Illia Golem or the mutant. Although he was not a professional in the industry, he was highly recognized thanks to his YouTube channel, where he had nearly 50,000 subscribers. Furthermore, his enormous physique and the extreme measures he took to maintain it attracted the attention of his followers.
The 36-year-old Czech had not made any public appearances for several months, leading to speculation that he had some health complications due to his weight, which reached up to 165 kilos, and his intake of various substances, which he openly admitted to consuming.
While the exact causes of his death are unknown, some experts claim that it could be due to synthol, anabolic steroids, or the immense amount of daily calories he needed to maintain his physique. At one point, the mutant mentioned that he consumed up to 16,500 calories a day, most of which came from proteins and that if ingested in excess, can lead to kidney and liver failure, according to experts.
Additionally, César Kálazich, a sports medicine specialist at the MEDS Clinic, clarified that: “Synthol, also called Syntherol, is a mixture of oil (85% medium-chain triglycerides or MCT), lidocaine (7.5% local anesthetic), and benzyl alcohol (7.5%) that is injected directly into the muscle. It acts like an implant, causing an immediate increase in volume.” Like most of these substances, it can be harmful to health and this was something Illia was aware of.
On his YouTube channel, he spoke openly about the use of steroids and other substances like testosterone, which he claimed to consume in “extreme amounts” (6 grams weekly), something he joked about himself: “If you tell someone about it, they will say that you are crazy and that you want to kill yourself.” He also took large doses of growth hormone, which helped him achieve the status of “mass monster” in the community.
More victims of bodybuilding
The death of Illia Golem adds to others who have recently met a similar fate. Such is the case of the Brazilian Matheus Pavlak, who was found dead just a week ago at the age of 19. Also, a few months ago, in mid-April, the 50-year-old Mallorcan bodybuilder, Xisco Serra, died due to a stomach ailment.
They are joined by the Brazilian athlete Cintia Goldani, 36, who passed away in June days before participating in the Musclecontest Brasil, due to septic shock, pulmonary sepsis, and bacterial pneumonia. Thus, the list of fatalities in this industry continues to grow, and health issues are the main reason.