Steroids & Testosterone: The Science Behind Anabolic Therapies | Nelson Vergel

**Dr. Gabrielle Lyon** (0:00)
From an HIV diagnosis in the 1980s to becoming one of the world's leading voices in hormone optimization, today's guest has spent his life defying the odds and changing the conversation about health. Nelson Vergel was once told he wouldn't live past 30 Now in his 60s, he's thriving, thanks in part to testosterone and anabolic therapies that have helped him and countless others regain strength, energy and quality of life. Today, we uncover the misunderstood world of testosterone, steroids and hormone optimization. How can these therapies help people beyond bodybuilding? Or are they truly dangerous or just stigmatized? Let's find out.
I just wanted to jump on here with an exciting announcement. I am hosting the 2nd Ever Forever Strong Summit April 26, 27 in Houston, Texas, 2025 There's going to be 2 days, the VIP Day on April 26 You will learn from former Navy SEALs, from former Secret Service, from individuals that you do not want to miss. Myself, my inner tribe will be there to support you to learn everything, from muscle health, to science, to nutrition. You don't have to be an expert. You don't even have to have a background. All you have to have is a will to win and stay strong. I will put a link in the show notes below. Please go to my website, drgabriellelyon.com. We sold out last year, and I would hate for you to miss this opportunity. So if you're waiting for a sign, if you're thinking you need to change something up and you need community, friends, we've got you covered. Nelson Vergel, welcome to the show.

**Nelson Vergel** (1:54)
Thank you for having me. I'm excited.

**Dr. Gabrielle Lyon** (1:56)
You are a very unique guest, and I want to share a little bit about your background. One of your perspectives, which you have many, in terms of anabolic steroids, wasting syndrome, the future of medicine, when we think about body composition, you are uniquely positioned to have an opinion on this. And I want to hear it from you, but in the mid-80s, you learned you were HIV-positive.

**Nelson Vergel** (2:23)
Yeah.

**Dr. Gabrielle Lyon** (2:25)
At the time, can you share what that landscape was like?

**Nelson Vergel** (2:29)
Oh, it was horrible. Even remembering those days, I tried to block them, but I'm going to talk about it today. Yeah, I got here to the States from Venezuela in 1984 I met somebody that I wanted to move in with and came to the master's degree.
And a year later, less than a year later, he tested behind my back, because back then, the test use had come out that year, 85, 84

**Dr. Gabrielle Lyon** (2:54)
The HIV test.

**Nelson Vergel** (2:55)
The HIV test. Yeah, we didn't have a test before. People were speculating that gay men were getting it through drug use and other stuff. They didn't really think it was a virus until 84, 85, where the test actually was discovered.
Back then, nobody in my community wanted to get tested because there were no treatments. So why be told that you're going to die and have nothing to do about it? So I didn't want to get tested, but my partner behind my back did get tested, so he told me he was positive. I was sure I was positive. Here in Houston, we only had a little place called the Montrose Clinic. There was a little trailer that they had set up for HIV and went there to get tested. Obviously, I was tested and positive, and that was within a year that I had come to this country to try to get the American dream too.

**Dr. Gabrielle Lyon** (3:53)
Your training as a chemical engineer?

**Nelson Vergel** (3:55)
I was a chemical engineer already. I just came here for an MBA and for more studies. I've been actually moving here because I lived in Venezuela. I went to school in Canada and Montreal, but went to work for the oil business in Venezuela. I knew it wasn't for me. So anyway, that kind of felt like I was hitting the face with all my dreams.

**Dr. Gabrielle Lyon** (4:19)
How old were you?

**Nelson Vergel** (4:20)
24 years of age. So it was very hard. But I cried for like four days, I remember. But something told me, it's like, don't give up, just research. And there was nothing. There was no newsletters, no internet, no internet, no fax machines.
So that was the hardest part, trying to find information. And I saw a notice at the clinic I got tested at Montrose Clinic. Now there's a big clinic now. But anyways, that the CDC was looking for volunteers to be trained as counselors, people that actually gave results. So that's how the first training I got from the CDC. So that's how I know, oh, there are trainings out there that I can get information from.