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Brazilian bodybuilder Valdir Segato passed away on his 55th birthday. He was known for his prolonged usage of Synthol injection to bulk up. According to the Brazilian web portal Universo Online (UOL), the TikTok star was pronounced dead on July 26 in Ribeirão Preto, southeast Brazil.
As per the reports of UOL, Segato expressed that he felt ill at his home and was taken to the nearby medical facility of UPA Nelson Mandela - UPA Norte by Brazilian Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU).
As no reports stated the cause of Valdir Segato's death, it cannot be confirmed if his abuse of Synthol injections into his muscles had caused any complications. As per UOL News, the information may not be confirmed as Segato's body has already been buried in Bom Pastor Cemetery. Since the burial reportedly took place a day after his demise, no autopsy was likely done.
Valdir Segato was a construction worker
The Brazilian native Valdir Segato was also known in social media as "Valdir Synthol" for incessantly using Synthol oil to gain an excessively bulk appearance. Segato hailed from Sao Paulo and was reportedly a construction worker who presumably resided in Ribeirão Preto.
In late October 2016, Segato was ushered into popularity after DailyMail UK profiled him. In their interview, the bodybuilding enthusiast stated:
"They call me Hulk, Schwarzenegger and He-Man all the time and I like that. I've doubled my biceps, but I still want to be bigger."
At the time, he had 23-inch biceps but wanted to gain additional four inches through Synthol oil injections. Valdir Segato had previously disclosed that he was inspired by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Comic character, The Incredible Hulk. While speaking to DailyMail UK, Segato told the publication about his past and how he got into Synthol injections. He revealed that he had been a drug addict in the past. Segato said:
"I got involved with drugs and I started losing weight because you don't eat... You lead a wrong life."
During his recovery from being an addict, Valdir Segato joined gyms but was unsatisfied with the muscle gained through his workout routine. Then, he delved into Synthol oil injections in his biceps, pectorals, and backside to achieve that extreme bulky look. While the Synthol injections posed a massive risk of strokes, infection, and amputation, Segato continued with the injections till his demise. However, it must be noted that the bulky appearance from Synthol injections did not actually promote muscle growth and thus was only superficial.
According to Daily Mail UK, in 2016, doctors advised him against the abuse of Synthol oil and made him aware of the imposed risks like "amputation, or at the very least nerve damage and muscle disfigurement," if he continued with the process. However, Valdir Segato chose to continue with the harmful injections.
What is Synthol oil, and what risks does it pose to bodybuilding enthusiasts like Valdir Segato?
According to the medical information portal Healthline,
"Synthol is 85 percent medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, 7.5 percent lidocaine, and 7.5 percent alcohol."
This oil's constituents often enable the substance's abuse in bodybuilders to achieve a bulky look. For instance, lidocaine is an anesthetic that helps deal with the pain associated with Synthol injection in the muscles. Meanwhile, the alcohol content seemingly helps to disinfect the area and prevent infections. However, they may still occur as the usage of alcohol is not an assured way to ward off infections.
Meanwhile, MCT starts to expand once injected deep into the muscles, which enables the bulky look. Synthol injections can cause severe disorders which affect the body in a long-term manner. It can cause the muscles to develop a disfigured shape. It can also cause muscle fibrosis, which may further lead to amputation.
While reacting to Valdir Segato in his YouTube video last year, online personality and family medicine professional Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, aka Dr. Mike, said:
"You don't understand how dangerous this is for your body. Like, vasculitis, muscle rupture, infection, and it's also ridiculous looking. I don't know if you see this."
At the time of his passing, Segato had over 1.7 million followers on TikTok.
