The Ruotolo brothers, widely regarded as two of the top grapplers in the world, have long been outspoken critics of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Kade Ruotolo notably called out the prevalence of PED use at ADCC 2022, stating that the majority of competitors were likely using banned substances.
Tye Ruotolo has also voiced his concerns in the past…
And now both brothers have elaborated on their reasons for taking such a principled stance.
They presented 10 reasons outlining their opposition to PEDs, touching on the most common criticisms and ethical considerations surrounding their use:
- Not good for your health
- They’re illegal to use in professional sports
- Setting examples for the young athletes coming up
- Just because everyone else is, doesn’t mean we have to
- Integrity in sports is important
- We aren’t middle-aged men
- Never having to wonder if we could’ve made it to the top without them
- Better things to spend money on
- Depletes your true confidence
- Once you use them, you will always need to
They have shared this in their recent social media story:

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