Dorian Yates’ passion for bodybuilding is on full display in retirement. In a YouTube video from May 27, 2026, he revealed the two non-negotiable supplements he used during his Mr. Olympia reign. Yates also touched on his growing concerns with sudden death syndrome among younger bodybuilders.
In the 1990s, Yates cemented himself as an all-time great in the IFBB Pro League. He amassed six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles before ending his career. On the way to building his legacy, Yates defeated stars of the Open class, including Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, and Nasser El Sonbaty.
Retirement life has nudged Yates to look after his health carefully. A growing number of deaths have shaken the bodybuilding community, leaving many unsure as to what’s causing the trend. This led Yates to explore the matter in detail to uncover the root cause.
Dorian Yates Reveals His 2 Non-Negotiable Supplements, Talks Sudden Death Syndrome
In the video, Yates revealed that the first supplement he ever took was protein, sourced from milk and eggs. He explained that whey protein entered the picture later.
“The first supplement I took was just a protein supplement. Because when I first started training, I was working as well. These were hard physical jobs. You didn’t have a lot of time to sit down and have a meal.
I would drink a protein shake while I was working as an easy way to get the protein, a quick way, and a convenient way. It was a basic milk and egg protein supplement we had back then. Later on, the whey protein came in.”
Additionally, Yates shared that he was one of the first people to incorporate powdered amino acids.
“I was one of the first people to use powdered amino acids in the early 90s, branch-chain amino acids. Then, the creatine came in, of course. A lot of studies on creatine were done in the UK.”
He listed creatine as his other staple supplement and revealed that its first studies were conducted on horses to maximize their racing potential.
“Do you know which sport it was used [creatine] in first? No humans. Horse racing. Horse racing, big money in horse racing,” he said. “Those are the two no-brainers; protein and creatine are non-negotiable.”
He listed vitamin D3 as another supplement worth taking for general health:
“For health, everyone should be taking extra vitamin D3.”
Yates believes sudden death syndrome could be caused by electrolyte imbalances or a selenium deficiency.
“I had a personal reason for this, looking into sudden death syndrome. You know, you have young kids, 19, 18, 20 years old, running around playing sports and they just go. It’s a heart attack, right? Electrolyte imbalance, so people address that anyway with sodium, potassium, and magnesium and everything.
But I read that selenium is very important, for instance. Selenium deficiency leads to big heart problems. Young guys are running around sweating, eating shit junk food, not getting the nutrients, some of these things are personal for me,” Dorian Yates shared.
Yates isn’t the only dominant Mr. Olympia champion to discuss athletes passing away. Former eight-time titleholder Lee Haney warned that deaths were on the rise among younger athletes. He emphasized that competitors are destroying their kidneys in pursuit of drier physiques.
At 64, Dorian Yates is still keeping a close eye on his diet and supplementation. He credits creatine and protein as essential to his success in bodybuilding.
RELATED: Ronnie Coleman Reacts to Recent Deaths in Bodybuilding: “This Sport is Not Worth Dying For”
