Andreas Münzer
Andreas Münzer (October 25, 1964 – March 14, 1996) was an Austrian professional bodybuilder renowned for his extremely low body fat levels and early death. He was featured in Flex twice and Muscle Magazine International once.
Biography
Münzer was an admirer of fellow Austrian bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. He attempted to imitate Schwarzenegger, eventually meeting his hero at the Arnold Classic competition in 1996. While competing, he used a variety of ergogenic aids, including large amounts of potassium-sparing diuretics, possibly leading to his death in 1996.
After months of stomach pain, Münzer was admitted to hospital on the morning of March 12, 1996. By 7pm, doctors had decided to operate to stop bleeding from his stomach, but his liver and kidneys failed shortly afterwards. His condition by this point was too severe for a blood transfusion, and he died on the morning of March 14 at the age of 31.[1][2] The autopsy gave the cause of death as dystrophic multiple organ failure.[3]
Some of the specific autopsy findings were an extremely muscular physique with an almost complete absence of subcutaneous fat, a liver that contained numerous table tennis ball-sized tumors (with half the liver consisting simply of a crumbly mass that was similar to polystyrene), shriveled testes, and cardiac hypertrophy (Münzer's heart weighed 636g; a normal man's heart usually weighs 300–350g).[3]
Münzer's electrolytes were also out of balance, and his potassium levels were extremely high. Traces of about 20 different drugs were found, along with acute toxicity (perhaps caused by a stimulant). Schwarzenegger sent a wreath to Münzer's funeral in Styria, with the message: "A last greeting to a friend."
Competitive stats
- Weight: 239 lbs (108 kg)
- Arms: 21 inch (53 cm)
- Chest: 58 inch (147 cm)
Competition history
- 1986 European Amateur Championships MiddleWeight, 6th
- 1987 World Amateur Championships Light-HeavyWeight, 3rd
- 1988 World Amateur Championships Light-HeavyWeight, 3rd
- 1989 Mr. Olympia 13th
- 1989 World Games HeavyWeight, 1st
- 1990 Arnold Classic 3rd
- 1990 Grand Prix Germany 3rd
- 1990 Mr. Olympia 9th
- 1991 Arnold Classic 9th
- 1991 Ironman Pro Invitational 3rd
- 1991 Mr. Olympia Did not place
- 1991 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational 4th
- 1993 Arnold Classic 7th
- 1993 Grand Prix Germany (2) 2nd
- 1993 Grand Prix Germany 4th
- 1993 Night of Champions 2nd
- 1993 Mr. Olympia 9th
- 1994 Arnold Classic 5th
- 1994 Grand Prix France 8th
- 1994 Grand Prix Germany (2) 5th
- 1994 Mr. Olympia 9th
- 1995 Arnold Classic 4th
- 1996 Arnold Classic 6th
- 1996 San Jose Pro Invitational 7th
See also
References
- ↑ Hotten, Jon (October 31, 2004). "Dying to be Arnie". The Observer. Retrieved September 19, 2004.
- ↑ Hotten, Jon (2005). Muscle: A Writer's Trip Through a Sport with No Boundaries (New ed.). London: Yellow Jersey Press. ISBN 978-0-224-06967-0. External link in
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(help) - 1 2 Kistler, Luitpold (2006). "Todesfälle bei Anabolikamissbrauch - Todesursache, Befunde und rechtsmedizinische Aspekte" [Deaths from Anabolic-Steroid Abuse: Cause of Death, Findings and Forensic Aspects (PhD dissertation)] (pdf) (in German). Germany: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich: 101. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
External links
- Münzer's competition history
- Video of Münzer on YouTube posing at the 1993 Mr Olympia competition; includes a brief interview
- Andreas Münzer Gallery
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSmcid=46806670&GRid=64746222&
- http://www.hugenasser.com/interview/robson-interviews/part-six/