This is a report of a 41-year-old professional male bodybuilder with a history of active anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse and a normal echocardiogram two years prior to admission who experienced a near-fatal arrhythmia during anaesthetic induction for elective orthopaedic surgery. The patient had severe concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, diffuse left ventricular hypokinesis, decreased ejection fraction and inducible monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. A single-chamber cardioverter/defibrillator was inserted.