SARMs: new supplements that give you the same results as steriods
SARMs which commonly known as “legal steroids” are a new generation of supplements that aids in building muscle mass and boosting your athletic performance almost as steroids, but without the negative side effects that come with steroids.
What are SARMs?
SARM stands for Selective Androgen Receptors Modulators.
It’s a non-steroidal protein based type of drug that acts similar to anabolic steroids. They were originally developed for people with diseases like muscle wasting, osteoporosis, anemia, and chronic fatigue.
How do SARMs work?
Every hormone in our bodies has a receptor on the cells, and each of these hormones can be effective only if it’s attached to that specific receptor.
The testosterone hormone (androgen) has receptors called androgen receptors. When testosterone is released, it attaches to these receptors, causing its common effects like increase muscle size and strength.
The androgen receptors present in multiple cells like muscles, bones, kidney, heart and liver. That’s why when you take steroids; you might suffer from many other effects including heart and kidney failure.
On the other hand, SARMS act on the same receptors as androgen (testosterone) but they are selective to muscles and bones which means, they only act on the receptors present in muscle and bone cells without affecting the receptors on other organ cells.
This made the scientists believe that you can get the same muscle building and strength effects that you get from steroids without the harmful side effects.
What are the most popular SARM supplements?
There are many SARMS, but here are the 6 main SARMs that are currently offered and most applicable to athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts:
1-MK-2866
MK-2866 (also called ostarine) is one of the best-studied SARMs. Those studies found that it’s very effective at building muscle with no meaningful side effects.
Elderly men and women who took modest doses of ostarine for 12 weeks grew 3 pounds of muscle and lost a pound of fat, with no changes in diet or exercise.
Dosage: take 15-20mg of Ostarine for 4 weeks and take 4 weeks off before you start another cycle.
2-LGD-4033
LGD-4033, also called Ligandrol or Anabolicum, is one of the better studied SARMs. It’s been through multiple human trials, with interesting results.
Healthy men who took LGD-4033 for 21 days saw a significant increase in lean body mass. The only side effect was short-term testosterone suppression. One milligram per day was enough to cause significant muscle growth. The higher the dose, the more muscle participants put on.
LGD-4033 does not appear to stimulate fat loss, so if you take it on its own, it won’t make you leaner. Just more muscular.
Dosage: take 2-5mg of LGD-4033 for 4 weeks and take 4 weeks off before you start another cycle.
3-S4 (Andarine)
S4 was the earliest SARM. Users report modest strength and muscle gain, as well as a modest fat loss. S4 seems to work best if you use it alongside other SARMs.
It pairs well with MK-2866 and LGD-4033. Both suppress testosterone at higher doses, a side effect S4 can counter. But S4 carries unique side effect which is visual abnormality.
That’s why I recommend you skip it and stick to other SARMS from this list.
Dosage: take 50mg of S4 and split it into 25mg dosage twice a day for 4 weeks, and take 4 weeks off before you start another cycle.
4- RAD140
RAD 140, also known as Testolone. It has the ability to increase lean muscle mass and reinforce the effects of testosterone.
During initial studies done on monkeys, scientists observed an average weight gain of more than 10% in just 28 days.
Also, there was Reports of enhanced speed, stamina, and endurance during workouts.
Dosage: take 20-30mg of RAD140 for 4 weeks and take 4 weeks off before you start another cycle.
5-GW 501516 (Cardarine)
GW501516 could be a powerful SERM to improve performance and shed fat while maintaining muscle. But there aren’t any human studies that support it.
The only studies out there were done on animals and it found an increase in running time by 68% and running distance by 70%, and doubled overall muscular endurance.
GW501516 results on animals look promising, but hopefully more human studies will be done soon.
Dosage: take 5mg of GW501516 in the morning and another 5mg at night (total 10mg a day) for 4 weeks, and take 4 weeks off before you start another cycle.
6-SR9009 (Stenabolic)
SR9009 praised as “exercise in a pill,” seems like the perfect supplement. In mice, it increases endurance and fat burning, decreases inflammation, and stimulates the growth of new mitochondria in muscle cells.
Obese rats injected with SR9009 lost 60% more weight than rats injected with placebo, without changing diet or exercise.
Assuming SR9009 works in humans too, that sounds great. But the key part of the study is that rats were injected. Taking SR9009 orally as a supplement is pretty much useless.
What are the benefits of SARMs?
SARMS is believed to have the capacity to employ the benefits of anabolic steroids while reducing the side effects, including:
- Muscle loss prevention (during cutting period).
- Lean muscle development.
- Improved strength.
- Faster injury recovery.
- Joint healing abilities.
- Avoids bone loss.
- Decreases the threat of prostate problems in men without muscle mass loss.
- Prevent estrogen conversion.
SARMS can give the same benefits of testosterone to bodybuilders and athletes without the nasty side effects that you get from using synthetic testosterone.
What are the side effects of SARMs?
What’s great about SARMS is that its side effects are minimal, so you don’t have to worry about any negative effects.
However, If you overdo it, you might experience a suppression of your natural testosterone production and negatively impact the endocrine system, and there’s evidence that they can increase the risk of cancer, too.
Are SARMs considered legal?
Yes, SARMs are legal to purchase online or over the counter because they’re sold as “experimental chemicals” that aren’t meant for human consumption.
But if you’re an athlete, you should know that SARMs aren’t permitted in most sports.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has already banned them, and the International Olympic Committee is supposedly gearing up to test for them as well.
Given the history of steroid legislation, it’s probably only a matter of time before SARMs are banned altogether.
What you need to know…
SARMs are drugs that deliver almost the same benefits of anabolic steroids with fewer side effects.
Research clearly shows that they suppress natural testosterone production and negatively impact the endocrine system, and there’s evidence that they can increase the risk of cancer, too.
Furthermore, we have no idea if there are long-term health effects of SARM use, but given the nature of the drugs, there likely are.
After all, the choice is yours, you can give it a try or you can just stick to dieting and working out. Both will get you a great physique anyway.
