Introduction

In this article I will be answering “what is sarms supplement?” and give my views on whether bodybuilders should use SARMs. SARMs are actually not a traditional bodybuilding “supplement”, they are actually classified as PEDs (performance enhancing drugs). This is due to the fact that they are highly anabolic in nature and very similar to anabolic steroids. Although they purport to be safer. 

This article will give you all the information you need to know about SARMs. By the end you will be able to make your own decision about them.

What Are SARMs?

SARMs stands for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators. They are comparable to actual anabolic steroids in terms of the effects that they have on the body. However they are not the same. SARMs were originally developed to fight muscle wasting diseases and other diseases like cancer. 

Steroids also bind to your androgen receptors but they are not “selective”. This means that they can impact a lot more body parts and can have more side effects like acne, hair loss, etc. As SARMs are selective they are designed to only target skeletal muscle and not the other tissues. This means that SARMs have fewer side effects than anabolic steroids.

This is one of the reasons why SARMs have become so popular and mainstream in recent years in the bodybuilding community. 

Different SARMs On The Market

There are various SARMs on the market today. Each SARM is different and has different effects on the body in terms of strength and body composition. I am going to cover the main SARMs out there:

RAD 140 – This is one of the strongest SARMs out there and comparable to anabolic steroids. It is also known as “testolone” in some circles. This SARM is best used for strength gains and also improving body composition. You can build muscle and lose fat at the same time to improve your body composition. 

RAD 140 has also been shown to improve cognitive function, in early trials it was found that testolone reduced brain cell death from aging. The recommended dosage of RAD 140 for bodybuilding purposes is 10mg per day. It is not recommended to go higher than this unless you are a very experienced user. The bigger dosage you take, the more likely you are to get side effects.

Ostarine (MK-2866) – This SARM is very mild and is recommended to beginners who have never had any prior experience using SARMs. Ostarine can help a lot with fat loss and it will also enhance lean muscle mass. Don’t expect rapid strength gains though that you would expect when using RAD 140.

LGD-4033 – This SARM is very strong, much like RAD 140. It will give you rapid strength gains along with improved lean muscle mass and a better body composition. 

YK-11 – This SARM inhibits myostatin. Myostatin is a protein that acts on muscle cells to inhibit muscle growth. Therefore YK-11 can spur on more muscle growth due to it inhibiting myostatin. Another consequence of this is improved strength.

How Safe Are SARMs Really?

Much of the buzz about SARMs in the fitness community has been largely predicated on the fact that they can deliver similar results to anabolic steroids with hardly any side effects. Is this true?

It is certainly not true to say that SARMs don’t have side effects. Even in the recommended dosages they can cause side effects in many people. These can range from mild like headaches and nausea to a lot worse. Many people can experience increased blood pressure when on SARMs. If you already suffer from high blood pressure to begin with then it can be very dangerous to experiment with SARMs.

In addition, SARMs can suppress your natural testosterone levels. This is particularly true of stronger SARMs such as RAD 140 and LGD-4033. In my opinion this is a big problem. The fact is if you are going to run a cycle of SARMs for a one to two month period. Are one or two months of results worth lowering your natural testosterone levels for and also increasing the risk of suffering from other side effects? In my view one should tread very carefully and think about all these things before even thinking about taking SARMs.

The fact that there are so many teenagers nowadays depicted on social media taking SARMs is very sad. Instead of putting in the hard work and effort, many young people are resorting to taking PEDs from an early age to shortcut their way to a better body. Personally I believe you should train hard for at least 10 years naturally before you even consider any form of assistance – TRT, SARMs or other steroids. 

Are SARMs Approved By The FDA?

It also has to be mentioned that SARMs are not approved by the FDA. This means that they are not as safe as people think. When you buy SARMs it even says “not for human consumption”. They are intended to be used for “research” purposes, but this doesn’t stop many people from buying SARMs to improve their physiques and strength. 

There is not sufficient research on SARMs to be conclusive as to how dangerous they are. However in some cases the side effects from SARMs can be just as bad as anabolic steroids. The difference is there is a lot more research on steroids and so we can be a lot more confident about the safety of steroids. This is another reason why TRT doesn’t involve SARMs in medical settings. Testosterone is simply far more researched. 

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Should Bodybuilders Use SARMs?

To answer this question I will firstly re-iterate that I don’t believe bodybuilders should use any PEDs until they have trained for at least 10 years naturally. The only exception to this would be if you want to compete professionally as a bodybuilder or in a strength sport competitively. Or if you have ultra low levels of testosterone.

Personally I believe it is better to train naturally, you get a better feeling of accomplishment knowing that you achieved your results without any outside help. When you get close to 40 years old after many years of training naturally you can dabble in TRT or SARMs. 

I would say after many years of natural training bodybuilders could dabble in ostarine or RAD 140 for one cycle to see how their body responds. I would advise to stick to the recommended dose and do a full PCT after the cycle (moreso after using RAD). I would not advise repeated cycles of SARMs though.

In my opinion it is better to run TRT under medical supervison for the long term rather than doing many cycles of SARMs. There is simply not enough research out there on SARMs to be confident in the safety of exposing yourself to mutliple cycles with those compounds. 

Conclusion

To conclude, in this article I have explained what SARMs are and given my take on whether bodybuilders should use SARMs. In my view, natural training long term is a better option for the vast majority of bodybuilders. When you get to an older age and your testosterone levels are declining, that would be the best time to consider long term TRT. If you are going to try SARMs at that stage you should limit it to just one cycle and not expose yourself repeatedly to SARMs for multiple cycles.

If you have any questions about SARMs please leave them in the comments below. As always, stay safe and enjoy your training!