Ok!
So you read the acronym on the headline and thought "What is this? Some Orwelian euphemistic acronym of a central authority attempting to confiscate my guns!??" SARMS?.....Have no fear for the fearful......it's about drugs.
Whew!
That was close.
Well it turns out it's simply a weight training supplement that is still in the process of undergoing trials to gauge its effectiveness.
I thought I'd use this first supplement review on Steemit to introduce and review it, so that Steemit dieters, iron addicts, and nutritionists can get a glimpse of something just started to rear its head in the supplement market.
What EXACTLY are SARMS?
The term SARMS stands for "Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators." Androgens are a class of hormones that serve as ligands that bind to cellular androgen receptors. The androgen receptor is involved in a complex signal transduction pathway that ultimately results in greater expression of specific genes.
All anabolic steroids and pro hormones offer their muscle building properties through this binding to the androgen receptor.
A drug that can either block or stimulate the same nuclear hormone receptor under different conditions is called a selective receptor modulator. If it can block or stimulate a receptor in a tissue selective manner, it may be able to mimic the beneficial effects in one tissue and, at the same time, minimize the unwanted effects of the natural or synthetic steroidal hormones in other tissues.
SARMs
SARMS offer the benefits of traditional Anabolic Androgenic Steroids such as testosterone (including increased muscle mass, fat loss, and bone density), all the while, offering a much lower tendency to produce the unwanted side effects that come with steroids.
In this light they are a new, unique class of compounds currently undergoing investigation and development from a number of pharmaceutical companies.
Where do SARMs come from/why where they developed?
Steroids have typically been prescribed in medicine for two distinct reasons:
-Muscle wasting diseases ranging from cancer to osteoporosis
-Hormone replacement therapy
The problems with anabolic steroids or testosterone replacement therapy arise from their undesirable side effects or pharmacokinetic properties.
If you are able to stimulate a receptor in a tissue selective manner, (in our case, selective to bone and muscle) it is possible to mimic the beneficial effects of androgen activation in muscles, and at the same time, minimize the unwanted effects of the natural or synthetic steroidal hormones in other tissues.
It is this specificity that makes these receptor modulators able to selectively cause muscle growth, while reducing or eliminating unwanted secondary side effects.
Hence pharmaceutical companies are currently looking to SARMs as an alternative to prescribed steroids.
How many SARMs are there?
Serveral global paharmacutical comanies are currently investingating, analysing and testing potentaial SARMS. There are hundreds of possible SARMS out there but there are two main SARMS currently available and most applicable to bodybuilders/fitness enthusiasts/athletes, with many user accounts, reviews and logs on the internet are Ostarine (MK-2866) and S-4 (Andarine).
Many of you will ask about GW-501516. It often gets classified as a SARM and is normally run in a "Sarms Triple Stack" however, technically, GW is not a SARM. GW is actually a PPAR receptor agonist as opposed to a selective androgen receptor modulators. I will go into more detail in this in a later article. Another known SARMS is MK-677 but it is not nearly as popular or used as Ostarine and S4.
Why they are beneficial ?
As stated previously, the problems with anabolic steroids or testosterone replacement therapy arise from their undesirable side effects or pharmacokinetic properties.
Stimulating the androgen receptor in only muscle tissue and bone can prevent most if not all of these harsh side effects, as shown below:
SARMs offer the potential for harnessing the benefits of anabolic supplementation whilst minimizing the undesirable side effects. They also have the potential advantages of oral dosing, which testosterone and some steroids do not.
How this applies to Body Builders
For the body builder/gym user/fitness enthusiast/athlete SARMs can be used either in conjunction with or as a replacement for traditional anabolics in the following uses:
• Lean muscle growth
• Preventing muscle loss during cutting/weight loss
• Injury rehabilitation
• PCT use after anabolics.
Of course the benefits when compared to steroids:
• Oral (no injections needed)
• Similar effects to testosterone (libido, strength gains, fat loss etc…)
• No conversion to Dihydrotestosterone
• No conversion to Estrogen
• No harsh liver toxicity from methylated compounds
• Does not inhibit your HPTA to the large extent of sterodis (no large reduction in LH or FSH)
• Legal
• Undetectable (select SARMs)
SARMs of interest
As previously mentioned, the two SARMs of most interest to users are Ostarine (MK-2866) and S-4 (Andarine). These are both commercially available in liquid suspension as research chemicals.
They have both undergone clinical testing by GTx and also have many cases of positive feedback by gym goers from forums and message boards across the internet.
Utilizing SARMS
There are several possible ways to use and utilize SARMS. I am a firm believer that the most effective and efficient use of SARMS is as a bridge in between steroid cycles. Using them in this manner allows a user to have a much easier time keeping and/or adding to gains made on previous cycles. SARMS make you feel great and take your mind aways from the feeling you have when coming "off". Many users report feeling even better on SARMS than they do on a normal steroid cycle. The "bridge" is their most effective use.
SARMs Cycles
Bulking
The typical user looking for lean mass gains would be suited to using Ostarine for 4-8 weeks at a dose of about 25mg, which will typically produce 6lbs or 3kg keepable gains in lean mass. SARMS are not best utilized in this manner but it is possible to put on a very clean and keepable amount of size.
Cutting
The typical user looking to cut body fat while retaining lean mass gains would be suited to using S4 for 4-8 weeks at a dose of 50mg which will produce excellent cutting effects. As S-4 shows a greater binding affinity to the receptor in the eye, it demonstrates fat burning effects in addition to maintenance of muscle mass. S-4 also shows a decrease in LPL (lipoprotein lipase) which is an enzyme that causes lipid accumulation. Stacking S-4 and Ostarine along with GW 501516 provide the best SARMS cutting cycle.
Strength
S4 is also similar to many of the DHT derived steroids in that effect of strength gains rise at a higher proportion than mass gains. So if you’re looking to experience and increase in strength without a large in increase in weight, S4 again used for 4-8 weeks at doses of 50mg which will produce excellent results. Once again, the triple stack will provide the best results but if a user is looking to only run one SARM, then S-4 is the best option.
Recomp
The recomping effect of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is what the majority of users are looking for.
Ostarine with its anabolic and nutrient partitioning effects is ideal for such a goal and a dosing protocol of 12.5-25mg for 4-8 weeks will give excellent recomp effects. Stacking with S-4 as well as GW 501516 will be excellent for a recomp as well. The beauty of SARMS is they are multifaceted in their use. Your diet and training will dictate the results, but there are many options that are possible with them.
Summary
Although still at an early stage of development, the potential for SARMs is very high, evident by the number of pharmaceutical firms currently developing different SARM compounds.
SARMs offer the following benefits:
• HPTA suppression may be present at higher doses run for longer time periods, however a stringent PCT of prescription SERMs like Nolva or Clomid is not necessary.
• High oral bioavailabilty without significant damage to your liver as with oral steroids/prohormones.
• Anabolic even at low doses
• Great for strength
• Great for lean mass gains
• Great for body recomposition
• Great for endurance (aerobic or anaerobic)
• Joint healing abilities
Anarchylifter says:
If you are interested in taking SARMS, the best advice I can give is stay away from the pill form. Chances are, if you run across SARMS that are not in liquid form, you are getting leftover prohormones that have been dumped into a new bottle and re-labeled as SARMS. Most supplement companies that were busted by the good old USSA for carrying prohormones before the ban on them went into affect, they had to do something with all those pills.
I have personally done a cycle of both the pill form and the liquid form. The pill form, for me, did nothing but make my heart race at night. However, my body reacted well to the liquid form. Since they are non-methylated, they won't screw up your liver royally like prohormones or anabolics will. Also, it is beneficial to always get your blood checked during the cycle. All of my test have come back with great results. If you ever give SARMS a go, please drop some feedback into the comments below!
Anarchylifter