Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) Are Dangerous — Here’s Why

Selective androgen receptor modulators (sometimes called specific androgen receptor modulators or SARMs) have been looked at as popular supplements among fitness enthusiasts and chiseled athletes. Why? Because they’ve long been thought to be less harmful than steroids for those looking to bulk up fast. In truth, though, SARMs may be more harmful than we initially thought because they could cause widespread complications for your body.

Family medicine physician Ayan Sanyal, MD, explains how SARMs are becoming associated with major negative effects on your body’s vital organs and why you should steer clear of them.

What are SARMs?

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) fall under a category of compounds that activate specific androgen (sex hormone) receptors in your muscles and bones instead of all the androgen receptors in your body. As a result, it creates a rush of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in those areas and stimulates fast muscle growth and an increase in bone mass.

Selective androgen receptor modulators examples

SARMs go by a number of different names, making them hard to spot in a laundry list of ingredients used in popular supplements. Often, you’ll see language on the package to the effect of “For research purposes only,” or “Not for human consumption.”

“The supplement market is highly unregulated and there’s very little quality control,” Dr. Sanyal warns. “Some of these products want you to think you’re getting SARMs, but they may actually have a very low percentage of those compounds or a very high, toxic level of these compounds. You just never know what you’re actually getting.”

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) says some of the most popular SARMs are:

• Ostarine (Enobosarm, MK2866, S22)
• Andarine (S4)
• LGD-4033 (Ligandrol)
• LGD-3033
• TT-701
• RAD140 (Testolone)
• S23

SARMs side effects

Some people will tell you that because SARMs are choosy about which receptors they unlock, they don’t have negative side effects. But scientific research says otherwise.

“More research needs to be done to know more about SARMs’ effects and their long-term effects, but the preliminary research has raised a number of concerns,” Dr. Sanyal shares.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that research to date has connected SARMs with risks and side effects like:

• Increased risk of heart attack or stroke
• Psychosis and hallucinations
• Sleep disturbances
• Sexual dysfunction
• Liver injury and acute liver failure
• Infertility
• Miscarriage
• Testicular atrophy (shrinkage)

“SARMs have yet to be subjected to the high-quality clinical studies that need to happen to fully understand their risks and any benefits,” continues Dr. Sanyal. “Future research will also be able to tell us more about how SARMs interact with other medications and supplements.”

SARMs vs. steroids

Currently, there are no approved medical uses for SARMs, unlike anabolic steroids, which are commonly used to treat conditions like low testosterone.

Furthermore, the risks of misusing anabolic steroids have been well-studied and understood for years. But because SARMs work a bit differently by activating only selective androgens instead of every androgen in your body, there’s a common misconception that they’re safer — and that may not be the case.

“SARMs are still in the investigational stages by the FDA, so their safety profile and long-term effects haven’t been well studied,” says Dr. Sanyal. “But from what we do know, SARMs have been associated with very major negative impacts across several vital organs in your body.”

Are SARMs legal?

It’s illegal for companies to market or sell SARMs as supplements. They’re also banned by the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as for use by competitive athletes across several sports organizations, including the NCAA.

“More than 120 SARM products are on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, which means these products show up as a positive on a drug screening test, even if you haven’t taken them for a while or don’t take them regularly,” Dr. Sanyal notes.

Are selective androgen receptor modulators worth the risks?

SARMs haven’t been approved by the FDA and are associated with serious safety concerns. The FDA has, and will continue to, take legal action against companies selling products that contain SARMs. Until more widespread research is done to show scientific evidence of any potential benefits, you should steer clear of SARMs and talk with your healthcare provider if you’re considering taking any new supplements.

“You’re really rolling the dice by taking SARMs because we don’t know everything that they do to the body on the biochemical level,” Dr. Sanyal warns. “Eating a healthy diet with plenty of lean proteins and alternating cardio exercise with weight training is going to be the safer route to building muscle.”