SARMS are the latest addition to enhanced muscle building and they’re getting a lot of attention. SARMS stands for selective androgen receptor modulator, which essentially means they work like steroids but because they’re “selective” they avoid the side effects of steroids. Supposedly.
There are quite a few SARMs on the market, and some are stronger and have a higher risk of side-effects than others. They are sold on several site included the popular one, Proven Peptides. The more popular ones are Ostarine, Cardarine, Ligandrol and Andarine. They haven’t technically been approved for medical use, so they are sold as “research chemicals.” That means they are legal for use on laboratory animals. As long as they state on the label that they are “not for human consumption,” they continue to slip under the wire of being “legal.”
To understand how these drugs work, we have to take a look at their physiology. Like all hormones, they provide chemical messengers that your body uses to communicate with cells. SARMS “selects” androgen receptors and as you might already know, androgens are hormones that produce masculinity, thus increasing strength and allowing for more muscle growth. SARMS do the same thing, though not quite as well as anabolic steroids. SARMS will not convert to DHT or estrogen — two major problems for steroid using bodybuilders.
For years, scientists have been trying to find ways to develop steroids or steroid-like drugs that don’t have the negative side effects of steroids and marketers of SARMs claim that they do just that.They’re non-steroidal drugs designed to stimulate the androgen receptors only in muscle having little effect on the other cells in the body, and thus the sparing endocrine system from suppression and other deleterious effects. Again…in theory.
None of the SARMs on the market are truly selective for anabolic effects in muscle without producing some deleterious androgenic side effects in tissues such as the prostate gland. However, several of them show a ratio of anabolic to androgenic effects of greater than 3:1, compared to testosterone, which has a ratio of 1:1 So while SARMs are likely to show some virilizing effects when used at high doses at lower therapeutic doses they may well be effectively selective for mild anabolic effects. That’s good if SARMs are to have clinical application in the treatment of osteoporosis in women but is less impressive for bodybuilders looking for “steroid-like” gains. . One substantial advantage is that even though they are taken orally, they do not cause liver damage.
The biggest appeal to SARMS is for bodybuilders looking to get their feet wet and go beyond natural supplements to feel the effect of a muscle building drug. But are they worth it? Lesser effects and fewer side effects seems like a conservative trade off. But keep in mind, regardless to to the claims, no one really knows what these drugs do and how they may effects us in the long run. There is one thing know however…when SARMS first came on the scene they were thought to be non suppressive to natural testosterone production, but logic dictates that anything that is an outside influx on hormones will cause a rebound reaction. And sure enough, we now know that SARMS are indeed suppressive. And the more you use, the more suppressive they become.
If you’re still willing to try SARMS, the best approach is to use as little as possible and get the maximum benefit. One way to do that is to make sure that the testosterone that is increased is bio-available and not bound by SHBG. The best way to do that is include a SHBG blocker. The best natural source for blocking SHBG is the herbal extract Avenacosides. They aren’t readily available but one of the best sources is a product popular among advanced bodybuilders called UNLEASHED. It contains avencosides as well as other ingredients to allow testosterone to be biologically active. So by using UNLEASHED you can get the most benefit from a SARMS cycle or a steroids cycle or used all on its own with minimal side effects.
UNLEASHED can also be of tremendous benefit following a SARMS cycle in order to help recover your own testosterone production. Once again, the more testosterone you have, the better the chances of maintaining the gains you derived from the cycle. Even if you’re suppressed with a total testosterone level of, let’s say, 400, if most of that testosterone is actually working, instead of being bound up by SHBG, you can continue holding on to muscle and not lose any in the process. That’s a significant advantage toward making non stop gains. And of course, UNLEASHED works very well on its own for those who wish to take the healthiest and safest route.
So the jury is still out on SARMS, but it’s clear that caution should be taken. And if they are to be used it’s best to use them with a natural non suppressive compound that will enhance the effects.
Nelson Montana is a bodybuilding expert and author. He has written hundreds of articles for all types of bodybuilding media outlets. He is the author of two books, The Bodybuilding Truth & Bottom Line Bodybuilding. He is also an expert supplement formulator and is the creator of the best-selling testosterone supplement Unleashed.
