What SARMs are...
This class of androgen receptor ligands are relatively new, having been researched and developed for the past few decades by many pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Their implications are many, with the overall goal being that they are behave much more selectively and only target specific areas and systems of the subjects physiology.
What SARMs are used for...
Currently SARMs are used in research with several in human clinical trials.They are being looked at to treat many conditions including muscle wasting, diabetes, osteoporosis and more. Possessing the ability to speed recovery, increase muscle mass and increase fat loss are just a few of the many benefits seen in current research.
How SARMs work...
SARMs bind to the androgen receptor and demonstrate osteo (bone) and myo (muscular) anabolic activity. Binding and activation of the Androgen receptor alters the expression of genes and increases protein synthesis, hence builds muscle.
Unlike testosterone and other anabolic steroids and prohormones, SARMs do not produce the unwanted growth effect on the prostate and other secondary sexual organs in studies.
Why SARMs are superior to conventional steroids...
SARMs provide the opportunity to design molecules that can be delivered orally, but that selectively target the androgen receptors in disparate tissues differently. This allows tissues that are the target of the therapy to respond as they would to testosterone, without affecting non targeted tissues. For example, in studies women taking
Ostarine would not suffer from the negative affects associated with traditional androgenic therapies due to its selectivity.
Present day androgens for male HRT are typically injectable formulations of testosterone or testosterone esters. Injectable forms of testosterone esters produce undesirable fluctuations in testosterone blood levels, with overly high levels shortly after injection and overly low afterward. Oral androgens are not currently used due to liver toxicity where as SARMs present no liver toxicity in studies as they are not methylated.
SARM differentiators...
There are dozens of SARMs under development, with several being moved forward in human clinical trials. While many of them share functional goals, their specifics vary widely. You will find a list of pertinent SARM research material with handy links to their source on our SARM White Papers page.
Read more on our SARM Comparison page about the different qualities of YK-11, Cardarine, Andarine (S-4) and LGD-4033.
