Recently, the use of bodybuilding products / nutritional supplements known as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), which have not yet been approved by the health authorities, has increased significantly and there have been calls for such products to be withdrawn from the market.
The trends in the proliferation of such muscle building products, touted as alternatives to traditional anabolic steroids, are most notable among recreational users, including fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and those whose occupation is physically demanding.
SARMs fitness supplements are a controversial phenomenon in the medical and scientific, healthcare and consumer sectors. They have become increasingly popular because of their minimal side effects compared to anabolic steroids.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strictly claims that SARMs bodybuilding supplements contain “potentially” dangerous ingredients (which is why SARMs have not yet been approved for general use) and with life-threatening reactions and health risks such as liver damage.
The academic perspective between SARMs and anabolic steroids is sharply divided as some medicine professors insist that SARMs should be adopted as a new alternative to anabolic steroids – the latter, which have adverse side effects in both men and women.
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The disadvantages of traditional anabolic steroids
Steroids have traditionally offered athletes, fitness trainers, and enthusiasts the opportunity to rely on androgen-powered supplements for better, faster muscle growth. Anabolic steroids contain the male hormone androgen and as such improve anabolism (gain in muscle mass and strength), but that comes with a ton of side effects.
In men, some of these side effects include gynecomastia (breast development), acne, shrinkage of the testicles, enlarged prostate, and hair loss, while androgen-based anabolic steroids can lead to masculine effects such as increased body hair growth in women. Acne, as well as an enlarged clitoris, are some of the side effects women experience from using androgen medication.
In general, traditional androgen-based anabolic steroids can lead to other health complications such as liver damage and cardiovascular problems. And because of these side effects, the power amplifiers from SARMs are becoming increasingly important.
The rising popularity and concern about SARMs
Because of the side effects associated with traditional anabolic steroids, as mentioned above, SARMs – also called nonsteroidal SARMs – have grown in popularity with bodybuilders. SARMs are said to offer the same anabolic benefits [muscle gain] like traditional anabolic steroids, but they contain reduced androgenic properties, so they have fewer side effects and are widely considered to be the “safer class of androgenic drugs”.
SARMs were discovered in the late 1990s during a drug investigation aimed at finding a permanent, viable treatment for prostate cancer. And because they offer the same anabolic benefits as traditional steroids, they are in great demand. SARMs are not only performance-enhancing, but also help with recovery from exercise. SARMs are chemicals of a modified nature, but with functions similar to steroids and only act on selective receptors.
Where anabolic steroids bind to androgen receptors in many tissues throughout the body, individual SARMs bind to selected androgen receptors in certain tissues and not in all tissues throughout the body. When such binding occurs (both in the context of anabolic steroids and SARMs), changes in DNA are triggered and this affects protein synthesis – and therefore muscle growth.
Anabolic steroids thus affect every part of the body, while SARMs work selectively. As such, SARMs are similar to the common anabolic steroids, but it should be made clear that they are not one and the same thing. They work differently.
SARMs as a new source of positive medical benefits
Although the underground use of SARM supplements is flourishing, the drug’s use in clinical treatments is still problematic. Administration of SARMs in clinical treatments for muscle wasting due to various diseases such as cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, end-stage liver disease, end-stage kidney disease, HIV and osteoporosis is still considered health regulators reluctant to approve the use of SARMs in patients.
SARMs can alleviate significant muscle and strength decline with age. Studies are also being conducted to determine if SARMs are revolutionary in helping postmenopausal women with urinary incontinence (associated with weak pelvic muscles). However, the long-term effects of SARMs are not fully understood.
The legality of SARMs – an eternal gray area
Companies that make SARMs recently pissed off regulators like the FDA and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who claim they are unsafe because of “potentially” dangerous ingredients for the public. As of now, the FDA has not yet approved SARMs for prescription – they are only allowed for testing purposes. The drug is partially legal. However, this hinders the potential for groundbreaking studies. There is great uncertainty about SARMs due to the lack of well-funded studies.
It is illegal for a doctor to prescribe SARMs. Athletes wishing to participate in clinical trials (investigations) involving Prohibited Substances / Drugs should apply for a therapeutic exemption from the USADA. However, traditional anabolic steroids are mostly banned. At the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – applies to athletes at the highest and recreational level – all SARMs are strictly prohibited at all times
Marketing SARMs – Some Popular Online Sites
Because the explicit legality of SARMs is elusive, trade in them is forced to be part of an underground economy. In the global north, several UK companies have risen to meet the astronomical demand for SARMs – and that means all SARM trading is underground as these companies deal in unlicensed products.
When the FDA launched a crackdown on SARMs in 2017, it expressed concern about “unscrupulous” companies selling products containing SARMs, saying it could lead to life-threatening complications such as liver toxicity, risk of heart attack and other unknown effects.
Nonetheless, there are a few online stores that sell SARMs body fitness supplements as well as steroids. For example, AAS Pharmacy allows consumers to buy all anabolic steroids and SARMs online. They all offer steroids with a price range of around $ 40 to $ 130. Its homepage says, “US drug companies are keeping a tight grip on the American public by denying them life-changing drugs.” Other online stores include Finest Gears, which sell anabolic steroids and SARMs. Another online site that sells both types of steroids is Roids, and prides itself on being “the world’s leading steroid source” with warehouses in Europe and the US as well as an international one. Other great examples of online platforms that provide access to SARMs and anabolic steroids are Specter Labs from New York, USA, and Roid Shop from California, USA.
SARMs vs. Steroids – Is There Any “Real” Difference?
Both types of steroids have anabolic functions – that is, they increase muscle growth and strength – but they work in different ways. Anabolic steroids affect many tissues throughout the body (hence numerous side effects) and SARMs act selectively on specific tissues (hence minimal side effects) and help with fat loss while increasing performance by increasing lean muscle weight. While still anecdotal, SARMs also have their negative effects.
Steroids are completely illegal in most countries, while SARMs, especially in the US, are partially legal – allowed for investigative purposes only. Because of this legal gray area, the sale of anabolic steroids and SARMs is carried out by several underground companies – with online stores being one of their main weapons as they specifically meet the increasing demand for SARMs.
