Selective androgen receptor modulators, also known as SARMs, are marketed as having similar positive effects on muscle and strength that pro-hormones and anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) offer, but with fewer side effects. Essentially, SARMs are compounds that can block or stimulate key receptors in body tissue, which can help to increase the positive effects and decrease the unwanted side effects that anabolic steroids do.
SARMs have been shown to increase muscle mass, bone mass, and fat loss without significant increases in estrogen or shutting down the Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis).
SARMs act on specific androgen receptors which are found in a number of key tissues throughout the body. They act mostly on muscles, skin, hair and do not affect for example the prostate.In general, SARMs offer three key benefits increased muscle mass, decreased fat mass, and increased bone mass.
SARMs aren’t just designed and meant for athletes; There are a slew of populations that could benefit from SARMs. Those with one or more of the following conditions could benefit from SARMs: muscle wasting disorders, sports injuries, burn injuries, weakness and/or body wasting due to cancer or HIV, and frailty and/or muscle atrophy as a result of the aging process. Elder people who ants their young skin and hair quality back.
SARMs also have the unique benefit of being non-methylated and non-aromatized by the body, so they’re not toxic to the liver nor do they convert in to other active androgen or estrogen compounds. Liver toxicity and aromatization is a very serious concern when using pro-hormones and anabolic steroids. As you can see, SARMs benefit both chronically ill individuals as well healthy individuals looking to maximize quality of life.
WHY USE SARMs
The fitness industry uses SARMs in many of the same ways as the general population – to increase muscle mass, maximize fat loss while preserving lean mass, as well as rehabilitate injuries via improved bone and muscle strength. However, some fitness enthusiasts use SARMs in between pro-hormone, AASs, and testosterone cycles for PCT or as an alternative to those three aforementioned compounds.
Although pro-hormones, anabolic steroids and testosterone cycles can produce rapid and dramatic increases in muscle and strength, they’re extremely harsh on the body and often result in numerous, serious side effects. These side effects include: expedited prostate cancer development, baldness, acne, excessive body hair growth, acne, male breast development (gynecomastia), high blood pressure, poor liver and cholesterol blood panels, heart growth, and elimination of natural testosterone production.
SARMS offer the benefits of traditional Anabolic Androgenic Steroids such as testosterone (including increased muscle mass, fat loss, and bone density), all the while, giving the user no unwanted side effects that come with steroids.
The problems with anabolic steroids are due to the harsh and nasty side effects that they have:
- Potential stimulation of prostate cancer
- Male pattern baldness
- Acne
- Body hair growth
- Gynecomastia (male breast development)
- High blood pressure
- Liver toxicity
- Cholesterol imbalance
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (Heart growth)
The above side effects are because anabolic steroids stimulate all receptors, they don’t pick and choose where to give you results or where to give you problems. On the other hand, SARMS stimulate the androgen receptor in only muscle tissue and bone. As a result, this can prevent most if not all of the harsh side effects of steroids.
SARMS offer the potential for harnessing the benefits of steroid use whilst minimizing the undesirable side effects. They also have the potential advantages of oral dosing, which testosterone and all injectable steroids do not
For the bodybuilder, gym user, fitness enthusiast, and athlete SARMS can be used either in conjunction with or as a replacement for traditional anabolics. Here are just some of the benefits SARMS can do for you:
- Increase Lean muscle growth
- Prevent muscle loss during cutting/weight loss
- Boost Injury rehabilitation
- Decrease Post-training recovery times
- Help recover after cycle by adding to PCT
- Increase fat loss
- Increase endurance
- Decrease fatigue
- Improve and increase growth of hair and nails
- Improves mood and sense of well being
- Improve libido and sexual function
- Smoother, firmer skin and decreases wrinkles.
- Better sleep