What is the effect of SARMs on your body?

Compared to anabolic steroids, SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators) have less androgenic (male-like) effects. Arousal of the androgen receptor is caused by the binding of androgens, such as testosterone. While anabolic steroids bind to androgen receptors throughout the body, SARMs preferentially bind to androgen receptors in certain tissues and not others.

This could be especially useful in medical settings for promoting specialized tissue growth like muscle and bone while avoiding unwanted side effects in other tissues like the liver and skin. SARMs are being studied in the clinic for muscle wasting caused by osteoporosis, cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, end-stage liver disease, end-stage renal illness, and HIV.

To date, all SARMs have been utilized purely for research.

Prescription SARMs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are no longer available. Your doctor is not allowed to prescribe a SARM because they are all investigational drugs. Athletes interested in participating in clinical studies involving prohibited substances should submit an application to USADA for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

SARMs should not be used in bodybuilding supplements, according to the FDA.

"We are quite concerned about unscrupulous companies hawking body-building items containing potentially dangerous ingredients. According to Donald D. Ashley, J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's Office of Compliance, bodybuilding supplements containing selective androgen receptor modulators, or SARMs, have not been approved by the FDA and have been linked to serious safety concerns, including the potential to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as life-threatening reactions like liver damage. "We will continue to take action against corporations that market these things to protect the public's health.

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to Infantry Labs, LLC, IronMagLabs, and Panther Sports Nutrition for distributing SARM-containing products. Despite being offered and labelled as such, the commodities referenced in the warning letters are not nutritional supplements. The drugs are unlicensed, and the FDA has not examined them for safety and effectiveness.

 SARM-containing medications have been linked to life-threatening side effects, including liver damage. SARMs have also been associated to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, with long-term effects on the body still unknown. If users suffer any negative side effects while using these bodybuilding supplements, they should discontinue use immediately and seek medical advice.

 Health care providers and consumers should report any adverse events related to the use of these bodybuilding products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. To file a report, use the MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form. The completed form can be faxed or emailed to 1-800-FDA-0178.

Companies must respond to the FDA within 15 working days of receiving a warning letter, describing how the FDA's concerns will be resolved. Companies who do not resolve the issues risk further enforcement action, including seizures, injunctions, and prosecutions.