With the accessibility of unapproved steroids and other products on the rise due to the black market, it’s more important than ever for athletes to understand the anti-doping and health risks associated with these compounds, including Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs). SARMs are prohibited at all times on the WADA Prohibited List and are not approved for human use by any regulatory body. Keep reading to learn more.
What are SARMs?
SARMs are a class of drug compounds that have similar performance-enhancing properties to anabolic steroids, but with reduced androgenic (producing male characteristics) and estrogenic (producing female characteristics) side effects.
In medical settings, this could be very useful for stimulating specific tissue growth like muscle and bone, while avoiding unwanted side effects in other tissues like the liver or skin. SARMs are being evaluated as a clinical treatment for muscle-wasting caused by several diseases, such as osteoporosis, cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, end-stage liver disease, end-stage renal disease, and HIV.
However, SARM preclinical and clinical studies have reported serious side effects, including bone remodeling, testosterone suppression, and kidney, liver, and prostate enlargement. Alarmingly, recent case reports associate the use of SARMs with harmful effects like drug-induced liver injury, myocarditis, and tendon rupture.
To date, all SARMs are for investigational purposes only, meaning they are not approved by any regulatory authority for human use to treat a disease or medical condition. They cannot be legally prescribed by a health professional.
Are SARMs prohibited on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List?
All SARMs are prohibited at all times (both in and out-of-competition) for all athletes, from those competing at the highest level of sport to those competing at the recreational level. SARMs are listed in the category of “Other Anabolic Agents” under section S1.2 of the WADA Prohibited List.
Examples of SARMs include: ostarine (Enobosarm, MK 2866), andarine, LGD-4033 (ligandrol), and RAD140. SARMs have the potential to be misused for performance enhancement in sport due to their anabolic properties, as well as their ability to stimulate androgen receptors in muscle and bone, leading to bone and muscle growth.
What if my doctor prescribes a SARM for me?
There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved SARMs currently available for prescription. All SARMs are investigational drugs, so it is not legal for your doctor to prescribe a SARM. Athletes who would like to participate in clinical trials involving prohibited substances should contact USADA for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
What are the health risks associated with SARMS?
The FDA has warned consumers about potential life-threatening side effects from SARMs, including an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Consumers most commonly purchase SARMs online, and there is a high risk of these black market products being contaminated with other substances, contributing to adverse effects. Athletes have also reported consuming SARMs at much higher doses than clinically studied, which may increase the risk of the reported side effects, such as liver injury, impaired insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular events, and tendon damage.
The long-term effects of using SARMs are unknown.
Can SARMs be found in dietary supplements?
SARMs are not legal ingredients for any dietary supplements. However, there are many dietary supplements on the market that are contaminated with, or claim to contain, SARMs. There are also many products marketed directly to consumers as “research” compounds that advertise to contain SARMs. Athletes should avoid all such products.
Currently, there are many products listed on the Supplement Connect High Risk List that advertise to contain SARMs.
Athletes should be aware that SARM ingredients could be listed on dietary supplement product labels under various names.
The following are examples of SARMs that are frequently and illegally marketed in dietary supplements or as research chemicals:
- Ostarine (Enobosarm, MK2866, S22)
- Andarine (S4)
- LGD-4033 (Ligandrol)
- LGD-3033
- TT-701
- RAD140 (Testolone)
- RAD150
- S23
The following prohibited substances are also sometime marketed as SARMs:
- SR9009 (Stenabolic) and SR9011
- Ibutamoren (MK-677, Nutrabol)
- GW501516 (GW1516, Cardarine, Endurobol)
- YK-11
More questions?
For questions about specific products, substances, and methods, contact USADA’s Drug Reference Line at drugreference@USADA.org or call (719) 785-2000, option 2.
