SARMs or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators have become increasingly common in the bodybuilding and recreationally lifting world.

But much like driving with your drunk Uncle Larry, there are safety concerns. Some use these research chemicals to enhance muscle mass, enhance athletic performance, or even enhanced fat loss. But how safe are they exactly?

SARMs were originally developed to replace Anabolic Steroids in the medical world, as they do have fewer androgenic adverse effects. This doesn’t mean they are “good”, however.

We’re going to take a deep dive into what the Safest SARMs are, which the most potent SARMs are, and see just why these cannot be coined as “for human consumption”.

What Are the Safest SARMs?

SARMs were developed in the late 1990s, as a means to replace Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in the medical world. See, Steroids are used as a treatment for muscle wastage diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

The reason for this is that even though Steroids have been developed more and more over the 1900s, they still had adverse effects, especially on women and children. SARMs were developed as a safer Steroid alternative, as they could be used without causing as many adverse effects.

That said, clinical trials are still not 100% sure about the safety of SARMs. Even though multiple people have used SARMs for sports enhancement, the FIA has still not approved SARMs for human use.

While a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator has the potential to be safe, there are still some that are less safe than others. The safest SARMs would have to be MK-677 [Not a SARM but a Growth Hormone Secretagogue [1], Ostarine MK 2866, Stenabolic, Andarine S4, and LGD 4033.

You have to run compounds that will increase muscle mass or at least stop muscle loss when cutting, but you would want to avoid the worst side effects. Let’s look at these compounds in greater detail.

1) Safest SARM: MK 677

MK 677 is commonly grouped with SARMs when in reality it is not a SARM at all. Regular SARMs will bind to the Androgen Receptors in the muscle tissue (and bone tissue as well) to cause an increase in muscle protein synthesis.

MK 677, however, is a Growth Hormone secretagogue, meaning it will not interact with the Androgen Receptors at all, but only cause an increased release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) from your Pituitary gland.

Increased HGH can lead to increased fat loss [2], and muscle gain, and even improve overall life quality.

Because MK 677 does not interact with the endocrine system at all, it is the “SARM” with the least amount of side effects, making MK 677 a very safe SARM.

MK 677 Summary

MK-677

MK 677 is commonly grouped with SARMs when in reality it is not a SARM at all. Regular SARMs will bind to the Androgen Receptors in the muscle tissue (and bone tissue as well) to cause an increase in muscle protein synthesis.

MK 677, however, is a Growth Hormone secretagogue, meaning it will not interact with the Androgen Receptors at all, but only cause an increased release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) from your own Pituitary gland.

Increased HGH can lead to increased fat loss [2], and muscle gain, and even improve overall life quality.

Because MK 677 does not interact with the endocrine system, it is the “SARM” with the least side effects, making MK 677 a very safe SARM and great for beginners.

FIND BEST PRICE

MK 677 Overview

⭐️ Top Benefits: Muscle growth, strength gain, fat loss
🧪 Form: Liquid, Powder
⌛️ Cycle Length: 8 – 12 weeks
💰 Average Cost: $64.99
❤️‍🩹 Side Effects: Water retention and gyno
☢️ Dangers: Hypertension
📚 Best Stack: Cardarine / LGD 4033 / RAD 140
PCT Required: No
🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️Men/Women: Men and Women
➡️ Go to the Full review

• Better recovery
• Improved fat loss
• Massive muscle gains

• Water retention
• Gyno

2) Mildest SARM (Most Researched)

Ostarine MK 2866 is one of the SARMs people love for its mildness. Not only will this SARM not cause you any side effects, but you will also see gradual gains rather than bloating.

Ostarine MK 2866 is the SARM with the most research behind the name, and the one most people start with. Studies have found that this SARM can help you burn some unwanted fat while building muscle, without causing real side effects [3].

For those that have serious safety concerns, Ostarine can cause some heartburn and nausea when you abuse the compound way above recommended doses.

This is the Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator that most people reach for in the beginning to stimulate anabolism, and can aid your intense weight training in more than one way.

Ostarine Summary

Ostarine

Ostarine is an orally-active, non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM ).

It’s considered to be the best SARM for beginners and it is most commonly used during bulking and recomp phases.

In a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial involving 120 healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women, ostarine was shown to significantly increase muscle issues, and improve physical function and insulin sensitivity. [4]

Ostarine selectively binds itself to proteins within the body that are called androgen receptors. When attached to the androgen protein, it communicates the message for it to get bigger.

Unlike anabolic steroids, Ostarine does not convert to estrogen or DHT. [5]

Ostarine is legal, but only for research purposes. It has not been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and as a result, cannot be sold as a dietary supplement.

FIND BEST PRICE

Ostarine MK-2866 Overview

⭐️ Top Benefits: Muscle growth, strength gain, fat loss
🧪 Form: Liquid, Powder
⌛️ Cycle Length: 6 – 7 weeks
💰 Average Cost: $54.99
❤️‍🩹 Side Effects: Stomach pain, headaches, cholesterol increase, liver strain, and hypertension
☢️ Dangers: Hepatotoxicity
📚 Best Stack: MK-677 / Cardarine / RAD 140
PCT Required: Yes
🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️Men/Women: Men and Women (Lower dose)
🔄 See Results
➡️ Go to the Full review

• Better recovery
• Improved fat loss
• Massive muscle gains

• Stomach pain
• Headaches
• Liver toxicity
• Hypertension
• Cholesterol

3) Safest for Fat Loss: Stenabolic SR9009

Stenabolic is another “SARM” that is in reality, not a SARM. Stenabolic is known as a REV-ERB and will increase the Rev-ErbA affinity in our body.

Stenabolic is not one of the more popular SARMs, and the reason for this is that it isn’t actually hormonal at all – it does not cause Testosterone downregulation at all. This also means that there is no PCT needed and no Testosterone replacement therapy risk.

Why would you even want more Rev-ErbA? Well, it can increase lipolysis, decrease adipogenesis, and improve inflammatory responses from the body [6].

So not only will Stenabolic increase the amount of fat you lose, and fight muscle wasting, and some even say it can improve sleep as well.

SR9009 Summary

Stenabolic SR9009

Stenabolic is a molecule, or a ligand, which has the ability to attach itself directly to another molecule. In this instance, the molecules in question are proteins known as Rev-Erba. Once Stenabolic has attached itself to the protein molecules, it works by basically speeding up its effects and making them a great deal more powerful and effective than they would ordinarily have been.

Stenabolic is known to be an agonist for the REB-ERB, which is a protein that sets up the natural circadian rhythms in the body. REB-ERBs are located mostly in hepatocytes, myocytes, and adipose cells. Stenabolic enhances the activity of REB-ERBs. By binding to REB-ERB, it brings about changes such as reducing the production of glucose and triglycerides, increasing mitochondrial activity, and boosting blood circulation.

In skeletal muscle, the use of this drug increased skeletal muscle metabolism rates by as much as 50% which was truly quite extraordinary. The compound resulted in an increased resting metabolic rate, which meant that, even in a sedentary state, the metabolism still increased and was burning off more calories and generating more energy than before.

FIND BEST PRICE

Stenabolic SR9009 Overview

⭐️ Top Benefits: Endurance and fat loss
🧪 Form: Liquid, Powder
⌛️ Cycle Length: 6 – 8 weeks
💰 Average Cost: $64.99
❤️‍🩹 Side Effects: Stomach cramps and insomnia
☢️ Dangers: Do not abuse
📚 Best Stack: MK-677 / Cardarine / Testolone / LGD 4033
🌡 PCT Required: No
🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️Men/Women: Men and Women
🔄 See Results
➡️ Go to the Full review

• Better recovery
• Improved fat loss

• Stomach cramps
• Insomnia

4) Safest SARM for Strength

Unlike some of the other SARMs on this list, Andarine S4 is a simple and straightforward SARM. It will bind to the Androgen Receptors throughout the body and cause biological changes.

Andarine is known to be quite good at helping individuals cut weight. Unlike Anabolic Steroids, there is very little chance that this compound will cause Estrogenic side effects.

Andarine will give you a very dry look while also helping you with building lean body mass as well as increasing bone density. It was originally developed for patients suffering from muscle wasting and bone problems (as they age).

While Andarine is relatively safe, there are definitely effects on the eyes as users have reported “yellowing” of vision. They also claim that it can make the eyes very sensitive to light.

S4 Summary

S4 Andarine

Andarine (developmental code names GTx-007, S-4) is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) developed by GTX, Inc for the treatment of conditions such as muscle wasting, osteoporosis, and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). [7]

Its anabolic activity has been viewed to be comparable to testosterone, but unlike anabolic steroids, Andarine does not suppress luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

As a result, Andarine is able to increase muscle and bone mass without affecting the prostate and does not result in many of the negative side effects that come with the use of anabolics. 

Andarine has become popular as a cutting agent since it accomplishes fat loss by decreasing lipoprotein lipase (LPL) levels and decreasing water retention. Andarine will also prevent you from losing your hard-earned muscle mass and it may even help you to put on lean muscle mass. 

FIND BEST PRICE

S4 Andarine Overview

⭐️ Top Benefits: Muscle growth, strength gain, fat loss
🧪 Form: Liquid, Powder
⌛️ Cycle Length: 6 – 8 weeks
💰 Average Cost: $59.99
❤️‍🩹 Side Effects: Vision issues, headaches, and liver toxicity
☢️ Dangers: Hepatotoxicity
📚 Best Stack: MK-677 / Cardarine / RAD 140
PCT Required: Yes
🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️Men/Women: Men
🔄 See Results
➡️ Go to the Full review

• Better recovery
• Improved fat loss
• Massive muscle gains

• Headaches
• Liver toxicity
• Vision issues

5) Safest for Muscle Growth

Ligandrol LGD-4033 is a selective androgenic receptor modulator (SARM) that was developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals. It is primarily a mass-building SARM that was originally developed to treat muscle-wasting conditions.
Ligandrol is one of the best SARMs for increasing lean mass and it activates the muscle regeneration process after a workout. This SARM also increases both energy and strength.
Ligandrol can be stacked with a cutting SARM for weight loss in order to preserve muscle size while you are stripping off body fat.
In terms of weight loss, Ligandrol is able to attach to fat receptors and stimulate fat loss. It will boost the metabolism for faster calorie burning.

LGD 4033 Summary

Ligandrol LGD-4033

Ligandrol LGD-4033 is a selective androgenic receptor modulator (SARM) that was developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals. It is primarily a mass-building SARM that was originally developed to treat muscle-wasting conditions.

Ligandrol is one of the best SARMs for increasing lean mass and it activates the muscle regeneration process after a workout. This SARM also increases both energy and strength.

Ligandrol can be stacked with a cutting SARM for weight loss in order to preserve muscle size while you are stripping off body fat.

In terms of weight loss, Ligandrol is able to attach to fat receptors and stimulate fat loss. It will boost the metabolism for faster calorie burning.

FIND BEST PRICE

Ligandrol LGD-4033 Overview

⭐️ Top Benefits: Muscle growth, strength gain, fat loss
🧪 Form: Liquid, Powder
⌛️ Cycle Length: 6 – 10 weeks
💰 Average Cost: $59.99
❤️‍🩹 Side Effects: Aggression, acne, liver and kidney issues, and hypertension
☢️ Dangers: Hepatotoxicity, Renal toxicity
📚 Best Stack: MK-677 / Cardarine / RAD 140
PCT Required: Yes
🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️Men/Women: Men
🔄 See Results
➡️ Go to the Full review

• Better recovery
• Improved fat loss
• Massive muscle gains

• Aggression
• Androgenic sides
• Liver and kidney toxicity
• Hypertension

What are SARMs?

Simply put, SARMs, or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators were developed to replace Anabolic Steroids in the medical world. See, Steroids were given as a treatment method for individuals who suffered from illnesses that cause atrophy of skeletal muscle.

Unfortunately, Steroids will cause quite a bit of side effects while increasing muscle mass, so doctors wanted something new, something better.

The scientists over at Ligand Pharmaceuticals were the first to identify such a compound, that had both anabolic activity while also portraying some selectiveness in tissue [8]. Thus, SARMs were developed to act like Anabolic Steroids, without adverse effects.

How Do Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators Work?

The human body has Androgen Receptors throughout that are meant to be bound by ligands. In particular, these ligands include human hormones such as Testosterone. This is completely normal and healthy, and can even be exploited.

By massively increasing the number of certain ligands in the body, we can see massive biological changes, particularly in metabolism, body fat levels, bone density, and muscle mass. We know from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that Testosterone alone will build muscle mass [9] – no exercise is needed! Just look at the graph!

SARMs will do something similar to Steroids, just not quite as powerful. SARMs will bind to the Androgen Receptors in the body, causing muscle growth. Easy right? Let’s make it a bit harder. This is how SARMs work:

Step 1: Steroid Hormone or SARM binds to the Steroid Hormone Receptors

Step 2: Hormone/SARM-Receptor complex enters the Nucleus

Step 3: The complex will bind to the receptor sites on the chromatin

Step 4: This activates mRNA transcription

Step 5: mRNA leaves the nucleus

Step 6: Ribosomes translate mRNA into new proteins

This is the process in which SARMs will help you gain muscle. These compounds will also not bind to all the receptors in the human body, unlike Anabolic Steroids, which will bind to everything.

Safest SARMs for Bulking

Bulking is a term usually used by individuals looking to gain quite a bit of muscle mass and don’t actually mind gaining a bit of pudge as well. Not the “leanest” option available.

The safest SARM for bulking would have to be Ligandrol LGD 4033 because it’s actually got some potency. Yes, there are side effects, however, if your goal is bulking, you’re looking for something with significant benefits.

This means taking a few L’s and choosing the appropriate Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator. Might be a wise idea to keep some PCT or anti-aromatase products on hand.

Safest SARMs for Lean Muscle Mass

Conversely to “bulking”, trying to gain lean muscle mass usually means a more careful approach. Someone looking to improve muscle mass, someone looking to use some body-building products to cause muscle growth without any fat gain or bloat.

The safest SARM for lean muscle mass would have to be Ostarine. Ostarine is known to be somewhat mild in its physical function, and that means that you simply won’t be experiencing the heavy sides. You can still experience a significant amount of muscle growth, and you certainly will do less damage than any Anabolic Steroid.

Safest SARMs for Fat Loss

Fat loss differs ever so slightly from “cutting” because, in my opinion, fat loss can apply to anyone and everyone. Only athletes (specifically physique athletes) will cut.

The safest SARM for Fat Loss would have to be MK-677 (again, not really a SARM). MK 677 is known as a Growth Hormone secretagogue that will increase the amount of Growth Hormone the pituitary produces.

Growth Hormone has few if any “real” side effects when used in normal doses. It can definitely lead to insulin resistance if you totally abuse the product in question, however, you have to be eating like an absolute pig (and using way too much for that to happen).

MK 677 will lead to increased levels of Lipase in the body, which in turn will greatly increase lipolysis – fat loss. It is pretty average at inducing muscle growth, however.

Safest SARMs for Cutting

Cutting is reserved for athletes mostly. Physical function plays a massive role in their progress, as they need to battle muscle wasting as much as they possibly can. Other SARMs like MK 677 would help, sure, but I think the safest SARM for cutting is Ligandrol.

It is going to do a better job at stopping muscle wasting when dieting than some other SARMs on this list, and in clinical trials, it has been shown to aid slightly in the act of losing fat.

If your diet correctly, you even stand a chance of increasing lean muscle mass! But, you have to be doing everything perfectly for that to happen.

Safest SARMs for Beginners

Beginners are often misinformed that they can take substances without any sides. There are always going to be some side effects, these are not dietary supplements after all. This is why the World Anti-Doping Agency bans these compounds.

That said, if you are 100% sure about using a SARM, you could look at Ostarine. Typically not going to have a lot of side effects, and it is the SARM with the most amount of clinical trials supporting it.

Benefits of SARMs

SARMs are a term used to describe a massive amount of compounds that all have a different chemical structures, and they will have different effects based on that structure. That said, SARMs can have the following benefits:

• Increase in lean muscle tissue
• Decrease in body fat levels
• Improving your cardiovascular and muscular endurance
• Greater bone density
• Better sleep
• Certain SARMs can even increase libido and sexual function

While SARMs do have a host of benefits, it’s important to remember that SARMs can still have side effects. No official regulatory body has approved SARMs for human use, and that will only happen when all the side effects have been fully studied, etc.

SARMs vs Anabolic Steroids

The first thing you need to know is that SARMs and Steroids do exactly the same thing, just in different manners.

Both SARMs and Steroids will bind to the Androgen Receptor Cells, and cause a biological change from there. The process is explained in a paragraph higher in this article, however, it is important to remember that these substances do the same thing.

The only difference is that Steroids have the potential to be way more impactful on your body. Steroid users have a greater risk of developing prostate cancer, worse cholesterol readings, and Testosterone suppression. This is because Steroids are a lot stronger than SARMs.

SARMs do, however, need a lot more research done on them before we have a grasp as to how these compounds act on a long-term scale.

Safest Place to Buy SARMs

Finding a reputable SARM supplier online is pretty hard and for good reason. These guys can label their products as anything and since the dietary supplement industry doesn’t regulate these compounds, they aren’t tested.

That said, we have made use of Amino Asylum for a long while now, and they have never disappointed us. They have everything from RAD 140 to even other products, like a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator.

They have a large number of great reviews on their site and on Reddit, and if you spend some time online, you’ll soon realize that Amino Asylum is the leading SARM supplier in the States.

Safest Way to Take SARMs

Don’t.

SARMs are experimental, they are literally sold as research chemicals! So, if you are terrified of any side effects at all, maybe don’t use these substances, there are plenty of other dietary supplements such as Creatine that can help you.

If you are actually sure you want to use a SARM, here are some tips on how to use SARMs safely:

• Don’t use too much, follow the recommended dosing
• Don’t use the strongest SARMs, start off with lighter ones and move up
• Do not run cycles that are longer than recommended
• Have your bloodwork done to see how your hormones change, like with LetsGetChecked
• Use other substances like a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) and aromatase inhibitors as needed
• Make use of a PCT once you have completed your cycle

Are SARMs Legal?

The use of a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator or SARM is technically illegal. These are classified as “not for human use” and they may not be sold as dietary supplements. That said, SARMs are legal to purchase under the term “research chemicals”, as are some other compounds like Peptides. SARMs are however banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in professional sports.