The majority of personal trainers and coaches in some parts of the world are very keen on SARMs. We take a closer look why it has become so popular and how the issue of legality is quickly changing in the world.
What are SARMs?
Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are synthetic drugs that are chemically similar to steroids. They were developed in the 1990s in an effort to reduce the adverse side effects of steroids. Their original purpose was to reduce muscle and bone density loss due to aging and other causes. Because they are quite effective for that purpose, and have no known side effects, they have become popular among athletes who want to lose fat, build muscles and strengthen bone. They are still going through clinical tests therefore they have not been medically approved by many government agencies except the United Kingdom and Canada. However, they are readily available online, being manufactured by many drug companies.
Benefits of SARMs
SARMs are quite effective for strengthening bones and muscles, increasing muscle mass, reducing muscle and bone loss, accelerating healing after injury, and reducing fat without harming the liver and the prostate. This has been proven by many studies.
Risks of SARMs
Though there are many warnings against their use, athletes are using SARMs without much harm. However, some people have experienced side effects from using low quality SARMs that contain steroids, hormones and other harmful ingredients. In fact, 44 products found online were tested in one study and 52% of them contained SARMs as claimed, 25% contained unlisted ingredients and 39% contained another drug. Other products had dosages different from what was listed and others had no SARMs at all. Therefore, anyone looking for SARMs to buy has to exercise caution and buy only from reputable companies or from online stores that have consistent positive reviews.
How SARMs work
SARMs work by imitating many of the effects of testosterone in your bones and muscles. They are designed to target particular android receptors, meaning that they only interact with those and do not have an effect on other parts of the body. Therefore, they do not affect the liver and the prostate like steroids as the user enjoys all the perks.
Will SARMs be legal in more countries soon?
Clinical trials are ongoing in the hope that SARMs can be used in the place of harsher hormones and drugs currently being used. Since they have been tested by many researchers for over 2 decades, everyone is wondering if they are going to be legalized by many countries. It is highly possible, in the face of their positive effects and few or no side effects.
We have seen how CBD was used by ordinary people and tested by scientists and proven to be effective and safe for decades but was not legalized by many countries. We have also seen how one country after another legalized it in the last few years. This legalization was reached when too many people, who were not getting relief from allotropic medication, were finding relief from CBD with minor or no side effects. One example is the legalization of CBD for children suffering from epilepsy who only found relief from CBD. Gradually we saw many countries legalizing the growing of medicinal hemp and the use of CBD, and determining the acceptable levels of THC in the CBD.
SARMs are going through the same process as CBD. Right now, they are illegal as far as the World Anti-doping Agency is concerned, and they are illegal in the sense that they are not authorized by many government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration in the USA. At the same time, they are allowed to be sold as “research chemicals.” Many manufacturers and sellers are taking advantage of this loophole.
That is why, if anyone goes online and searches “buy sarms” or “sarms for sale” they can see a long list of websites claiming to sell them. Some of the products, such as Cardarine, Ostarine, MK 677 and Ligandrol are good quality and safe. Others may be questionable. If you search “sarms UK”, you will find many sites selling SARM products and there is no fear in buying those legally. If you search “sarms US”, you will find many websites selling SARM products even though the FDA has not yet approved them. Obviously, there is a huge market for them in the USA despite the legal issues.
Because SARMs are effective and safe in many cases, people are not waiting for the legalization so they are buying online. There is a high likelihood that, in a short time, more countries will see that the benefits of SARMs far outweigh the potential risks. This will be accompanied by the determination of the right concentration of SARMs in a product and everything will be standardized.
