Bodybuilding has always been divided into two groups, the natural athlete vs. the steroid user. And it doesn’t take a magnifying glass to see which group one belongs to.
The natural athlete or the ‘natty’ as they say will be smaller, weaker and slower as compared to the roid user.
And on gear, you can pretty much choose what you want to be. Ripped and shredded, beefed and bulky, it’s like choosing your poison and reaping the perks.
The natty might put in all the effort, time and money that they have and yet, might not even achieve 50% of what a juiced up athlete is able to achieve in terms of results and performance.
But, gear use brings with it a bouquet of serious side effects, some of which are irreversible.
This is what keeps a lot of recreational bodybuilders and fitness buffs away from steroids.
They don’t think that it’s worth the risk, which is pretty true if you ask us.
If you don’t compete, steroids are bad news. Stay away. Stay natural.
For a while, it seemed like Peptides would fill the void. But as the risks associated with Peptides started to come to the fore, it seemed as bad as steroids, if not worse.
And then, came SARMS.
Steroids | Peptides | Supplements | SARMs | |
Results | Best | Medium | Little | Medium |
Side Effects | Serious | Serious | Little To None | Little To None |

Why People Buy SARMS
SARMS have all the potential to be the perfect middle ground in between steroids and money-guzzling protein shakes. It gives the natural athlete a sneak peak at the other side of the grass, without some of the risks associated with steroid use.
If you have always wondered whether SARMS are worth the price and effort, then this brief guide will help you make an informed decision.
What are SARMS?

SARMS are synthetic, investigational drugs that are being studied for potential therapeutic applications.
These chemicals are ligands that bind selectively to androgen receptors in the body and amplify specific reactions from these receptor sites.
Most of them are designed to mimic the anabolic effects of steroids while bypassing the androgenic effects.
So, a SARM might increase lean muscle and bone density in a male without causing any negative effect in their prostate gland.
Or without aromatizing into estrogen and causing gynecomastia. Or increasing facial hair or causing male traits in female athletes.
The therapeutic benefits alone are mind boggling. It can be used to increase lean muscle and prevent muscle wasting in people who cannot exercise due to various reasons.
It can also be used to prevent muscle wasting in cancer patients without the risk of androgenicity.
And in a performance enhancement setting, SARMS can be the perfect replacement for anabolic steroids, provided that they do not cause any long term side effects.
Why SARMS?

If that wasn’t too evident a description, then here are five reasons why SARMS might be a better bet than steroids.
Orally bioavailable:
Most SARMS are orally bioavailable which means that you do not have to pin yourself every other day. Dosing it is convenient. You can do it anywhere and anytime. They are available in liquid form, capsules and in raw powder form.
Does not aromatize:
SARMS do not aromatize to estrogen. Which means that there is almost zero risk of gynecomastia or other estrogenic side effects while using them. This alone is one of the biggest motivating factors for steroid users to switch to SARMS and for natural athletes to consider SARM.
Does not shut you down:
SARMS will not shut down your body’s natural testosterone production completely. At best, they will suppress you by up to 50% (RAD140 and LGD-4033). But a 50% suppression is a lot easier to recover from as compared to a 100% shut down.
Does not cause balding:
SARMS won’t make you bald. Another probable reason why a lot athletes shy away from steroids or use steroids that are supposedly ‘safer’, like Anavar.
May not require a PCT:
Most SARMS don’t warrant a full-fledged PCT with Clomid, Nolvadex and other drugs that have their own laundry list of side effects. You only need to do a mini-PCT if your bloodwork indicates severe HPTA suppression, which is incredibly rare.
What are the challenges of SARM usage?

A lot of bodybuilders argue that SARMS are just another gimmick that’s being floated to rob you of your hard earned money. While that might be too farfetched, there are some valid arguments being thrown around by naysayers.
Here’s some of them.
Lack of research:
SARMS are still in the early stages of research and not much is known about the long term side effects of using these chemicals. There are only a handful of compounds that have made it to human clinical trials. The rest are in pre-clinical trials and may or may not make it to development. In simple terms, we don’t know the effects of using these chemicals for four to five years. At least we know what the long term effects of using Testosterone are.
Overpriced:
SARMS are only available in UG labs or via selected companies who label it as research chemicals not intended for human consumption. This has blown the prices through the roof.
Under dosed:
Many manufacturers sell SARMS that are terribly under dosed. While the dosage might indicate 25mg/1ml, it might not even be close to that number, which leads to poor results and users often end up disappointed with it.
Counterfeited:
Most products being sold as SARMS are not SARMS at all. They are laced with prohormones or peptides or even oral anabolic steroids. You never know whether you are using an actual SARM unless you buy it from a supplier that uses a third party certification.
Not as effective as steroids:
A lot of users go into a SARMS cycle with skewed expectations. They hope to turn into beefed up dudes that they see in bodybuilding magazines. SARMS are not as effective as steroids. Period.

Who can use SARMS?
All said and done, SARMS do seem like a much safer alternative to anabolic steroids at this point of time.
Both the SARMS that have made it to Phase II of human trials, Ostarine and LGD-4033 look very likely to make it into development in the near future.
Almost anyone looking for a safer and less toxic alternative to steroids can try SARMS. But we must warn you that if you are a professional athlete, using SARMS can jeopardize your career as it is banned by WADA and most sporting organizations around the world.

SARMS Review
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Not Illegal To Buy For Research Purposes
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Little To None Side Effects & Mostly Avoidable
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The Best Safer Alternatives To Anabolic Steroids