The side effects of SARMs and MK-677 are more similar to those of anabolic steroids than you think
If you believe the industry, SARMs do have the effects of anabolic steroids but lack their side effects. However, the largest study of SARM users to date points in a different direction.
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Study
In the spring of 2021, Iakov Efimenko, a urologist from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, approached 343 users of SARMs through 9 Reddit forums. The users filled out questionnaires, in which they shared data about themselves and their use with the researcher.Results
Almost all users of SARMs are male, with three quarters of them being 19-29 years old. Ninety percent of them buy SARMs on the web, and virtually none of them consulted a doctor.
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Most users of SARMs only take SARMs, and no other types of ergogenic drugs.
Just over half of the users reported side effects. [Figure]
A remarkable observation by Efimenko can be seen below. When Efimenko broke down the reported side effects by SARM type, he saw that Nutrabol (a trivial name for MK-677) was not inferior to the other SARMs in side effects.
Click on the table for a larger version.
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And that's weird.
MK-677 is sold as a SARM, but it is not. MK-677 is not an androgen receptor modulator but a ghrelin agonist. By stimulating the receptor for ghrelin, ghrelin increases the release of growth hormone, according to the fundamental and clinical studies - all of which were carried out by the pharmaceutical company Merck. Thus, MK-677 should not have the reported effects at all.
It is not impossible that the shrunken testes, mood swings and acne in the MK-677 users were caused by other substances. But it's also possible that we just don't know everything about MK-677 yet.
The duration of use was a factor in the occurrence of the side effects. In the months that used SARMs for three consecutive months, side effects were more frequent than in the men with shorter cycles.
How safe are SARMs?
Although the industry promotes SARMs as safe substitutes for classic anabolics, the reported side effects are very similar to those of anabolic steroids, writes Efimenko.
"Based on these reported side effects, SARMs are likely not targeting only muscle or bone development, but also compromise the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis similar to other steroids, including exogenous testosterone."
"Of specific concern is that approximately 1 out of 5 SARM users reported decrease in testicular size, a sign of testicular atrophy and potential male infertility. Testicular atrophy in SARMs users suggests that SARMs suppress the release of gonadotropins, more specifically luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), from the pituitary gland."
"Without the expression of LH and FSH, the testes are unable to perform spermatogenesis and male fertility may therefore be compromised. Although the data suggests SARMs may compromise male fertility, further investigation is warranted to confirm this."
Source:
Int J Impot Res. 2021 Sep 1. doi: 10.1038/s41443-021-00465-0. Online ahead of print.
If you believe the industry, SARMs do have the effects of anabolic steroids but lack their side effects. However, the largest study of SARM users to date points in a different direction.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
Study
Almost all users of SARMs are male, with three quarters of them being 19-29 years old. Ninety percent of them buy SARMs on the web, and virtually none of them consulted a doctor.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
Most users of SARMs only take SARMs, and no other types of ergogenic drugs.
Just over half of the users reported side effects. [Figure]
A remarkable observation by Efimenko can be seen below. When Efimenko broke down the reported side effects by SARM type, he saw that Nutrabol (a trivial name for MK-677) was not inferior to the other SARMs in side effects.
Click on the table for a larger version.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
And that's weird.
MK-677 is sold as a SARM, but it is not. MK-677 is not an androgen receptor modulator but a ghrelin agonist. By stimulating the receptor for ghrelin, ghrelin increases the release of growth hormone, according to the fundamental and clinical studies - all of which were carried out by the pharmaceutical company Merck. Thus, MK-677 should not have the reported effects at all.
It is not impossible that the shrunken testes, mood swings and acne in the MK-677 users were caused by other substances. But it's also possible that we just don't know everything about MK-677 yet.
The duration of use was a factor in the occurrence of the side effects. In the months that used SARMs for three consecutive months, side effects were more frequent than in the men with shorter cycles.
How safe are SARMs?
Although the industry promotes SARMs as safe substitutes for classic anabolics, the reported side effects are very similar to those of anabolic steroids, writes Efimenko.
"Based on these reported side effects, SARMs are likely not targeting only muscle or bone development, but also compromise the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis similar to other steroids, including exogenous testosterone."
"Of specific concern is that approximately 1 out of 5 SARM users reported decrease in testicular size, a sign of testicular atrophy and potential male infertility. Testicular atrophy in SARMs users suggests that SARMs suppress the release of gonadotropins, more specifically luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), from the pituitary gland."
"Without the expression of LH and FSH, the testes are unable to perform spermatogenesis and male fertility may therefore be compromised. Although the data suggests SARMs may compromise male fertility, further investigation is warranted to confirm this."
Source:
Int J Impot Res. 2021 Sep 1. doi: 10.1038/s41443-021-00465-0. Online ahead of print.
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