Anabolic steroids vs SARMs is a common comparison, often framed around the idea that SARMs are a milder or safer version of steroids. Both act on the same androgen receptor, but they differ in chemical structure, in how much they have been studied, and in their legal status. And despite their reputation, SARMs have not been shown to be safer than anabolic steroids.
This article explains what each is, how they differ, what research shows about their effects and risks, and how they are regulated.
What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are testosterone and synthetic compounds chemically related to it. They share testosterone’s four-ring steroid structure and act mainly by binding to androgen receptors in muscle and many other tissues.
Testosterone is approved to treat male hypogonadism, and some other AAS have had medical uses. Non-medical use of AAS has been studied for decades, so their effects and risks, including hormonal suppression, cardiovascular effects, and liver injury from oral compounds, are comparatively well documented. Our guide to the types of steroids explains how different compounds are classified.
What are SARMs?
Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are synthetic compounds that also bind to the androgen receptor, but they do not have a steroid structure. They were developed by pharmaceutical companies as potential treatments for conditions such as muscle wasting and osteoporosis.
The idea behind SARMs is “selectivity”: activating androgen receptors in muscle and bone while having less effect in tissues such as the prostate and skin. Commonly sold SARMs include ostarine (also called enobosarm) and ligandrol (LGD-4033).
No SARM has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any medical use.
How do SARMs differ from anabolic steroids?
Chemical structure
AAS are steroids, while SARMs are non-steroidal molecules. This structural difference is why SARMs cannot be converted into estrogen or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the way testosterone can, which was expected to reduce some side effects.
Selectivity
SARMs were designed to be more selective than AAS, but this selectivity is partial, not complete. In practice, SARMs still act on androgen receptors throughout the body, and clinical studies have found effects beyond muscle, as described below.
Amount of research
AAS have decades of research on their effects in humans, including in non-medical use. SARMs have been studied mainly in small, short clinical trials at modest doses, and there is very little information on their long-term effects or on the higher doses often used outside of research.
Legal status
Anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled substances in the United States and are legal only with a prescription. SARMs are not specifically scheduled, but they are unapproved drugs and cannot legally be sold as dietary supplements. Labels such as “for research use only” do not make them legal to sell for human consumption. Both AAS and SARMs are prohibited at all times in competitive sport. Our article on steroid industry regulation covers these rules in more detail.
Are SARMs safer than steroids?
There is no good evidence that they are. SARMs are often promoted as a milder alternative, but research has identified several of the same concerns seen with anabolic steroids.
Testosterone suppression
In a clinical trial in healthy young men, ligandrol taken for just three weeks lowered total testosterone levels in a dose-dependent way (Basaria et al., 2013). This means SARMs can suppress the body’s own hormone production, as AAS do.
Cholesterol changes
The same trial found that ligandrol reduced HDL cholesterol (Basaria et al., 2013). Lower HDL is also one of the most consistent effects of AAS, as explained in our article on how steroids affect cholesterol levels.
Liver injury
The FDA has warned consumers about products marketed for bodybuilding that contain SARMs, citing reports of liver toxicity and the potential for increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Case reports of liver injury in people using SARMs have been published.
Unknown long-term effects
Because SARMs have not been studied over long periods or at the doses often used outside of trials, their long-term risks are largely unknown.
Do SARM products contain what their labels say?
Often not. In a study of 44 products sold online as SARMs, only about half contained a SARM at all, and many contained other unapproved drugs or different amounts of the listed ingredient than stated on the label (Van Wagoner et al., 2017). This means people buying SARMs often cannot know what they are taking.
Is Cardarine a SARM?
No. Cardarine (GW-501516) is often sold and discussed alongside SARMs, but it works in a completely different way and does not act on the androgen receptor. Its development as a medicine was abandoned after it was found to cause cancer in multiple organs in animal studies, and the World Anti-Doping Agency has issued warnings about its use.
The bottom line
The difference between anabolic steroids vs SARMs lies mainly in chemical structure, the amount of research behind them, and legal status. Both act on the androgen receptor, and SARMs were designed to be more selective, but that selectivity is incomplete.
SARMs have not been shown to be safer than anabolic steroids. Clinical research shows they can suppress testosterone and lower HDL cholesterol, the FDA has warned about liver injury and cardiovascular risk, products are frequently mislabeled, and their long-term effects are unknown. Anyone considering or using either should speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
References
Basaria S, Collins L, Dillon EL, et al. The safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects of LGD-4033, a novel nonsteroidal oral, selective androgen receptor modulator, in healthy young men. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2013;68(1):87–95.
Food and Drug Administration. FDA warns against using SARMs in body-building products. Consumer update. Van Wagoner RM, Eichner A, Bhasin S, Deuster PA, Eichner D. Chemical composition and labeling of substances marketed as selective androgen receptor modulators and sold via the internet. JAMA. 2017;318(20):2004–2010.
