SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators) are experimental drugs that act on the same receptor as testosterone. None is an approved medicine; the best-studied ones added about 1 to 1.5 kg of lean mass in trials while lowering testosterone and HDL cholesterol, and liver injury is the main serious harm seen in real-world use (Adolf 2026). This page lists every SARM we cover with its evidence at a glance, and every Sarmguide guide by topic. For the full explanation, read our complete SARMs guide; if you are new, start here.
Every SARM, at a glance
| SARM | Human evidence | Key finding | Key risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ostarine (MK-2866) | Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials | +1.3 kg lean mass vs placebo on 3 mg/day for 86 days (Dalton 2011) | HDL fell up to 27%; lower total testosterone |
| LGD-4033 (ligandrol) | Two randomized trials | +1.21 kg lean mass on 1 mg/day for 21 days (Basaria 2013) | Testosterone, SHBG and HDL fell even at 1 mg |
| RAD-140 (testolone) | One Phase 1 cancer trial | Muscle never measured in people (LoRusso 2022) | AST rose in 59% of trial patients |
| Andarine (S4) | None | Restored muscle and bone in castrated rats (Gao 2005) | Human data limited to case and adverse event reports |
| S-23 | None | Studied in rats as a male contraceptive (Jones 2009) | LH cut by more than half in rats |
| YK-11 | None | “Myostatin” effect seen only in mouse muscle cells (Kanno 2013) | Stroke linked to an FDA-tested product (FDA) |
| AC-262 (accadrine) | None | One 2-week rat study (Piu 2008) | Unknown |
| ACP-105 | None | Rat and mouse studies (Schlienger 2009) | Unknown; toxicity only predicted |
| RAD-150 (TLB-150) | None | No published studies (ClinicalTrials.gov) | Unknown |
Sold next to SARMs but not SARMs: MK-677 (ibutamoren), a growth hormone secretagogue; cardarine (GW501516), a PPAR-delta agonist stopped after cancers in rodent studies (Toxicologist 2009); and SR9009 (stenabolic), a REV-ERB agonist never tested in people. Also covered: LGD-3303, LGD-2226, GW0742 and SR9011.
Source: Sarmguide compound database.
Filter and sort every compound, including PCT drugs and peptides, in the SARMs database.
Guides by topic
Basics
- Start here: SARMs basics, evidence, risks and the law
- The complete SARMs guide
- SARMs vs steroids, vs prohormones, vs testosterone, vs TRT and vs peptides
- Glossary and how we check sources
Results and goals
- SARMs before and after: what studies and reports show
- Best SARMs for bulking and for cutting
- SARMs for strength, endurance and joint healing
- SARMs for women and best SARMs for women
- When do SARMs kick in?, best time to take SARMs and do you lose gains after stopping?
Side effects and safety
- SARMs side effects: what studies and case reports show
- Liver, testosterone, hair loss, gyno, acne, blood pressure, cancer and kidneys
- Libido, erectile dysfunction, testicle size and the brain
- SARMs and alcohol
Hormones, PCT and bloodwork
- PCT after SARMs and the PCT and bloodwork planner
- Clomid PCT, Nolvadex PCT, enclomiphene and clomiphene for men
- SARMs bloodwork guide and low testosterone blood test
- Signs of testosterone suppression
Law and drug testing
- Are SARMs legal? Country by country
- Australia, Europe, UK, Ireland and South Africa
- SARMs and WADA, SARMs drug test, how long SARMs stay in your system and military drug tests
Product forms and buying
- Liquid SARMs, powder SARMs and injectable SARMs
- How to read a SARM lab test (COA)
- Where to buy SARMs, company recommendations and our SwissChems review
Tools
- Compare any two compounds, the stack checker and the goal finder
- Charts of half-lives, research stages and suppression
- Everything on the tools page
Three things to know before anything else
- The evidence is thin. Only ostarine, LGD-4033 and RAD-140 have been tested in human trials, mostly in patients or older adults, for weeks to a few months (Dalton 2011; Basaria 2013; LoRusso 2022). The rest have animal or cell data only.
- Products are often not what the label says. Of 44 products sold online as SARMs, only 52% contained a SARM and 41% matched the label amount (Van Wagoner 2017).
- They are banned in sport and restricted by law. WADA bans SARMs at all times (WADA 2026); the FDA says they are unapproved drugs, not supplements (FDA); in the UK they cannot be sold as food or supplements (UK Anti-Doping); in Australia possession without a prescription is illegal (Poisons Standard 2026).