SR9009 (stenabolic) is not a SARM. It switches on REV-ERB, a body-clock protein that also controls fat and sugar metabolism, and Scripps Research scientists described it in 2012 as a research compound (Solt 2012). In mice given it by injection, it reduced fat and improved running endurance (Solt 2012; Woldt 2013), but it has never been tested in people (ClinicalTrials.gov). Two recent case reports link it to serious liver injury, one in a 17-year-old who needed a liver transplant (Shams Bin Shaheen 2026). It is not approved anywhere, and WADA bans it (WADA 2026).
Below: what SR9009 is, every study, what it does in mice and what is unknown in people, the oral-bioavailability question, its side effects, how it compares with SR9011 and cardarine, its legal status, and links to all of our SR9009 guides.
What is SR9009 (stenabolic)?
SR9009, also written SR-9009 and sold as stenabolic, is a synthetic REV-ERB agonist (PubChem CID 57394020). REV-ERB proteins are part of the body’s internal clock and also regulate how the liver, muscle and fat handle energy. SR9009 and its sister compound SR9011 were described together in the same 2012 Scripps study, where they changed the daily pattern of clock and metabolic genes in mice (Solt 2012).
Is SR9009 a SARM?
No. It does not act on the androgen receptor. WADA lists it as a metabolic modulator (S4.4.1, Rev-erbα agonists), not with the SARMs (WADA 2026). It is sold next to SARMs, and a 2017 analysis found SR9009 inside products that were sold as SARMs (Van Wagoner 2017).
Does it only act on REV-ERB?
Apparently not. A 2019 study found that SR9009 still lowered cell viability and changed metabolism and gene activity in cells that had no REV-ERB at all (Dierickx 2019). That makes it harder to predict what it does in people. We found no record of any company developing it as a medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov).
SR9009 research at a glance
| Study | Model | What it found | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solt 2012 | Diet-induced obese mice, 100 mg/kg injected into the abdomen twice a day for 30 days | Weight loss 60% greater than injected controls; less fat; no change in food intake. Triglycerides −12%, total cholesterol −47%, free fatty acids −23%, glucose −19%. REV-ERB agonists raised oxygen use. | Animal |
| Woldt 2013 | Mice, 100 mg/kg injected for 30 days (6 per group) | Ran longer, in time and distance, before exhaustion. | Animal |
| Dierickx 2019 | Liver cells and stem cells without REV-ERB | Effects on cell survival, metabolism and genes even without REV-ERB. | Cell |
| Geldof 2016 | Human liver microsomes; doping samples | Mapped breakdown products; found SR9009 in a black-market product; none of 1,511 re-checked doping samples was positive. | Lab study |
| Govil 2025 | A 40-year-old man | Hepatocellular liver injury soon after starting stenabolic; improved after stopping. | Case report |
| Shams Bin Shaheen 2026 | A 17-year-old | Acute liver failure after SR9009; emergency liver transplant; biopsy showed severe drug-induced liver injury. | Case report |
ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trials for SR9009, SR-9009 or stenabolic (ClinicalTrials.gov). Compare it with other compounds in the SARMs database.
SR9009 benefits: what the evidence shows
Fat loss
In obese mice injected twice a day for 30 days, SR9009 caused more weight and fat loss than injections of the vehicle alone, without changing how much they ate (Solt 2012). No human study has tested it. Our best SARMs for cutting page compares what has been studied for fat loss.
Endurance
Mice injected with SR9009 for 30 days ran longer and farther before exhaustion (Woldt 2013). No human study exists. See best SARMs for endurance.
Cholesterol and blood sugar
In the same mouse study, total cholesterol fell 47% and glucose 19% (Solt 2012). Not studied in people.
Sleep and the body clock
SR9009 changed the daily rhythm of clock genes in mice (Solt 2012). Whether that affects sleep in people has never been studied.
SR9009 results, reviews and before-and-after reports
There are no measured human results. User reviews and before-and-after reports cannot separate SR9009 from diet, training, other compounds or a mislabeled product, and it is unclear how much of a swallowed dose is even absorbed (see below). Our dosage page discusses user reports alongside what is known: stenabolic (SR9009) dosage.
Oral SR9009, sublingual and injectable: the bioavailability question
The key mouse studies injected SR9009 into the abdomen (Solt 2012; Woldt 2013). We found no published study of how well it is absorbed when swallowed, in animals or people, so whether capsules, liquids or sublingual use deliver a meaningful amount is unknown. No study has tested injectable SR9009 products in people either. This is the single biggest gap between the mouse results and what is sold. More on product forms: injectable SARMs and liquid SARMs.
SR9009 side effects
| Side effect | What was found | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Acute liver failure needing a transplant | A 17-year-old developed jaundice and rapidly worsening liver failure after taking SR9009; other causes were ruled out (Shams Bin Shaheen 2026). | Case report |
| Liver injury | A 40-year-old man developed hepatocellular liver injury soon after starting stenabolic; he also took other supplements long-term, and his doctors judged stenabolic the likely cause. He improved after stopping (Govil 2025). | Case report |
| Effects beyond its target | Changes in cell survival and metabolism even without REV-ERB (Dierickx 2019). | Cell |
| Hidden in products sold as SARMs | 39% of 44 products sold as SARMs contained a different unapproved drug; SR9009 was one of them (Van Wagoner 2017). | Lab analysis |
Long-term effects are unknown because it has never been studied in people. More: side effects of SARMs and related compounds and liver effects.
Does SR9009 affect testosterone?
SR9009 is not a hormone and does not act on the androgen receptor. No study has measured testosterone with it (Solt 2012). On its own it gives no known reason for PCT; when it is stacked with a SARM, the SARM’s suppression is what matters.
Bloodwork
No study has tracked lab markers in people. Liver enzymes, bilirubin and blood clotting were abnormal in the liver-injury case reports (Shams Bin Shaheen 2026; Govil 2025):
- ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
- Bilirubin
- INR (blood clotting)
How to read them: bloodwork guide.
SR9009 dosage: what studies used
No human dose has ever been studied. The mouse studies injected 100 mg per kg of body weight into the abdomen, twice a day in the fat-loss study (Solt 2012); that is not a human dose, and it was not swallowed. Our stenabolic dosage page covers what users report and what is known.
SR9009 half-life
Not measured in people, and we found no published half-life after swallowing it in animals either (Solt 2012). Half-life figures quoted online do not come from a published human study.
Is SR9009 legal?
- Australia: named in the Poisons Standard (“Stenabolic (SR9009) and other synthetic REV-ERB agonists”): Schedule 4 (prescription only) and Appendix D clause 5, so possession without authority is illegal (Poisons Standard 2026).
- Germany: named as “SR9009, synonym Stenabolic” in the Anti-Doping Act’s annex (AntiDopG annex); trading in it for doping in sport, or possessing a non-small quantity for that purpose, is banned (AntiDopG §2).
- Everywhere else: SR9009 has never been in a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov), so it is not an approved medicine anywhere and there is no prescription version. We found no FDA warning letter that names it.
More: are SARMs legal?, SARMs in Europe and SARMs in Australia.
SR9009 in sport and drug tests
WADA names SR9009 and SR9011 under S4.4.1 (Rev-erbα agonists), banned at all times (WADA 2026). Labs have mapped its breakdown products and screen for it in urine and hair (Geldof 2016; Mazzarino 2018; Gheddar 2021). We found no human excretion study, so how long it stays detectable in people is unknown. See drug tests.
SR9009 vs SR9011 and cardarine
| Compound | Target | Human evidence | Main concern |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR9009 | REV-ERB | None | Serious liver injury in two case reports (Shams Bin Shaheen 2026; Govil 2025) |
| SR9011 | REV-ERB | None | Described in the same 2012 mouse study; banned by WADA (Solt 2012; WADA 2026) |
| Cardarine (GW501516) | PPAR-delta | Four short lipid trials | Cancers in 2-year rat and mouse studies (Toxicologist 2009) |
SR9009 and SR9011 are close relatives from the same lab; neither has been tested in people, so there is no evidence that one works better. Read SR9011 review, the SR9011 guide and SR9009 vs cardarine, or use the compare tool.
SR9009 stacks
No study has tested SR9009 with any other compound. Because its main documented human risk is liver injury, combining it with SARMs, which are also linked to cholestatic liver injury (Adolf 2026), stacks two liver risks. Check overlaps with the stack checker.
Buying SR9009: is it what the label says?
SR9009 has been found both in black-market products (Geldof 2016) and, unlisted, in products sold as SARMs (Van Wagoner 2017). In that 2017 test, only 41% of 44 products matched their label amount. If you buy any research compound, look for a lot-specific certificate of analysis and learn how to read a lab test; where to buy SARMs explains what to check with any seller.
Bottom line
SR9009 is a body-clock research compound that made injected mice lose fat and run longer. It has never been tested in people, it is unclear how much of it is absorbed when swallowed, and it has effects beyond its intended target. The human safety record is two recent case reports of serious liver injury, one ending in a liver transplant for a 17-year-old. It is banned in sport and prescription-only in Australia, and there is no approved medical use anywhere.
Charts
Source: Sarmguide compound database; SR9009 value: Regulation of circadian behaviour and metabolism by synthetic REV-ERB agonists (2012).
More on SR9009
Frequently asked questions
Is SR9009 a SARM?
No, a REV-ERB agonistEvidence: Law
SR9009 switches on REV-ERB, a body-clock protein, not the androgen receptor. WADA lists it as a metabolic modulator (S4.4), not with the SARMs.
What does SR9009 do?
In mice: fat loss, enduranceEvidence: Animal
In mice injected twice a day for 30 days it caused more weight and fat loss than injected controls, and injected mice also ran longer. What it does in people has never been studied.
Has SR9009 been tested in humans?
NoEvidence: Limited
ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trials, and no published study in men or women could be found.
What results do SR9009 users report?
No measured human resultsEvidence: User reports
Users describe fat loss and better endurance, but reports cannot separate SR9009 from diet, training or other compounds. It is unclear how much of a swallowed dose is absorbed.
Does oral SR9009 work?
UnknownEvidence: Limited
The main mouse studies gave it by injection, and no published study of how well it is absorbed when swallowed, in animals or people, could be found. The same applies to sublingual use.
What side effects has SR9009 been linked to?
Serious liver injury in 2 casesEvidence: Human data
Two case reports describe serious liver injury after SR9009: a 40-year-old man who recovered after stopping, and a 17-year-old who needed a liver transplant. Long-term effects are unknown because it has never been studied in people.
Can women take SR9009?
Never tested in peopleEvidence: Limited
No study has tested SR9009 in women or in men. The only data are from mice and cells, and the liver-injury case reports apply to anyone taking it.
What dose of SR9009 has been studied?
No human dose studiedEvidence: Animal
No human dose has ever been studied. The mouse studies injected 100 mg per kg of body weight into the abdomen; that is not a human dose.
What is the half-life of SR9009?
Not measuredEvidence: Limited
It has not been measured in people, and no published half-life after swallowing it in animals could be found either.
SR9009 vs SR9011: what is the difference?
Close relatives; never comparedEvidence: Animal
Both are REV-ERB agonists described in the same 2012 Scripps study, and both changed body-clock genes and energy use in mice. Neither has been tested in people, so there is no evidence that one works better.
SR9009 vs cardarine: what is the difference?
Different targetsEvidence: Limited
SR9009 acts on REV-ERB and cardarine (GW501516) on PPAR-delta; WADA bans both under S4.4. Cardarine had short human trials before GSK stopped it over animal toxicity, including cancers; SR9009 has never been tested in people.
Is SR9009 legal?
Not approved anywhereEvidence: Law
Australia's Poisons Standard names it as prescription-only, and possession without authority is illegal. Germany's Anti-Doping Act lists it.
Can SR9009 be detected in a drug test?
Yes; window in people unknownEvidence: Law
WADA bans it at all times, and anti-doping labs have published urine and hair methods for it and its breakdown products. How long it stays detectable in people is unknown.
Sources
- Regulation of circadian behaviour and metabolism by synthetic REV-ERB agonists
- Rev-erb-α modulates skeletal muscle oxidative capacity by regulating mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy
- ClinicalTrials.gov search for 'SR9009', 'SR-9009' and 'stenabolic': no studies found (checked 30 October 2026)
- Acute Liver Failure in an Adolescent Following Use of the Synthetic REV-ERB Agonist SR9009
- WADA: The Prohibited List (2026 List, in force from 1 January 2026)
- PubChem: SR9009 (Stenabolic) (CID 57394020), names and synonyms
- Chemical Composition and Labeling of Substances Marketed as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators and Sold via the Internet
- SR9009 has REV-ERB-independent effects on cell proliferation and metabolism
- When Gains Go Wrong: A Case of Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator-Related Liver Injury
- Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—June 2026) Instrument 2026 (F2026L00633)
- Anlage zum Anti-Doping-Gesetz (AntiDopG), Germany (BGBl. 2023 I Nr. 67)
- § 2 Anti-Doping-Gesetz (AntiDopG): Unerlaubter Umgang mit Dopingmitteln (Germany)
- In Vitro Metabolic Studies of REV-ERB Agonists SR9009 and SR9011
- A further insight into the metabolic profile of the nuclear receptor Rev-erb agonist, SR9009
- Development and validation of SARMs and metabolic modulators screening in hair using UHPLC-MS/MS: Application to a doping case and first identification of S23 in authentic human hair
- Rat carcinogenicity study with GW501516, a PPAR delta agonist (Geiger et al., The Toxicologist 2009, abstract 895)
- Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) in Sport: Patterns of Use, Product Contamination, Health Risks and Doping-Control Implications
