SARMs are known to be similar to steroids – they are used by both men and women. But they are not quite the same.
Both SARMs and steroids work by binding to your androgen receptors D1]. They trigger off changes in your DNA, causing your muscles to grow.
Steroids impact other parts of the body at the same time, leading to prostate issues, acne, and hair loss.
Many experts say that SARMs do the same things. Others say SARMs are “tissue-selective” – they don’t impact the other parts of your body, but only your muscles.
How Long Do Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators Stay in Your Body?
SARMs Don’t Disturb The Non-skeletal Muscle Tissue
They don’t set off the same chain of reactions as steroids do [2]. And steroids you inject into the body but SARMs are taken in pill form.
Before you do get excited about the possibilities that selective androgen receptor modulators offer, you need to know they have not been approved for human consumption.
One type of SARM is Ostarine or MK2866. It, among a couple of others, has become a highly popular muscle-enhancing drug in the world of bodybuilders and athletes.
For instance, in the last five years or so, searches on the internet for SARMs including the names Ostarine and Andarine, another SARM, have increased rapidly.
SARMs are known to be able to improve your life so to speak
This is because they boost your fitness levels. However, as we said before SARMs pose a risk to athletes and other people’s health.
They have not been approved for human consumption by any clinical organization.
And there are known side effects too if you take them, too, such as liver damage, increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Benefits of Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator Supplements
If you’re an athlete, you might already be experiencing the benefits of SARMs. For some, they help to boost their physical health.
For those who swear by taking SARMs, they will tell you of these benefits:
1) Better levels of strength
Whichever SARMS type you are taking, you are going to feel a boost of strength. OK, you won’t become like Superman, but you will feel stronger.
The reason for this is that SARMs activate the muscles and strength hormones.
But that doesn’t mean you quit doing physical workouts and eating properly when you take SARMs.
It’s not a supplement that does all the work for you, leaving you to do nothing.
You will need to take your supplements along with a disciplined training regime.
2) Your Wounds Will Heal Better
The body was created to take care of general injuries, bruises, and cuts – that’s how it’s made.
But taking SARMs further helps with healing in that it speeds up the healing and recovery time.
If you have a lot of muscle wear and tear, you will notice how SARMs speed up this recovery time.
3) More Ability To Gain Lean Muscles
SARMs have the ability to not only assist you in burning fat but also help to increase your muscle-building efforts.
And the best part about it all is the muscles aren’t just for show, which is great in any case. But you will notice you actually feel stronger.
If you follow your SARM cycles correctly and don’t overdose on the pills, you might notice an extra 5 kg of muscle – and not too long after you start using a SARM.
That being said, SARMs aren’t approved by the FDA.
If you are someone who is concerned about fitness, you might be taking SARMs because they have proven to be pretty beneficial to you.
But because of their nature, SARMs can prove to be a bit troublesome if you have drug tests.
Many athletes, bodybuilders, and other people who are interested in SARMs ask the question – how long do SARMs stay in my system?
Because using SARMs, you will also know when to call it quits with them.
SARMs supplements will have different effects on different people based on different factors.
Every person has a different weight and metabolism. For some, SARMs can burn out of their system very quickly.
For others, it might take longer. But basically, for a drug test to show that you have SARMs in your system, you will need to have had up to three dosages within the last 10 days for it to show up.
Otherwise, they are not likely to show up in a drug test.
SARMs and Drug test
As we mentioned above, SARMs are different from steroids in terms of their potential effects on the body.
But still, they are regarded as illicit substance [3], and there are many organizations that prohibit the use of SARMs.
Not only do sports organizations forbid their use, but there are many militaries that forbade them as well, to the point that it could cost you your job.
Fortunately, if you are someone who uses SARMs, the military doesn’t often perform SARM and steroid tests like they do in sports organizations.
But still, they will test you in the military if you have undergone some big behavioral and physical changes – then you are likely to undergo a test.
Another thing that might save you from undergoing SARMs testing is that the tests are really expensive.
Because of that, they only get performed on smaller numbers of people, and usually, it will be only for a very good reason.
How long do they stay in your system should you be tested for SARMs?
You will need to take a minimum of 3 dosages over 10 days for them to appear on a drug test.
So say you are working in a company that does do regular testing on their people – You could go ahead and continue to use SARMs – there are not likely to be any repercussions and you are not likely to test positive during standard testing.
Are there any factors that do affect the detection period of SARMs?
How long SARMs stay in your body will be determined by a couple of factors.
Did you know that the detection period is called the ‘half-life?’ [4].
It refers to the time taken to reduce the dose by half, and these factors will determine how long SARMS stays in your system:
Weight
Weight actually plays a big role. The more you weigh, the shorter the life span of SARMs in your system. SARMs don’t stay in the system as long as they would with a very lean person.
Metabolic rate
If your metabolism is very fast, then SARMs will also be processed and excreted more quickly than someone with a much slower metabolism.
There are also quite a few factors that will determine your metabolic rate as well.
Things like gender, age, and how much you exercise will affect your metabolism.
Dosage
Dosage is very important in determining how long SARMs stay in your system.
If you did reduce your dosage, the time it is in your system can be shortened.
But then you might not be getting the maximum results out of the supplement.
Check out different SARMs and their dosages.
Half life – How Long Do SARMs stay in your system?
Here are some of the common SARMs that people use. We will show you how long each one is detectable in your system:
Read here about how to pass a SARM drug test.
1) Ostarine
Ostarine is a SARM whoose metabolites can be detected in a urine test. It will show up in your urine 9 days after your last dose of Ostarine. If you are going for a drug test, rather go after 10 days.
2) Ligandrol
Ligandrol seems to stay in the system for quite a long time. The metabolism of Ligandrol seems to be quite slow because it was found to be in urine 22 days after the last dose.
There are some anecdotal studies to show that people should wait at least 30 days for it to be out of the system completely.
3) Stenabolic
There is not much information on this SARM – how long it lingers in the system afterward. There is a little bit of user experience that suggests that it can be detected in urine for at least two to three weeks after your last dose.
4) Cardarine
Cardarine apparently has 10 times the number of metabolites in it compared to some of the other SARMs in urine – Best if you leave testing for at least after 40 days [5].
Other common SARMs are S23 and YK11.
As there is not a lot of study on some SARMs, experts suggest that after two to three weeks the SARMs could be out of your system.
SARMs, in 2022, are helping bodybuilders and fitness people to achieve their fitness goals.
Some facts and testimonials about SARMs
SARMs pills today are touted as providing the same muscle-building benefits of anabolic steroids but without the nasty side effects.
Their popularity has spread; alarming health authorities, that claim they aren’t safe.
Facts
- One study published in JAMA [6] revealed that SARMs are frequently misbranded and tainted with unlisted ingredients. It is estimated that of the 44 products bought online and analyzed, only around half contained an actual SARM! 10% contained none at all.
- Dr. Shalender Bhasin, a top health expert, says that the long-term consequences of using SARMs are not known. People who buy products marketed as SARMS can’t be sure what they are putting in their bodies.
- Elite athletes use SARMs. Since 2015, the United States Anti-Doping Agency has imposed sanctions on heaps of field and track stars and other fitness people for testing positive for different SARM varieties.
Testimonial
- Thaddeus Owen, a bio-hacker started using SARMs in 2016. He has his own website, PrimalHacker. He says that the pills helped him pack on 5 pounds of muscle in just four weeks. He also says that adults should be allowed to “experiment on ourselves and improve our biology. This is definitely a use-at-your-own-risk type of supplement.”
Scientists developed SARMs a long time ago
There was a reason for the development of SARMs. SARMs were designed to target skeletal muscle.
Some trials are being carried out for the use of SARMs in certain diseases such as cancer, and others [7].
It was concluded by the authors of studies that “Long-term studies are needed to clarify the effects of long-term SARM administration on cardiovascular risk.”
Thomas O’Connor, a medical expert, says that many of his patients turned to SARMs because they were told that they were non-toxic and safe.
He said that since 2010, thousands of men from all walks of life have used them.
But one thing he did notice was that the people who used SARMs, their cholesterol profiles worsened, their liver enzymes rose, and some people experienced diminished sex drive, acne, hair loss, and irritability.
Patricia Deuster, a professor of military and emergency medicine, warns against SARMs for soldiers.
She says, “We try to tell them that there are other ways that they can achieve their goals without risking their health or their ability to maintain their deployment status.”
Conclusion
SARMs don’t function in the same way that steroids do. That is why people love to use them as a replacement.
For some, they have several benefits, whether you are a bodybuilder, or athlete, or none.
But WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, has added SARMs to their prohibited list.
This means that tested athletes can’t use them. Bottom line is that it’s actually better for you to look at alternatives.
Alternatives will give you the same gains and they won’t interfere with your hormones or produce the same side effects.
Remember, too, that if you decide to go ahead with taking SARMs and decide to run a SARMs cycle, you will always need post cycle therapy.
That’s important. Otherwise, you stand the risk of losing all the gains you made.
The best advice is not to use them at all, but if you are determined to, remember that post-cycle therapy is required.
SARMs are a most interesting, unique group of compounds. Based on the research they seem pretty effective at what they do.
But do your homework and research because nothing is worth risking your health for.
You decide what you want, but be careful.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can SARMs Mess With Your Brain?
Clinical use of SARMs for nerve disorders requires them to mimic androgen actions in the brain. Even though SARM’s effectiveness for muscles is well established, the effects on the brain are still unclear.
Can I test positive for taking SARMs?
Selective androgen receptor modulators are often marketed as dietary supplements. You could believe you might be onto a good thing. They do work – but don’t be fooled. They aren’t legit dietary supplements at all – you can call them unapproved drugs. Yes, they can cause you to test positive for illegal substances. Blood tests and hair tests may prove the use of various substances.
How long does the SARM, LGD 4033 stay in your urine?
Ligandrol can show up for as much as 21 days in a urine test – so be careful.
Can I take other supplements at the same time as I take SARMs?
Yes, SARMs can be taken in conjunction with pre-workout supplements. Pre-workout supplements act on different parts of the body, whilst SARMs act directly on the androgen receptors. SARMs, also, aren’t stimulants, so no harmful effects should be created – other supplements are known to work optimally with SARMs and complement each other. Remember that SARMs bought online from unknown sources can contain other substances in them.