SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators)

Last updated 29 April 2026

Description

Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) are a class of drugs designed to have similar effects to testosterone and other anabolic androgenic steroids. 

Commonly available SARMs (and their alternative names)

  • Accadrine (AC-262,536)
  • ACP-105
  • Andarine (Acetamidoxolutamide, Androxolutamide, GTx-007, S-4)
  • Ligandrol (Anabolicum, LGD-4033, VK-5211)
  • Ostarine (Enobosarm, GTx-024, MK-2866, S-22)
  • RAD-150 (TLB-150)
  • S-23
  • Vosilasarm (EP0062, RAD-140, Radarine, Testolone)
  • YK-11 (Myostine)

Anti-Doping Status

Prohibited (S1. Anabolic agents of the WADA Prohibited List)

Legal Status

SARMs are experimental drugs that have not been approved for human use by any official medicines or healthcare product regulatory agency in the world. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) consider SARMs to be ‘unauthorised novel foods’ meaning that they are illegal to sell or advertise as food or within dietary supplements in the UK. 

Product Types

SARMs are mostly available in pill form to be taken orally. They are often sold in packages that closely resemble supplements but with added disclaimers such as “for research purposes only” or “not for human consumption” to bypass regulatory restrictions.

Product Claims

SARMs are advertised to promote muscle growth and strength with little to no side effects. They are often marketed as “legal” or “safe” alternatives to anabolic androgenic steroids.

Supplement Concerns

SARMs have been detected as undeclared ingredients within dietary supplements. High risk products include:

  • Supplement products that are made by manufacturers who also sell SARMs “for research purposes only”
  • Supplement products marketed specifically for bodybuilders and other “aesthetic and size” athletes
  • Supplement products that are marketed as “muscle and strength gainers”, “fat burners”, or “testosterone boosters”.

Anti-Doping Test Figures

There have been 863 adverse analytical findings (AAFs) reported globally for SARMs between 2011 and 2024. 473 of these AAFs were reported between 2020 and 2024 (WADA Anti-Doping Testing Figures, 2011-2024).