SARMs: What's the harm?

Prohibited Status

Prohibited

What are SARMs?

SARMs—short for “selective androgen receptor modulators”—are synthetic (that is, made in the laboratory) substances designed to have effects similar to those of testosterone and anabolic steroids.
SARMs are investigational drugs in various stages of research and development. To date, no SARM has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any medical use.
SARMs are readily available and widely accessible online. They may be marketed as “legal steroids” or “steroid alternatives” and for body-building or performance-enhancing purposes. Products listing SARMs on their labels may carry statements such as “research chemicals,” “for research use only,” and “not for human consumption.” Some are even sold as dietary supplements.

Are SARMs legal?

According to FDA consumer update, SARMs are “unapproved drugs” and “cannot be legally marketed in the U.S. as a dietary supplement or drug at this time.”
SARMs are listed in Section 1 (Anabolic Agents) of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list.
All SARMs are included on the DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List and prohibited for use by Service Members.

Are SARMs safe?

The use of SARMs is associated with an increased risk of stroke, liver damage, and heart attack. Other reported adverse effects include:

Jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting
Chest pain, increased heart rate, high blood pressure
Rhabdomyolysis (“rhabdo”), tendon rupture
Decreased testosterone level, testicular shrinkage, breast enlargement
Pregnancy miscarriage, infertility, erectile dysfunction
Headache, anxiety, stress, delusion, hallucination, psychosis
Fatigue, unintentional weight loss

What ingredients should you look out for?

Some of the ingredient names to watch out for on product labels and websites include (but are not limited to) the following:

AC-262536 (AC-262, Accadrine)
ACP-105 (Acadibol)
GSK2881078
LGD-2226
LGD-3303 (LGD3)
LGD-4033 (Anabolicum, Ligandrol, VK-5211)
MK-2866 (Enobosarm, GTx-024, Ostarine, Ostabolic, OTR-AC, S-22)
RAD-140 (Radarine, Testolone, Vosilasarm)
RAD-150 (TLB-150, Sustalone)
S-23 (CCTH-methylproprionamine)
S-4 (Andarine, GTx 007)
YK-11

Service Members should also beware of other experimental, unapproved drugs that are sometimes marketed as SARMs such as GW-501516 (Cardarine), MK-677 (Ibutamoren), SR-9009 (Stenabolic), and SR-9011.

Bottom Line

SARMs are unapproved drugs and illegal dietary supplement ingredients.
SARMs are prohibited for use by Service Members.
Use of SARMs can pose significant health and readiness risks.

Related Resources

Updated 19 August 2025

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