Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and NOT to promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultations.
Anabolic steroids are becoming increasingly popular today; however, they remain taboo in sports and society due to their harsh side effects.
Thus, many gym-goers are looking for something that can mimic the anabolic effects of steroids, but with less harsh effects.
Scientists are also looking for this ‘perfect’ compound, as they attempt to treat cachexia (muscle-wasting) with less toxicity for patients.
Chemically, the potent anabolic (muscle building) and lipolytic (fat burning) effects of anabolic steroids are due to them essentially being exogenous forms of testosterone.
Thus, in theory, if a supplement could significantly increase testosterone levels to the same degree as steroids—it would also mimic their results. However, doing so would also yield a similar amount of side effects.
Thus, in order to experience the results of steroids, people will often have to brace themselves for the dreaded side effects.
“What goes up must come down”.
However, if someone is willing to experience less gains, but with more tolerable side effects; there are certain supplements (or compounds) that can help.
In this article we will not focus on very mild supplements that produce minimal results, but more powerful compounds that will actually have an effect.
SARMs
SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators) are medicine’s attempt to create a superior anabolic compound to steroids.
SARMs work by binding to the androgen receptor and thus increasing testosterone levels, but with unique tissue selectivity.
Thus, in theory, they SARMs would replicate the anabolic effects of steroids, but without the adverse effects; such as hypertrophy to the prostate, hypertension or liver damage.
Unfortunately, in practice, SARMs can produce harsh side effects that not only may equal anabolic steroids; but may also surpass their level of toxicity.
Dr. Thomas O’Connor, a member of our medical team, has hypothesized SARMs to be more dangerous than anabolic steroids. His verdict is based on 10 years’ of anecdotal evidence and the analysis of 2,000 patients’ labs.
In medical research, two men experienced SARM-induced hepatocellular–cholestatic injuries (1). This was the consequence of taking LGD-4033 for 9 weeks and RAD-140 for just 4 weeks.
Dr. O’Connor has also observed SARMs to have deleterious effects on HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, whilst also causing moderate damage to the HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis); resulting in temporary testosterone suppression.
Furthermore, the positive effects of SARMs may only be mild, with merely small increases in muscle hypertrophy being experienced in clinical research (2). In one study, SARMs-users gained 1-1.5kg of lean mass in a 4-6-week period.
In contrast, users taking Testosterone Enanthate gained 5-7kg. Thus, SARMs may produce only 20% of the muscle gains of anabolic steroids (but with potentially harsher side effects).
SARMs’ mild positive effects on body composition, also correlate with real-life, anecdotal observations of SARMs users’ before and after transformations.
Bodybuilders will typically purchase SARMs online or from people they know. The legal status of SARMs is somewhat of a grey area, with them being legal for chemical research, i.e. giving them to mice and monitoring the results. However, they are illegal for humans to utilize for bodybuilding purposes.
Pros
- Mild increases in muscle mass and fat loss
Cons
- Illegal to purchase (for non-research purposes)
- Harsh side effects
- Many SARMs products have been found to be tainted
- Not as potent as anabolic steroids
HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
HGH is not an anabolic steroid, although it mimics several of steroids’ properties; such as fat loss, muscle hypertrophy/strength and endurance.
HGH is a peptide hormone, often taken by bodybuilders wanting to take their physique to the next level. The proportion of muscle-building and fat loss is dissimilar to steroids, with HGH having more lipolytic (fat burning) effects than anabolic.
Thus, HGH may be more effective than anabolic steroids for reductions in fat mass, but less effective for muscle hypertrophy.
Typical HGH transfmation
Furthermore, HGH does not cause a ‘crash’ post-cycle, thus a PCT (post-cycle therapy) is unnecessary. Although exogenous HGH causes temporary declines in endogenous (natural) HGH levels; these typically recover in a matter of days post-cycle.
In contrast, damage to the HPTA post steroid cycle and can cause low endogenous testosterone levels for several weeks or months following.
Like anabolic steroids, HGH poses various risks to users, including heart disease (left ventricular hypertrophy) and an increased chance of type II diabetes.
HGH may also be carcinogenic, with Dr. O’Connor observing the following cancers transpire in patients that had regularly cycled growth hormone:
- Melanomas
- Esophageal cancers
- Brain cancers
- Heart tumor (single case)
- Gastrointestinal tract cancer
It would make sense that HGH could increase a person’s risk of cancer, as it raises IGF-1 levels (a surrogate marker for cancer).
Also, HGH can cause a protruding effect to the abdomen, also known as ‘HGH gut’, which is due to an increase in visceral fat — causing a bloated look to the midsection. Anabolic steroids can also cause this same appearance in the abdomen; however, it is less pronounced than HGH. This difference can be attributed to HGH causing greater fluctuations in insulin and blood sugar levels.
HGH is not currently approved for cosmetic use, and thus bodybuilders often purchase it via the black market; as prescriptions are only possible if a person has clinically low endogenous levels.
Pros
- Significant results (particularly for fat loss)
- Anti-aging
Cons
- HGH gut
- Illegal (unless medically prescribed)
- Several adverse side effects
Testosterone Boosters
If a bodybuilder wanted to stay 100% natural and operate within the confines of the law, testosterone boosters can be used — such as d-aspartic acid, tribulus terrestris, ZMA and others.
There is ample research to suggest such herbs and amino acids have a positive effect on testosterone levels; however, they are unlikely to cause exceptional elevations in serum testosterone.
There may be a rare few hyper-responders to certain testosterone boosters, causing them to gain 10lbs of lean mass from approximately 4-6 weeks of supplementation. However, this is not typical and for most users, a fraction of this is likely to be the outcome.
Other natural supplements, such as protein powders, creatine and BCAAs are unlikely to yield anything close to steroid-like results.
Pros:
- Very safe (no side effects)
- 100% natural
Cons:
- Minimal muscle gains
As testosterone boosters contain natural, FDA-approved ingredients and are 100% legal; they can be easily purchased online/over the counter.
Takeaway
Truthfully, the positive effects of anabolic steroids are largely unrivalled. Other articles online on this topic will mention natural supplements such as creatine, protein and amino acids; but their results are incomparable.
SARMs and HGH are arguably the closest thing to steroids; mimicking the muscle-building and fat burning properties—albeit at a cost.
Anabolic steroids should be discouraged, due to their potentially dangerous side effects. However, if steroids are to be taken, mild ones may be safer than some of the ‘alternative’ compounds mentioned in this article.
Some examples of relatively mild anabolic steroids (that are also FDA-approved in medicine) include Anavar, Deca Durabolin and Testosterone.
