SARMs 101: the research, the law and how to choose

Last reviewed 15 October 2026. Products are supplied strictly for laboratory research and are not for human consumption. 18+ only. This page summarises published research; it is not medical advice.

New to SARMs? This page is the short version. For the full picture, read the ultimate guide to SARMs, and when you are ready to compare products, the whole range is in the SARMs collection.

What SARMs are

Selective androgen receptor modulators are synthetic compounds developed from the late 1990s, first at the University of Tennessee and later by pharmaceutical companies. They bind to the androgen receptor, the receptor that testosterone acts on, and were designed to act mainly in muscle and bone rather than across the whole body. No SARM has been approved as a medicine anywhere in the world.

What the research covers

Ostarine (MK-2866) is the most studied compound and the only one to reach phase III trials. Ligandrol (LGD-4033) and Testolone (RAD-140) have early phase human data, and most of the others have animal or cell data only. Ibutamoren (MK-677) and Cardarine (GW-501516) are often grouped with SARMs but act on different receptors. The ultimate guide sets out what each trial found.

The UK legal position

SARMs are not controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and may be sold as research chemicals. They are not licensed medicines, so they cannot lawfully be sold for human consumption, and every SARM is prohibited in sport under the WADA list. Full guide: Are SARMs legal in the UK?

How to read a certificate of analysis

A certificate of analysis is a lab report for a specific batch. Look for the lab name and accreditation (UKAS or ISO 17025), the batch number matching the bottle, the method (HPLC or LC-MS for identity and purity), the purity figure and the test date. A certificate without a batch number, or one older than the product, is not evidence of anything. Every batch is independently tested and its certificate of analysis is published on the product page and the Lab Testing page. Full guide: Reading a certificate of analysis.

Peptides: the other half of the range

Since September 2026 SARMs Store also stocks the Origin Peptides range, 27 lyophilised peptides in five series. They are a different class from SARMs: short amino acid chains with their own receptors, mostly rodent-stage evidence, and cold-chain storage. The groups researchers ask about most are tissue repair (BPC-157, TB-500, Wolverine blend), growth hormone secretagogue peptides (CJC-1295 with Ipamorelin, Sermorelin), metabolic and ageing models (NAD+, 5-Amino-1MQ) and skin (GHK-Cu, GLOW blend). Start with SARMs vs peptides for the mechanism, evidence and storage differences.

Shop the research range Read the ultimate guide

Products are supplied strictly for laboratory research and are not for human consumption. 18+ only.