Volgens recente gegevens uit 2024 zou de wereldwijde populatie van bodybuilding- en fitness liefhebbers die prestatieverhogende middelen gebruiken, 53,05% voor mannen en 41,99% voor vrouwen kunnen bedragen.
Vanwege de grote vraag is dit artikel gewijd aan SARMs vs. steroïden. De eerste discussie behandelt een korte samenvatting van beide stoffen.
Beide stoffen worden vervolgens vergeleken op basis van hun voordelen voor spieren, kracht en fysieke prestaties. Dit is gebaseerd op onderzoek en ervaringen uit de praktijk. Ook bijwerkingen en legaliteit van gebruik zijn redelijk behandeld.
SARMs begrijpen
Zoals de naam al aangeeft, zijn SARMs selectieve androgeen receptor modulatoren. Dit betekent in wezen dat ze selectief binden aan de androgeenreceptoren in skeletspieren en botweefsel.
Veel SARMs, zoals Testolone rad140, worden meestal in pilvorm ingenomen. Zodra ze door het lichaam zijn verwerkt, worden ze opgenomen in de bloedbaan. Op dat moment begint de stof interactie te hebben met de androgeenreceptoren in het lichaam en activeert het verschillende routes en genreceptoren.
Dit leidt vervolgens tot een verhoogde testosteronproductie, spiereiwitsynthese en bot synthese. Dit resulteert ongetwijfeld in aanzienlijke groei, herstel en versterking van deze lichaamsweefsels, evenals verbeterde fysieke prestaties.
Vanwege de selectiviteit van SARMs zijn de bijwerkingen laag in vergelijking met andere prestatieverhogende middelen zoals anabole steroïden. Enkele voorbeelden van SARMs zijn Ostarine en Testolone.
Steroïden begrijpen
Op dezelfde manier zijn anabole steroïden ook chemisch ontworpen stoffen. In tegenstelling tot SARMs bootsen anabole steroïden het mannelijke geslachtshormoon testosteron na en verhogen ze direct de testosteronniveaus in het lichaam, waarbij voorlopers worden omgezet in oestrogeen en dihydrotestosteron.
Als gevolg hiervan verhogen anabolen ook de spiereiwitsynthese en verminderen ze de afbraak van spiereiwitten (spierafbraak).
Deze werking brengt echter een groot aantal mogelijke bijwerkingen met zich mee, die zullen worden besproken.
Veel anabolen worden direct in de bloedbaan geïnjecteerd, waar ze hun werking uitoefenen. Populaire anabolen zijn onder andere Deca, Trenbolone, Testosteron en Anadrol.
Comparative effectiveness for muscle growth, strength and performance
Both SARMs and steroids are performance enhancing agents that promote muscle growth. This section is dedicated to ‘SARMs vs. steroids’ to determine which one is better.
According to the literature, anabolic steroids can increase strength in athletes by 5–20%, depending on the specific anabolic substance and the number of cycles followed.
To illustrate, an athlete who can squat 136 kg would increase his lift to 150 kg with a 10% increase. In terms of muscle mass, athletes can gain 2–5 kilos of muscle mass. New strength athletes can make even bigger gains.
It is difficult to determine exactly how much muscle and strength increase one can expect from SARMs. There are too many variables to consider, and little research is available for ethical reasons.
However, muscle and strength improvements in SARMs are generally thought to be much lower and slower compared to anabolic steroids.
The main reason for this is that anabolic steroids increase testosterone levels well above the physiological range. Because of this, steroid users see much greater changes in strength and muscle mass, which then translates into athletic performance.
Experiences of users
True users of SARMs and anabolic steroids can be found on forums such as Reddit. These individuals typically share their results based on anecdotal experiences.
A user reported significantly more effective results with steroids than with SARMs. The user stated the following:
“With ‘juice,’ you look unnaturally large much faster, with muscles bulging and veins the size of a normal garden hose. With SARMs you have a little more control over your muscle growth if you use them responsibly. I know both SARM and steroid users. Steroid users get results faster, but often look very unnatural in a short time, not to mention the side effects.”
With ‘juice’, this user refers to anabolic steroid injections, and clearly the results were much faster and more significant based on anecdotal observations.
Side effects and health risks
The side effects of SARM use are generally considered lower than those of traditional steroids. According to data, side effects may include cardiovascular problems and liver toxicity. However, because SARMs are relatively new to research, many questions remain unanswered, especially in long-term studies.
Unlike SARMs, traditional anabolic steroids convert to estrogen and DHT. This increases the risk of gynecomastia (enlargement of breast tissue). In addition, steroids are associated with severe long-term damage to the liver, heart problems and suppressing natural testosterone production.
This means that many users should rely on testosterone replacement therapy for the rest of their lives, even if they stop taking steroids. Women can expect menstrual irregularities and a more masculine appearance.
Smaller side effects may include acne, hair loss, and mood swings.
Legality and accessibility
SARMs are illegal and inaccessible in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia. Surprisingly, SARMs are not regulated in most European countries. As a result, they are openly used by many recreational gym visitors and low-level athletes.
Steroids, on the other hand, are prohibited from owning and distributing without a prescription in most countries. In some Eastern European countries, Mexico and Thailand, the rules are less strict. In some cases you can even buy them without a prescription.
Due to anti-doping rules, both substances are banned in all elite and professional sports worldwide.
If detected in a drug test, it could lead to a ban from sports and a fine. For example, Mexican-American professional boxer Ryan Garcia allegedly used an SARM called Osterone, which resulted in a one-year suspension and a $10,000 fine.
Conclusie
Steroids have decades of research behind them, while SARMs are relatively new, with little available data on human studies and long-term effects.
Even within the athletic population, anabolic steroids have been shown to increase strength by up to 20% and increase muscle mass by 5 kg. SARMs seem less impressive, which is also evident from the anecdotal experiences of real users.
Due to the mechanism of action of anabolic steroids, side effects appear more severe. Steroids increase the risk of organ problems such as liver toxicity and heart disease. In addition, they can suppress natural testosterone production in men and cause menstrual problems in women. Finally, acne and hair loss have also been reported side effects.
Remember that this article is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure diseases. It should never replace the advice and treatments of a doctor or certified healthcare provider.
If you have any questions about the use or purchase of products, please feel free to contact us directly.
Sources
Hoseini, R., &., Hoseini, Z. ‘Exploring the prevalence of anabolic steroid use among men and women resistance training practitioners after the COVID-19 pandemic’ BMC Public Health, 13(24): 798, 2024
Wen, J., Seyed, B., Leapart, J., et al. ‘Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) Effects on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials’ Clinical Endocrinology, 102(1): 2–27, 2024
Hargens, F., &., Kuipers, H. ‘Effects of Androgenic-Anabolic Steroids in Athletes’ Sports Medicine, 34 (1):513–554, 2004
Reddit, 2023 ‘Sarms vs steroids tells?’ Available at:https://www.reddit.com/r/nattyorjuice/comments/xwc91r/sarm_vs_steroid_tells/ (Accessed: 12/02/2025)
BBC Sport, 2024 ‘Garcia handed one-year doping ban’ Available at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/cd1175e56x7o#:~:text=Ryan%20Garcia%20has%20been%20handed,Devin%20Haney%20on%2020%20April (Accessed: 12/02/2025)