A new product which is considered as a replacement for traditional steroids is being sold online and on the black market based on an article published by Science Daily. This non-steroidal product is used primarily for the treatment of various diseases which include sarcopenia, osteoporosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and cancer cachexia. SARMs or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators can give the benefits provided by anabolic steroids but with minimal side effects. This is one of the reasons why the product is becoming popular in the sports arena.

However, the major concern of experts is the absence of further studies to verify its effects and benefits. It is currently classified as a therapeutic product for some diseases but no formal studies have been conducted to support its claims. A group of researchers from the German Sport University Cologne in Germany made an analysis on a particular brand of SARM to determine its content and at the same time gather additional information on the product. According to the Science Daily article, the not yet aprroved arylpropionamide-derived SARM is currently marketed as a green tea and face moisturizer. It can be bought online at $100.

The possible misuse of the product also prompted the researchers to conduct the study. They used state-of-the-art mass spectrometric approaches with high resolution/high accuracy (tandem) mass spectrometry. Dr. Mario Thevis, Ph.D. and his colleagues made the analysis using a sample purchased online. “One unit (30 mL) was purchased online and delivered in a box labeled to contain face moisturizer and green tea extract. The sealed bottle did not declare any content and no further documents accompanied package,” Dr. Thevis said. Additional technical information was also shared by the doctor. He explained that LC-MS(/MS) analysis of the solution revealed the presence of S-4 at approximately 150 mg/mL with equal amounts in each container, yielding a total of 4.5 g of the SARM.

The criteria used by the group involve the active ingredient and characterized by the following:
a) its elemental composition (as determined by high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry,
b) comparison to synthesized reference material regarding retention time and product ion mass spectrum, and
c) elucidation of its mass spectrometric behavior. Besides the detection of the active ingredient S-4, a significant amount of byproduct was observed.

The result of the study showed some major concern on the product. Dr. Thevis explained that the product with considerable anabolic properties is readily available on the internet without sufficient research on its undesirable effects. “This is especially significant where uncontrolled dosing is applied and drug impurities with unknown effects are present in considerable amounts as observed in the studied material,” he said.

The issue on the possible abuse of therapeutic products was also tackled in the Conference of Parties to the International Convention against Doping in Sport, held last month at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris. In order to get rid of trafficking and illegal supply of prohibited substances in sports, government agencies should adopt new laws and regulations said WADA President John Fahey.

The researchers suggested that sports organizations should implement screening procedures for emerging therapeutic compounds as part of its drug testing policy. The use of SARM as a performance enhancing drug like anabolic steroids is a new elixir for professional athletes. “Our study demonstrates once more that the misuse of therapeutics without clinical approval by athletes cannot be dismissed,” Dr. Thevis added.

On the other hand, a scientific advisor of GTX which manufactures SARM, said that it works similarly to testosterone but in a more targeted way. He said that SARMs are effective by binding to the steroid receptor in only specific tissue, like muscles. “They are not steroid drugs, but they produce the anabolic effect of the steroids,” Evans said. The drug also shows that it can boost lean muscle mass in older people based on clinical trials.

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