What Is It?
Two fundamentally different categories of research compounds that get lumped together by vendors and social media. Understanding the difference matters for safety, legality, and research design.
How Does It Work?
Peptides are amino acid chains that signal cells — they speak your body's language. SARMs are synthetic small molecules that bind androgen receptors — they hijack a specific lock. Different chemistry. Different mechanisms. Different risk profiles. And then there are the imposters: MK-677 isn't a peptide (it's a ghrelin mimetic). Cardarine (GW-501516) isn't a SARM (it's a PPAR-delta agonist). SR-9009 isn't even a drug (it's a research probe). They get sold alongside SARMs because vendors don't care about categories.
Key Differences
- Peptides — amino acid chains, multiple mechanisms, generally lower toxicity, often injectable.
- SARMs — synthetic small molecules, androgen receptor specific, oral, liver toxicity risk, testosterone suppression.
- Neither — MK-677 (ghrelin mimetic), GW-501516 (PPAR-delta, cancer risk), SR-9009 (research probe, 2% bioavailability).
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- Zero SARMs are FDA-approved.
- Both categories are research compounds banned by WADA.
- The "selective" in SARM is aspirational — liver injury, HDL crash, and testosterone suppression are documented.
- For research and educational purposes only.
Research Sources
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