One of the most popular SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators) around, Ostarine MK 2866 (or Enobosarm) is usually used for two main purposes.
The first, as you may expect, is athletic performance enhancement. The second is to improve involuntary weight loss in people who are severely unwell (known as cachexia, or muscle wasting syndrome).
Ostarine was acquired and licensed in 1997 by GTx Incorporated, who quickly decided to develop this popular SARM further. Since then, Ostarine has been through a variety of studies and clinical trials.
The benefits and side effects of SARMs generally – and Ostarine specifically – have long been debated. Not least by those looking to build muscle mass without fear of gaining fat.
In this article, we are going to take a closer look at this popular drug, as well as the side effects, potential benefits and even dosage.
How does Ostarine MK 2866 work?
Like all SARMs, Ostarine works by binding to proteins in the body, called androgen receptors (ARs). Unlike anabolic steroids, the anabolic effects are tissue-selective.
This means that they work by targeting specific groups of muscle or bone tissue, instead of the whole body. This is supposed to limit the harm to the body compared to anabolic steroids, whose effects are global.
In doing this, Ostarine benefits include accelerated muscle growth, increased bone density and enhanced athletic performance. When Ostarine binds to these androgen receptors, it sends signals to your muscles, encouraging growth.
What is Ostarine MK 2866 usually used for?
As we touched upon briefly earlier, Ostarine had been developed primarily to treat muscle wasting diseases such as cachexia or wasting syndrome. As well as aiding those involuntary losing weight, Ostarine has also been used for:
- Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia)
- To increase lean body mass in cancer patients
- Muscular dystrophy
- Breast cancer
- Loss of bladder control
Strictly medicinal purposes aside, Ostarine is most often used as a performance and physique enhancing drug since it has proven to be incredibly versatile. It has shown to be effective at both increasing muscle mass (bulking) and reducing body fat (cutting).
Because it is selective in its application in the body, users hope to keep the benefits but bypass the worst effects of anabolic steroids. These would include prostate enlargement, hair loss or aggression.
Before committing to a serious fitness regime with Ostarine, you need to be completely mentally prepared. Mind and body need to work in harmony.
Also Read: Top 4 ways to mentally prepare for a body transformation
As well as working to increase muscle mass, Ostarine can also help you maintain muscle gains during a strict calorie deficit. That makes stacking Ostarine MK 2866 to burn fat and support muscle growth goals totally possible.
With Ostarine, burning fat doesn’t have to be coupled with losing muscle mass. You can work on gaining muscle whilst also reducing fat mass, creating a well defined, lean body mass.
Ostarine MK 2866 benefits
Aside from helping cancer patients increase muscle mass, Ostarine benefits have long been compared to anabolic steroids. If you’re not a fan of needles, you’ll be pleased to hear that Ostarine usually comes in tablets or capsules.
Here are some potential Ostarine benefits you can achieve during an Ostarine cycle.
However, this doesn’t mean that Ostarine side effects don’t exist. Not by a long way. But we’ll cover the potential risks and side effects a little later.
Muscle growth
Although clinical studies focused on Ostarine’s ability to prevent muscle wasting in severely ill patients, they also noticed it also increased lean muscle mass. Patients were not just maintaining weight when they were previously losing it, they were putting on muscle mass.
When paired with a healthy diet and regular exercise, muscle growth results were downright impressive. Once bodybuilders latched on to these results, they soon realised that a single cycle delivered several pounds of lean muscle mass.
This meant that the right dosage, diet and a gruelling workout routine could actually deliver some 15 pounds of lean muscle mass. Increasing muscle mass suddenly became much easier. And the pitfalls associated with steroids were a thing of the past.
But what about Ostarine on its own? Could you get the same results without the time in the gym? Well, not quite. As a beginner, however, you could see gains of 5 to 8 pounds within a few weeks. That’s still very significant. And if you up to your training and sort your diet out, this number could easily double.
And if you’re just starting out with SARMs, Ostarine is considered one of the best choices as this drug is considered somewhat mild. And it will definitely help increase muscle mass from the get-go.
This ability to gain muscle mass quickly put Ostarine results right up there with anabolic (androgenic) steroids. Without the androgenic. And without a needle.
Not only did it promote the kind of muscle growth typical to steroids, it does it selectively. Anabolic activity increase is certain. By increasing overall muscle mass in the body by targeting muscle groups, bodybuilders noticed that they had increased power as well as strength.
This translated to higher endurance during a heavy workout, and many noted a decrease in recovery times as well.
Fat burn and insulin resistance
As well as Ostarine’s benefit of muscle growth, some research has suggested that Ostarine could potentially work not just to help muscle wasting diseases, but to cure diabetes and other metabolic syndromes.
During a cutting phase, many users reported remarkable success in attacking those persistent fat stores that stood in the way of great definition.
Since Ostarine can lower blood glucose levels, it can improve insulin resistance. Since these uses are outside of Ostarine’s initial medicinal uses, it comes as no surprise that Ostarine was quickly banned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) in 2018.
Ostarine also became recognised for its ability to burn body fat. Increasing muscle mass whilst shedding body fat made it a godsend for bodybuilders looking to cut. Stacking Ostarine with other SARMs became commonplace.
Enhanced stamina
As well as preventing muscle loss and boosting muscle growth, Ostarine has been reported to improve physical performance.
During an Ostarine cycle lasting 8 to 12 weeks, users noticed an increase in strength and their performance in the gym.
Whilst using Ostarine MK-2866 , many users reported being able to push harder for longer, with reduced recovery times. Stamina and endurance increases are common whilst on a cycle, and that extra push frequently translated into bigger gains.
Increased bone density
Ostarine was initially developed to treat osteoporosis and consequently has the ability to enhance bone density. This was, after all, one of the main uses for this drug in its development phase so this should come as no surprise.
Some studies have also suggested that Ostarine can help prevent this condition by further increasing bone mineral density and protecting users against fractures.
The increase in bone density coupled with targeted muscle gains was the reason users reported a surge in strength and power at the gym.
Quick healing and recovery time
Ostarine supports the healing of muscles and joints and can maximize muscle regeneration, speeding up the healing process.
That means less time for the body to recover between workouts. And more time muscle building.
You can really enter into beast mode in the gym, knowing that the healing process and muscle recovery will be fully supported.
When taking Ostarine alone, one cycle is enough to notice serious gains. But when stacked alongside other SARMs, you can really start to reduce recovery times between workouts. More time in the gym is more consistent and stable bulking.
Heart health
With the ability to lower body fat and bad LDL cholesterol, potential Ostarine benefits include promoting good heart health. Heightened cholesterol can put you at risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure and strokes. Ostarine can boost heart health by reducing these risks.
Plus, Ostarine can also increase insulin resistance, lowering blood glucose levels.
But it must be said again that these benefits are only completely supported when you are coupling Ostarine with a proper, healthy diet and some hard gym time. Muscle gains are one thing, but good heart health is only going to kick in with this drug when you are playing the game right.
Ostarine dosage
When it comes to getting the right dose, there are several factors that you need to be considered. These include:
- Age
- General health
- Insulin sensitivity
- Underlying medical conditions
- Workout routine
- Other medications you are on
While Ostarine benefits are typically associated with its medicinal purpose, hitting the right dosage for bodybuilding takes some trial and error.
If you’re new to Ostarine, it’s best to err on the side of caution and start with a low dose that you can increase slowly. Note how your body reacts before taking it to the next level.
Since this popular SARM has plenty of room for further research, the optimal dosage isn’t quite so easy to define. However, many users find the right dosage that works for them through experimentation.
Predominantly used to cut body fat, Ostarine works to prevent muscle loss during a calorie deficit. Despite being relatively mild compared to other SARMs, Ostarine can actually lead to muscle gain, even while cutting.
During a cut phase, Ostarine users tend to go for around 10 to 20mg daily, for a cycle of 8 to 12 weeks. If you’re using Ostarine during a bulk phase, you may want up this amount to 20 to 30mg. Again, if you’re new, start small and increase from there.
Most users tend to go through a period of post cycle therapy before they dive into their next round. This allows the body to adjust to the significant increase in muscle mass in a healthy way. It also gives the body time to readjust the hormonal imbalance that will inevitably come from using a heap of synthetic drugs.
Of course, if you’re pretty new to Ostarine, it will probably be beneficial to start at 10mg and adjust as you see fit. Although many SARMs have a half-life of 6 to 12 hours, Ostarine’s half-life is around 24 hours – meaning you can take your entire dosage one time each day.
SARMs side effects
With the popularity of these research chemicals increasing, SARMs side effects are becoming more prominent by the day. And rightly so.
The problem with highlighting specific side effects comes from the fact that most SARMs have not been subjected to double-blind studies involving a placebo group. Evidence is still mainly anecdotal.
As ‘research chemicals’ Ostarine and other SARMs have not yet been approved for human consumption. Ostarine supplementation has been banned in all sports tested by WADA.
That means if you’re a professional athlete or bodybuilder, you probably want to stay clear. Many athletes have been found with Ostarine in their system and have been banned from competing.
While users report muscle gains and enhanced performance, they also frequently seek advice regarding high blood pressure, impotence and skin rashes. The list of side effects is actually much longer.
As well as these SARMs side effects, users have also reported a green or yellow tinge to their eyesight. Not the most pleasant thing to be dealing with.
Now that we’ve already covered Ostarine’s benefits, it’s time to go through the potential side effects of this novel drug. These include:
- Liver damage / liver toxicity
- May negatively impact HDL and LDL levels
- Suppression of natural T production
- Increased estrogen conversion
Research suggests that other common side effects of Ostarine include constipation, diarrhoea, headaches, heart attacks, stomach pain, nausea and even stroke. And when stacked with other SARMs, these side effects can be compounded.
Since long term Ostarine use hasn’t been adequately researched, it is highly recommended you do not exceed 25mg a day. But, again, the best dosage will be found by listening to your body. And allowing time after a cycle to let the body recover.
While Ostarine side effects seem pretty daunting, I’m afraid there’s more to discuss. As your Ostarine dosage gets higher, suppression of testosterone can be a difficult issue to face. The problem is that as your T-levels artificially increase during a cycle, natural testosterone production starts to shut down.
Similar to using anabolic steroids, it’s absolutely crucial to go into post cycle therapy (PCT) in order to kickstart natural testosterone production at the end of a cycle. Not only will this help your body rebalance its hormones, but it can also significantly reduce the time it takes to do it.
As well as Ostarine side effects on your testosterone levels, there’s also the distinct possibility that Ostarine will end up increasing estrogen levels. That’s the complete opposite of what you’re trying to achieve. Think about that seriously.
Stacking Ostarine
For those looking for quick results, you may decide to stack Ostarine with other SARMs. Stacking Ostarine involves using a combination of drugs to maximise the effects.
If you’re new to Ostarine and SARMs in general, always opt for the basic Ostarine dosage to allow your body to familiarize itself with this type of drug.
Although the effects compared to anabolic steroids are relatively mild, they can still cause significant changes to your body. It’s not all about muscle building and promoting lean body mass.
The benefits of stacking Ostarine MK include:
- Increased stamina and endurance
- Faster lean muscle growth
- Enhanced muscle recovery rate
- Burns stubborn and persistent fat stores
- Faster results
Should you take Ostarine MK 2866?
Although Ostarine is considered safer than prohormones, the side effects are still a major concern. So the natural question becomes, “Should I buy Ostarine or not?”
The fact is that Ostarine was not developed for athletes. It has not been approved for bodybuilding or improving athletic performance. It is banned by professional bodies and there is still loads of room for further clinical studies into the potential long term side effects.
While it is legal to buy Ostarine, like all SARMs it is considered a research chemical. This means they’re still pretty much in testing mode, so we cannot promise there won’t be adverse effects. The clinical trials that have been done are simply inconclusive.
It also means that the proper dosage hasn’t been clinically verified. Although bodybuilders have overwhelmingly reported positive effects in body composition and many believe it will increase lean muscle mass and aid fat loss, human trials do not exist to back this up.
Androgen receptors like Ostarine do show potential to aid fat loss and, while their muscle-building effects can be powerful, their adverse effects are still not fully understood.
Is Ostarine worth the risk?
With the potential for natural testosterone suppression, increased estrogen conversion and a whole bunch of serious health concerns, we have to recommend steering clear of Ostarine.
Energy levels can fluctuate wildly and, even with a post cycle therapy supplement, Ostarine falls down as an androgen receptor modulator by potentially wreaking havoc on the body.
But is there an alternative to taking Ostarine?
There absolutely is. STAR MKII.
This 100% natural Ostarine alternative will help you lift heavier, boost your testosterone levels and build stacks of muscle in no time. Without side effects that can stay with you permanently.
And if you’re ready to push past those workout plateaus and build muscle like never before, you can go for the best natural Bulking Stack on the market.
With absolutely no side effects and no injections, Star MKII delivers all the SARMs benefits without any of the risks. Legally and safely.
