Ostarine History and Overview
Ostarine, also known as enobosam, ostarbolic, or its original research chemical name MK2866, is not an anabolic steroid and belongs to a newer class of experimental performance-enhancing drugs known as SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators).
SARMs are a relatively new field of medicine, as well as athletic performance and physique enhancement.
Like all other SARMs, it is currently an investigational drug and has not yet been manufactured and administered as a real medicine. It is currently in clinical trials.
Ostarine was originally developed by Merck & Company and later licensed to GTX, Inc. Ostarine is used to treat muscle-wasting diseases and osteoporosis, which is where most of the research and clinical trials are focused.
It is also being investigated for its potential to prevent/treat other conditions such as cachexia, sarcopenia, and hormone or testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Like other members of the SARM family, ostarine selectively binds to and activates androgen receptors in the body, promoting effects such as muscle gain, prevention of fat accumulation, and increased strength. It does this while avoiding androgen receptors in other parts of the body, such as the prostate, scalp, and skin, where side effects may occur.
Because of this, the athletic and bodybuilding community has been very interested in ostarine, and in January 2008, the World Anti-Doping Agency developed a blood test to detect it.
Ostarine is believed to be the most potent anabolic of all anabolic substances currently on the market.
Chemical Properties of Ostarine (MK-2866)
Chemically, like all other SARMs, Ostarine bears no resemblance to the traditional anabolic steroid structure.
The chemical structure of Ostarine is not fully disclosed by GTX, Inc.
While the company has not actually disclosed the chemical structure of ostarine, the chemical composition can be found in patent databases (e.g. WIPO) and has been discussed in the literature of various leading research sources.
It is important to note that ostarine is actually often incorrectly linked to the chemical structure of andarine (also known as S-4).
Specifically, ostarine is known as an aryl propionamide.
It differs from andarine in that the nitro and acetamido moieties on the phenyl ring are replaced by cyano substitutions.
Ostarine side effects
Studies have shown that taking ostarine in higher than recommended doses can suppress endogenous natural testosterone production in the male human body.
The same side effects can also occur if ostarine is taken for longer than five weeks.
Therefore, ostarine actually suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA) and requires some sort of post cycle therapy (PCT) protocol.
Since Ostarine is not an anabolic steroid in nature, it does not have the typical side effects of anabolic steroids other than those already mentioned in this section.
Ostarine does not exhibit any known estrogenic, androgenic, hepatotoxic, or cardiovascular side effects.
As with all anabolic steroids, it is important to note that ostarine is very new and in its early stages of development as a medicine and performance enhancing drug (PED), so it is possible that future research or individual use may uncover side effects that are not currently known.
Ostarine Dosage and Administration
Most users tend to take between 12.5 and 50 mg of Ostarine per day to improve athletic performance and physique, with 50 mg being the upper limit of course.
In a three-month study of 120 older adults who did not weight train, ostarine was found to increase lean body mass in a dose-dependent manner, with the group taking the highest dose (3 mg per day) gaining an average of 3.1 pounds of lean body mass.
Anecdotal reports from bodybuilders and athletes using this ingredient suggest that 25 mg per day seems to be the perfect and most common dosage.
Taking more than 30 mg per day is generally only recommended for people weighing more than about 210 pounds, at which point HPTA inhibitory effects begin to show up.
For the purpose of healing injuries, bones, and joints, a minimum dosage of 12.5 to 15 mg per day is sufficient to experience satisfactory results.
Ostarine is nearly perfect for female users, so women can do well within the range of 6 to 12.5 mg per day.
Ostarine is administered orally and has a half-life of about 24 hours, so you only need to take it once or twice a day. It is up to the individual to decide if they want to take half of their daily dose in the morning and the other half in the evening.
Ostarine cycle
Ostarine cycles run in the range of 5 to 8 weeks.
Individuals who do not wish to experience HPTA suppression and possible disruption of endogenous testosterone production are advised to keep their Ostarine cycle to 5 weeks or less.
Cycles longer than 5 weeks (or doses well in excess of 25-30mg per day) will require some sort of post cycle PCT protocol.
Some users have ventured into uncharted territory by taking Ostarine on 16 week cycles and stacking/combining it with other SARMs such as Andarine or Cardarine.
Other types of uses have also been found for Ostarine, including 'bridging' between anabolic steroid cycles.
Bridging refers to utilizing other compounds to maintain muscle mass between anabolic steroid cycles.
These bridging compounds typically have in common that they do not inhibit HPTA, or at least minimally inhibit it, while also being able to promote anti-catabolism and muscle growth.
Ostarine and bridging with ostarine during post cycle therapy (PCT)
While the use of SARMs during PCT and as bridging compounds has become a common philosophy of use (and there are logical reasons to do so), ostarine is an exception.
The use of ostarine is not recommended because ostarine has the side effect of suppressing endogenous natural testosterone production by inhibiting HPTA.
This was mentioned earlier, and there are also studies that have shown a decrease in plasma testosterone levels after taking ostarine.
However, if you want to stay the course, don't exceed 25 mg per day, as doses above this threshold lead to more severe testosterone suppression.
This is why a PCT protocol is essential to the use of Osterin itself, and many recommend using PCT even after a short Osterin cycle as an extra safety measure in this regard.
Similarly, bridging ostarine between anabolic steroid cycles is also not recommended, although it has become a practice among some bodybuilders.
Initially, many in the athletic and bodybuilding community thought it was a good idea when ostarine first appeared in PEDs, but research and personal experience have shown that it is generally not a good idea.
While ostarine can be used in low doses, the fact that there are other SARMs that are better suited for this purpose that do not negatively affect HPTA has essentially rendered ostarine useless for this purpose very quickly.
Availability and legality of ostarine
Because ostarine is not yet an FDA-approved and fully developed drug or medication, it is impossible to find ostarine products for medicinal use.
It is currently only known as a research chemical that is sold very widely on the internet and around the world.
It currently exists only in the form of a liquid research chemical for use in research laboratories and is not intended for human use.
The lack of regulation of research products does have the downside of companies underdosing or faking ostarine, but this is not a common concern or known case.
It can be legally purchased, possessed, and used in most countries and regions of the world, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
It is currently classified by the FDA as having Investigational New Drug (IND) status.
Any drug or compound with IND status must include a “Caution” label: Caution: New Drug - Restricted to investigational use under federal law (or the United States).” label.
