RAD 140, otherwise known as Testolone, is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that was initially developed as a substitute for exogenous testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). TRT is given mainly to men who are suffering from hypogonadism, a condition resulting in extremely low testosterone levels.
TRT has become notorious in combat sports, especially MMA, through therapeutic use exemptions given to fighters such as Vitor Belfort who have fallen under suspicion of being steroid users in the past. Steroid use can be one reason for chronically low testosterone in otherwise fit and healthy men.
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RAD 140 was initially developed by Radius Health and has since been licensed to Ellipses Pharmaceuticals. Like Ostarine and Ligandrol, its effects on muscle wastage and osteoporosis have been investigated. RAD 140 has also been investigated for its effects on certain kinds of breast cancer. RAD 140 has some benefits for women in particular that we will discuss below.
In the two previous articles on Ostarine and Ligandrol, while touting the anabolic potential of these new compounds, we have also been at pains to ensure you understand that they have specific uses that will some suit individuals and contexts more than others.
That caveat applies here too. If you put RAD 140 to the right uses, you will see very positive results, with fewer of the side effects associated with the use of performance-enhancing substances like steroids.
You must, however, be in no doubt of the potential risks and side effects, which we will discuss below.
RAD 140 is another anabolic SARM, like Ostarine and Ligandrol, and is generally sought out and used by the same groups: bodybuilders, strength athletes (powerlifters, Olympic lifters, strongmen), practitioners of contact sports, martial artists and gymbros. The benefits of RAD 140 are:
- Increased lean muscle mass (including during a calorie deficit) and therefore strength
- Increased energy levels
- Increased bone strength
RAD 140, as a SARM with performance-enhancing effects, is listed as an S1 Anabolic Agent on WADA’s prohibited list.
In the other two articles, on Ostarine and Ligandrol, we have used lists of athletes who have been banned for using those substances, in order to illustrate their respective properties. In the case of RAD 140, which seems to be less well known than Ostarine or Ligandrol, fewer professional athletes have been banned for using it.
Crossfit competitor Ricky Garard
Perhaps the most prominent case of sanction for RAD 140 use is Australian Crossfit Games medallist Ricky Garard, who received a ban and was stripped of his medal for testing positive for RAD 140.
A Crossfit competitor like Garard is certainly somebody who would benefit from increased muscle mass and strength, without the side effects of steroids or testosterone.
Powerlifters and cyclists have also received bans from their sports for testing positive.
Generally, it is said that RAD 140 is as ‘selective’ a SARM as there is, meaning that it has anabolic effects in all the right places, with a minimum of unwanted side effects.
Steroids, in particular, bind to receptors in unwanted places, which can lead to conditions like an enlarged prostate and heart and even aggravate or provoke cancers.
For women, the selectivity of RAD 140 means that they can take it for muscle growth – or indeed other purposes, because it has been shown to suppress certain kinds of breast cancer – and suffer minimal androgenic side effects, such as hair growth.
