Andarine (otherwise known as SARM s4 or Andarine S4) is a selective androgen receptor modulator that can help to prevent muscle wastage and support muscle mass development, so you look chiselled, hard and lean.

In many ways it works and operates like anabolic steroids, but with less of the negative side effects. Not only is it fast-acting – producing muscle gains within a smaller time frame – it is also an incredibly strong compound.

By binding to the receptors in your muscle and bone tissues, this encourages growth in lean muscle mass and in turn increased strength (think about it – the more muscle you have, the stronger you’ll become whilst training).

Now S4 SARM is not like your average SARM, as it is stronger and more powerful. Add into the equation the fact that it causes fewer side effects (because it binds selectively and not with every androgen receptor it encounters) and is anabolic, and what you have got is an easy way to build up muscle fast.

Knowing this, it is little wonder why Andarine is used so widely by athletes and bodybuilders. This simple compound has the potential to transform your cutting cycle.

Yet, it is not entirely perfect…

For starters Andarine is no longer being researched. Nope. Nothing. So whilst previous research has shown that this SARM could potentially offer various benefits in treatment against muscle wasting diseases; all research has now been abandoned.

Second, whilst this SARM underwent human trials, none of these studies were published. Why? We have no idea, but it makes it harder to substantiate its claims. All we can base our opinion on is the limited amount of information available, which points to the following: single daily Andarine dosages; complete oral bioavailability, and positive anabolic muscle and bone effects.

Third, whilst it might not be as dangerous as steroids; it CAN still cause some side effects, so you do need to be careful.

What are the benefits of using SARM S4?

Some would argue that Andarine is one of the most versatile SARMs around because of its ability to fit into your plans no matter your athletic goals or bodybuilding ambitions. It simply fits in without negating the effects of other compounds.

But what can Andarine do, and what S4 SARM results can you expect?

Well, as well as having a high bioavailability – meaning you’ll witness results within a matter of weeks – Andarine has proven itself to be very effective even when taken in low dosages.

It can also offer the following benefits:

Muscle hardening

Andarine can help to make your muscles harder, drier and more vascular in as little as a week, making it ideal when prepping for competitions. Users recommend adding it to your stack during the last 6-8 weeks of your cycle, so you’ll end up looking ripped and chiselled. It can also give you muscle pumps that last all day long – not just when you’re lifting weights.

Increased strength

You will notice a difference to your strength and endurance in as little as two weeks. In fact, some users have reported being able to break previous best lift records by week 5 of their cycle with this S4 SARM.

Fat loss

It is not entirely known ‘how’ S4 helps your body to burn fat; however, the leading theory is that it suppresses the production of Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) which is responsible for regulating the metabolism of stored fat (by signalling your body to utilize stored fat for energy).

Users have reported losses of up to 7lbs of fat – as well as lean muscle mass gains – when they took 50mg of S4 for 6 weeks.

Muscle mass gains

There are mixed opinions about S4’s muscle building capabilities. However, at least 2 clinical studies suggest that Andarine can help users to achieve decent muscle mass gains during a bulking cycle – even if they are taking a low Andarine dosage – as well as helping them to retain muscle while cutting.

Users taking 50mg (whilst in a caloric surplus) have witnessed 6-8lb lean muscle mass gains by the end of their 8 week cycle. NOTE: for the first few weeks they took only 25mg of Andarine a day.

No water retention

Thanks to its high anabolic effects, you can safely build muscle and bone tissue without having to worry about any unwanted bloating.

Perfect anabolic environment

By offering your body a stable anabolic environment, you can confidently use other compounds and know that Andarine won’t prevent them from working.

Can effectively be used for bulking, cutting and body recomposition.

What are potential Andarine S4 side effects?

Not to quote Spiderman or anything ‘but with great power comes great responsibility’, and this couldn’t be truer of this SARM S4.

You see, despite all of its perks, S4 is not without risk.

Numerous anecdotal reports have indicated that it can affect your vision causing you to see incorrect colors or a yellowish tinge when you’re looking at things – imagine seeing everything in Sepia and you’ll get what we mean. This is due to this SARM binding to the receptors in your eyes (something other SARMs don’t appear to do). Worst case scenario – it can cause light sensitivity and peripheral blindness, affecting your ability to see clearly at night (not exactly fun if you need to drive).

True, further evidence suggests that these vision changes are individual specific and are usually caused by taking too high an Andarine dosage. Similarly, they will supposedly disappear once you finish your Andarine cycle – without any need for corrective measures or medical intervention – however, it does give you pause for thought.

For instance, is any risk – even if it is short term – worth enduring simply to boost your lean muscle gains and fat loss? Personally, we don’t think so. Yet not everyone feels that way. In fact, due to it being a ‘manageable side effect’, there are many users who are happy to endure it.

And herein lies the problem…

Where does it cross from being manageable to being unsafe? The answer is dosage. The more you stretch and push towards its 50mg a day threshold; the more you risk experiencing some serious side effects.

Hell, even at a low dosage, you run the risk of this particular side effect so you need to be careful.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER SIDE EFFECTS?

From what we can see, this vision impairment is the only one you really need to worry about. Sure you might experience mild natural testosterone suppression but this can be corrected by doing PCT and keeping your cycle to 6-8 weeks.

More importantly, Andarine won’t trigger gynecomastia, water retention or hair loss.

How to use it – Andarine dosage

We talked briefly about being careful with your Andarine dosage earlier, so you can prevent/minimize testosterone suppression and vision impairment. Yet what is the correct dosage for this S4?

The good news is – you don’t need a lot in order to experience positive results. Low to moderate dosages will be more than enough as this SARM has got high anabolic activity.

On average, most users recommend taking 25mg of Andarine a day for the first two weeks before upping it slowly (NEVER take more than 50mg a day) for the remaining 6 weeks. If your vision remains unaffected, then it is possible to take 50mg a day.

This dose should be split into 2-3 doses a day (once in the morning and then alongside a pre-workout meal) as it has only got a half-life of 4-6 hours.

Stacking – you can easily stack this S4 SARM with other SARMS. Researchers recommend pairing it with Ostarine, as together they have a synergic effect (especially if you’re in a calorie deficit) and can help you to hold onto your muscle mass whilst you’re cutting. Alternatively, you can stack it with GW501516 or Cardarine (if you want an endurance boost). For bulking, 5-10mg of Ligandrol with 25mg of Andarine is recommended. Personally, we don’t think stacking is necessary with S4 as it is powerful enough on its own. However, you can stack if you want to minimize the risk of vision problems.

Bulking/cutting – The good news is that Andarine shines brightly in both cycles. With cutting especially it can help you to get lean, tight and vascular whilst effectively helping you to burn fat. And in terms of bulking, it has got the tools to offer you decent lean muscle mass gains (even when you’re consuming fewer calories).

Cycle length – NEVER use this SARM for longer than 8 weeks

How effective is Andarine in comparison to other SARMs?

Andarine is regularly compared to other steroidal compounds such as Winstrol, Anavar and Ostarine:

Andarine vs Ostarine – Ostarine is considered to be incredibly effective at adding mass, cutting, re-comping and treating injuries; however, it isn’t as strong Andarine. Of the two though, S4 causes a few more side effects.

Andarine vs Winstrol – overall they are seen to be equally as effective as each other, although S4 is considered to be the milder of the two. Both can help to make your muscles hard, vascular and dry from the first week. However, as Andarine works by selectively binding to androgen receptors, it triggers less side effects.

Andarine vs Ligandrol – of the two, Ligandrol is notably more powerful at building muscle mass. S4 on the other hand can help you to gain muscle whilst retaining muscle when you’re cutting/in a calorie deficit.

Andarine vs. Anavar – similar to Winstrol, they are considered to be as equally effective at increasing muscle mass gains and burning fat.