RAD-140

Non-steroidal SARM — selectively binds androgen receptors in muscle and bone while theoretically sparing androgenic effects in the prostate and other tissues. Mechanism of selectivity is structural — SARMs achieve tissue specificity through differential coactivator recruitment at the androgen receptor. However, true tissue selectivity in humans has not been definitively established.

SARMs are not steroid hormones and do not use traditional esters. RAD-140 is an oral non-steroidal compound. No esterification required — taken as oral capsule or liquid. Half-life of 15-20 hours allows once-daily dosing.

RAD-140 is used in performance settings as a muscle-building compound by people who want anabolic effect without injectable administration and without what they perceive as the harsher side effect profile of traditional anabolic steroids. The oral administration and the theoretical tissue selectivity of SARMs make them appealing to a population that wants meaningful results with lower perceived risk. In practice RAD-140 is used during lean bulking phases and recomposition periods. It is also used by athletes in sports with limited testing infrastructure who want androgenic-like benefits while avoiding the most common testing targets, though WADA testing for SARMs is increasingly sophisticated.

RAD-140 is more commonly used alone or with other SARMs than in traditional anabolic stacks, partly because the population that gravitates toward SARMs is often specifically trying to avoid traditional injectables. When combined with other SARMs, it appears most often alongside MK-677 for combined anabolic and growth hormone secretagogue effects, or with Ostarine in protocols where someone wants a more moderate anabolic effect than RAD-140 alone provides. Running RAD-140 alongside traditional anabolic steroids negates most of the rationale for choosing a SARM in the first place and compounds suppression without proportional benefit.

• Phase I clinical trials for breast cancer (ER+/HER2-)
• Investigated for muscle wasting and osteoporosis
• No approved therapeutic use as of 2026

• Testosterone suppression — dose-dependent, post-cycle recovery required
• Liver enzyme elevation — reported in human case studies and trials
• Androgenic effects present despite theoretical selectivity
• Hair loss reported — contradicting theoretical tissue selectivity
• Mood changes — aggression, irritability
• Unknown long-term safety profile — no completed Phase III trials
• Multiple case reports of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) associated with RAD-140

The absence of long-term human safety data is the central risk that the performance community consistently minimizes. RAD-140 has no completed Phase III trials, no approved human use, and the longest available human data comes from small Phase I studies and case reports, some of which describe significant liver enzyme elevation and drug-induced liver injury. The theoretical tissue selectivity that makes SARMs appealing in principle has not translated cleanly in human use. Androgenic effects including hair loss have been reported at doses commonly used in performance settings, contradicting the selective profile. Testosterone suppression is real and post-cycle recovery is required. The supply chain for research chemicals is unregulated, meaning dose accuracy and purity are genuine variables.

WADA-approved testing methods detect RAD-140 and metabolites for approximately 1-2 months.