S4
As a research chemical, S-4 belongs to a class of chemicals known as SARMs or selective androgen receptor modulators. Like typical androgens, SARMs still bind to the androgen receptor however SARMs create selective anabolic activity at certain androgen receptors and not others, hence their name.
Compared to testosterone and other anabolic steroids and pro hormones, the advantage of SARMs such as S-4 is that they do not have androgenic activity in non-skeletal-muscle tissues.
S4 was designed for treatment of conditions such as muscle wasting, osteoporosis and benign prostatic hypertrophy, using the non-steroidal androgen antagonist bicalutamide as a lead compound.
As an orally active partial agonist for androgen receptors, S-4 is effective in not only maintaining lean body mass (LBM) but actually increasing it.
Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) bind to the androgen receptor and demonstrate osteo (bone) and myo (muscular) anabolic activity.
Androgen receptor activation
Binding and activation of the Androgen receptor alters the expression of genes and increases protein synthesis, hence builds muscle.
So in essence, SARMs such as S4 cause muscle growth in the same manner as steroids, however unlike testosterone and other anabolic steroids and prohormones, SARMs (as nonsteroidal agents) don’t produce the growth effect on prostate and other secondary sexual organs.
SARMs not only represent a new potential treatment option for a wide spectrum of conditions such as muscle wasting diseases (from age-related to AIDS or cancer-related), but they also have immense potential for muscle building for Bodybuilders, fitness and athletes.
S-4 in particular binds to the androgen receptor in muscle and bone to a third of the affinity of Testosterone.
S-4 (3 mg/kg/day) was also able to restore skeletal muscle (i.e., soleus muscle) and strength in castrated rats, important and applicable for the treatment of muscle wasting and male HRT.
A 120-day study comparing SARM S-4 and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment in ovariectomized rats demonstrated that S-4 was able to maintain bone mass and bone strength to the levels of intact controls and exhibited greater efficacy than DHT
S-4 (6) also demonstrated the ability to improve skeletal (soleus) muscle strength, increase lean body mass (LBM), reduce body fat, and prevent bone loss.
The selectiveness of S-4 can be shown in the graph below where the growth of both the prostate and muscle tissue is measured with administration of S-4 (A) in comparison to testosterone (B):
Graph showing dose rate to muscle/prostate increase
Testosterone shows a very similar increase in muscle and prostate growth in a dose dependant mannar where S-4 shows a great increase in muscle growth with prostate growth staying largely uniform.
There have been many logs of users on carious forums using Ostarine as an aid to increase lean body mass and strength levels.
Most of these logs and user accounts can be found on the various forums online.
Yes. S-4 has been on the market for some time now.
GTx is no longer undergoing any trials with the S4 Sarm hence there is no reason for them to protect its formulation. S-4 has been available to researchers since 2008 and there have been many instances of its use across the Internet. In fact, testing for S-4 also exists, evident with the two Jamaican track and field athletes who have tested positive for it.
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Uses of S-4:
Cutting is the environment where S-4 truly shines.
Certain steroids are considered “cutting” steroids such as Winstrol and Anavar. These steroids don’t offer too much in large gains in muscle mass but are very effective in leaning out the body. The SARM S-4 has very similar properties.
The presence of androgen receptors in human preadipocytes and adipocytes suggests that androgens may contribute, through regulation of their own receptors, to the control of adipose tissue development. As S-4 shows this binding affinity to the AR, it demonetrates the similar fat burning effects. S-4 also shows a decrease in LPL (lipoprotein lipase) which is an enzyme that causes lipid accumulation.
S-4 also fits into a cutting protocol for the concurrent reduction in bodyfat with maintainance of muscle mass in a hypocalrofic environment.
One of the most disheartening outcomes of cutting is the loss hard earned muscle mass. The drop in metabolic rate and hormone levels (T3, IGF, Testosterone etc) with the lack of calories is a perfect catabolic enviroment for loss of muscle tissue.
As S4 has both anabolic and androgenic effects in muscle tissue, it will not only help with fat loss, but maintain and even increase muscle mass when cutting.
S-4 causes increases in vascularity and promote a very nice, “quality”, hard look to the users muscles, with little or no water retention.
In this way S-4 can be compared to Winstrol, without the harsh hair loss or extreme advers effects on cholesterol.
Also other popular steroids/prohormones used for cutting such as winstrol or epistane can have a notable effect on drying out of the joints. S-4 doesn’t suffer such consequences so the athlete is still able to lift heavy in order to maintain/increase muscle mass and strength.
Another advantage S-4 offers for cutting is that it doesn’t give the painful pumps associated with other popular steroids/prohormones. Back and calf pumps are particularly detrimental for cutting as it limits the abilty to perfrom Cardio.
S-4 Dosing for cutting
A 50mg dosing protocol for 4-6 weeks is ideal for cutting purposes for the majority of users.
However due to the vision side effects, if running at these doses some likt to follow a 5 on 2 off protocol where S4 is used for 5 days followed by a 2 day break (then this cycle is repeated).
The recomping effect of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is what the majority of users are looking for. Trying to achieve this when you are not absolutely new to training is extremely difficult.
One of the most important factors of recomping is TIME. As you are trying to achieve multiple objectives, it requires a longer time period to notice good recomp effects so even when running steroids, these would have to be longer run injectible compounds as oppose to the short run liver toxic oral steroids/prohormones.
Although S-4 is taken orally, as it is not methylated it is not liver toxic like other AAS/PH/DS’s. As it prevents this side effect and many others, ita can be ran for 6+weeks, sufficient time to get a good body recomp.
A dosing protocol of 50-75mg for 4-8 weeks will give good recomp effects
Diet must also be optimized to where calories are just above maintaninance with at least 30% coming from lean sources of protein to get the best recomp effect.
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