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Ever heard of Ostarine MK 2866? Bodybuilders throughout the world have sought after the use of this SARM since it’s a safe alternative to steroids that can get you lean mass gains without the major side effects.
In this article, I’ll clarify what exactly SARMs are and why Ostarine MK 2866 may be the best option for you.
My 40+ years in the bodybuilding world have educated me on this topic back to front and I’m here to guide you through the process of making an educated decision about whether or not to take this SARM.
Ostarine MK 2866 is an orally active, non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM ).
It is manufactured by the company GTx, Inc. and is regarded as one of the safest, best-tested, and most effective bodybuilding SARMs available.
It’s considered to be the best SARM for beginners and it is most commonly used during bulking and recomp phases.
In a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial involving 120 healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women, ostarine was shown to significantly increase muscle issues, and improve physical function and insulin sensitivity. [1]
When attached to the androgen protein, it communicates the message for it to get bigger.
Unlike anabolic steroids, Ostarine does not convert to estrogen or DHT. [2]
It also does not affect your androgenic, or sexual, characteristics and it exclusively works on your anabolic, i.e. muscle building, characteristics.
Ostarine is popular among bodybuilders because it has been shown to add significant muscle mass and reduce body fat.
This makes it the most useful SARM for body recomposition and the average mass increases that have been reported anecdotally over an 8-week cycle of Ostarine (at a dosage of 25mg per day) appear to between between 6 and 9 pounds of lean muscle mass.
Ostarine can also be used as part of a cutting cycle. The best way to use it towards cutting is to lower the daily dosage to between 15 and 20 mg per day and be sure to reduce your daily caloric intake.
It’s widely available on the internet but websites that sell selective androgen receptor modulators must market them, not as lean body mass builders or fat loss agents, but as tools for research only.
The FDA is beginning to clamp down on online sellers of SARMs and has recently shut down a large retailer and have others in their firing line.
Ostarine is also on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances.
Ostarine Summary
It’s considered to be the best SARM for beginners and it is most commonly used during bulking and recomp phases.
In a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial involving 120 healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women, ostarine was shown to significantly increase muscle issues, and improve physical function and insulin sensitivity. [4]
Ostarine selectively binds itself to proteins within the body that are called androgen receptors. When attached to the androgen protein, it communicates the message for it to get bigger.
Unlike anabolic steroids, Ostarine does not convert to estrogen or DHT. [5]
Ostarine is legal, but only for research purposes. It has not been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and as a result, cannot be sold as a dietary supplement.
Form: Liquid, Powder
Cycle Length: 6 – 7 weeks
Average Cost: $54.99
Side Effects: Stomach pain, headaches, cholesterol increase, liver strain, and hypertension
Dangers: Hepatotoxicity
Best Stack: MK-677 / Cardarine / RAD 140
PCT Required: Yes
Men/Women: Men and Women (Lower dose)
You also need to have your diet on point to reach your muscle-building goals.
If you have both your training and diet in place, then Ostarine may be suitable for you as an aid to gaining mass, cutting, or recompiling your body.
Your subsequent cycles can be extended to 10 to 12 weeks if you have a good tolerance to your first cycle.
If you are taking it for cutting, you should reduce your dosage to 15-20 mg per day.
Begin with 25 mg per day and on subsequent cycles you can experiment with your dosages and cycle lengths to a maximum of 30 mg and 12 weeks.
The amount of testosterone suppression that occurs when you go on an Ostarine cycle differs between individuals and is dependent on the length of the cycle and dosage.
Not all cycles will require PCT cycling.
To be safe, however, we suggest that you go on a 3-week PCT cycle following your use of MK 2866 as a matter of course.
It’s best to use Clomid as your PCT agent, taking 10 mg per day.
Make sure that you are also maintaining a daily caloric deficit for the entire period of your cycle to achieve your goal.
We recommend starting with 15 mg per day for mass gain and 10 mg per day for cutting over an 8-week cycle.
However, we strongly recommend keeping your daily dosage to no more than 30 grams to ensure safety and minimize the potential side effects of nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
SARMs have not been around long enough for us to make a categorical statement on the long-term safety and side effects of using MK 2866.
For that reason, we recommend following your cycle with a 3-week PCT cycle using 10 mg of Clomid daily.
In addition, many users around the world have documented their results online.
A typical cycle of MK2866 over 8 weeks, when coupled with hard, heavy training and a mass-gaining diet can pack on between 6 and 9 pounds of lean muscle mass.
As noted in the side effects section above, some people have noted minor effects but non-major negative side effects have been reported with sensible use of Ostarine.
If, however, you follow a 25 mg Ostarine mass-gaining cycle for 8 weeks with good results and no bad effects, you may follow it up with the more potent RAD 140 for a similar cycle.
In terms of pure mass gains, Ligandrol is more effective than Ostarine. Ligandrol is also an excellent choice when it comes to pure strength gains.
It should be noted that Ostarine has a better safety profile. In fact, S4 was abandoned in clinical trials due to some safety concerns.
In terms of fat loss, while preserving muscle, S4 will probably produce better results. This, however, needs to be weighed against the better safety profile of Ostarine.
This makes it a special and very potent mass-building agent.
As such, it is a better bulking agent than Ostarine. However, Ostarine wins out over YK-11 in its ability as a cutting agent.
Follow a conservative 8-week cycle at 25 mg per day and follow it with a 3-week PCT using 10 mg of Clomid per day.
You should only consider using this, or any other SARM, however, if you are beyond puberty, have been training for at least a year, and are consistently working out intensely while following a sensible clean diet that is geared toward your reason for taking the SARM in the first place.
In this article, I’ll clarify what exactly SARMs are and why Ostarine MK 2866 may be the best option for you.
My 40+ years in the bodybuilding world have educated me on this topic back to front and I’m here to guide you through the process of making an educated decision about whether or not to take this SARM.
Key Takeaways
- Ostarine MK 2866 is a popular SARM (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator) known for its muscle-building benefits, considered a safe alternative to steroids with fewer side effects.
- Ostarine selectively binds to androgen receptors in the body, promoting muscle growth without affecting sexual characteristics or causing problems in the liver or pancreas.
- Ostarine is commonly used in bodybuilding for bulking, recomposition, and cutting phases. It’s associated with significant muscle gains and reduced body fat when used as part of a structured regimen.
- While Ostarine is legal for research purposes, it has not been approved as a dietary supplement by the FDA. Online sellers of SARMs are facing increased scrutiny from regulatory authorities.
- Ostarine is generally considered safe, with minimal reported side effects, but long-term safety and side effects are still not fully understood. Users are advised to follow a cycle with post-cycle therapy (PCT) for safety.
What is Ostarine MK 2866?
Ostarine MK 2866 is an orally active, non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM ).
It is manufactured by the company GTx, Inc. and is regarded as one of the safest, best-tested, and most effective bodybuilding SARMs available.
It’s considered to be the best SARM for beginners and it is most commonly used during bulking and recomp phases.
In a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial involving 120 healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women, ostarine was shown to significantly increase muscle issues, and improve physical function and insulin sensitivity. [1]
How Does Ostarine Work?
Ostarine selectively binds itself to proteins within the body that are called androgen receptors.When attached to the androgen protein, it communicates the message for it to get bigger.
Unlike anabolic steroids, Ostarine does not convert to estrogen or DHT. [2]
Benefits of Ostarine
Ostarine, like other SARMs, is selective in the proteins that it targets which means that it does not enter parts of your body that may cause serious problems, such as the liver or pancreas.It also does not affect your androgenic, or sexual, characteristics and it exclusively works on your anabolic, i.e. muscle building, characteristics.
Ostarine is popular among bodybuilders because it has been shown to add significant muscle mass and reduce body fat.
This makes it the most useful SARM for body recomposition and the average mass increases that have been reported anecdotally over an 8-week cycle of Ostarine (at a dosage of 25mg per day) appear to between between 6 and 9 pounds of lean muscle mass.
Ostarine can also be used as part of a cutting cycle. The best way to use it towards cutting is to lower the daily dosage to between 15 and 20 mg per day and be sure to reduce your daily caloric intake.
Is Ostarine Legal?
Ostarine is legal, but only for research purposes. It has not been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and as a result, cannot be sold as a dietary supplement.It’s widely available on the internet but websites that sell selective androgen receptor modulators must market them, not as lean body mass builders or fat loss agents, but as tools for research only.
The FDA is beginning to clamp down on online sellers of SARMs and has recently shut down a large retailer and have others in their firing line.
Ostarine is also on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances.
Ostarine Summary
Ostarine
Ostarine is an orally-active, non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM ).It’s considered to be the best SARM for beginners and it is most commonly used during bulking and recomp phases.
In a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial involving 120 healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women, ostarine was shown to significantly increase muscle issues, and improve physical function and insulin sensitivity. [4]
Ostarine selectively binds itself to proteins within the body that are called androgen receptors. When attached to the androgen protein, it communicates the message for it to get bigger.
Unlike anabolic steroids, Ostarine does not convert to estrogen or DHT. [5]
Ostarine is legal, but only for research purposes. It has not been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and as a result, cannot be sold as a dietary supplement.
Ostarine MK-2866 Overview
Top Benefits: Muscle growth, strength gain, fat lossForm: Liquid, Powder
Cycle Length: 6 – 7 weeks
Average Cost: $54.99
Side Effects: Stomach pain, headaches, cholesterol increase, liver strain, and hypertension
Dangers: Hepatotoxicity
Best Stack: MK-677 / Cardarine / RAD 140
PCT Required: Yes
Men/Women: Men and Women (Lower dose)
- Better recovery
- Improved fat loss
- Massive muscle gains
- Stomach pain
- Headaches
- Liver toxicity
- Hypertension
- Cholesterol
Who Should Use Ostarine?
Unless you are working out hard consistently, you cannot put on quality muscle, regardless of what chemicals you put in your body.You also need to have your diet on point to reach your muscle-building goals.
If you have both your training and diet in place, then Ostarine may be suitable for you as an aid to gaining mass, cutting, or recompiling your body.
Ostarine Cycle
You should start with an 8-week MK 2866 cycle and take 25 mg of Ostarine daily first thing in the morning.Your subsequent cycles can be extended to 10 to 12 weeks if you have a good tolerance to your first cycle.
Ostarine Dosage
The recommended starting dosage for Ostarine is 25-30 mg for muscle gain.If you are taking it for cutting, you should reduce your dosage to 15-20 mg per day.
Ostarine For Bodybuilding
When using Ostarine for bodybuilding purposes, we suggest following an initial 8-week cycle.Begin with 25 mg per day and on subsequent cycles you can experiment with your dosages and cycle lengths to a maximum of 30 mg and 12 weeks.
The amount of testosterone suppression that occurs when you go on an Ostarine cycle differs between individuals and is dependent on the length of the cycle and dosage.
Not all cycles will require PCT cycling.
To be safe, however, we suggest that you go on a 3-week PCT cycle following your use of MK 2866 as a matter of course.
It’s best to use Clomid as your PCT agent, taking 10 mg per day.
Ostarine For Cutting
Ostarine is an effective cutting agent and we recommend starting with 10 mg per day on your first 8-week cycle.Make sure that you are also maintaining a daily caloric deficit for the entire period of your cycle to achieve your goal.
Ostarine For Women
Ostarine is generally considered to be the mildest selective androgen receptor modulator. However, females should use a lower dosage than guys.We recommend starting with 15 mg per day for mass gain and 10 mg per day for cutting over an 8-week cycle.
Ostarine Stack
Ostarine can be stacked with other SARMs for an even greater effect. When it comes to mass building, we recommend the following 8-week stack:- Anadarine S4 – 25mg morning – 25mg evening
- Ostarine MK 2866 – 25mg per day
- GW501516 – 20mg 30 minutes before your workout
- Ostaraine – 20mg in the morning
- Cardarine – 30 mg in the morning
- SR9009 – 29 mg in the morning
- Anadarine – 50 mg in the evening
Ostarine Side Effects
There have been no major side effects associated with the use of Ostarine.However, we strongly recommend keeping your daily dosage to no more than 30 grams to ensure safety and minimize the potential side effects of nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
SARMs have not been around long enough for us to make a categorical statement on the long-term safety and side effects of using MK 2866.
Ostarine PCT
Ostarine may have a mildly suppressive effect on your body’s natural testosterone production, depending on the dosage and length of the cycle.For that reason, we recommend following your cycle with a 3-week PCT cycle using 10 mg of Clomid daily.
Does Ostarine Work?
Yes, Ostarine definitely does work. It has been shown to increase muscle mass in patients in numerous Phase One Clinical Trials.In addition, many users around the world have documented their results online.
A typical cycle of MK2866 over 8 weeks, when coupled with hard, heavy training and a mass-gaining diet can pack on between 6 and 9 pounds of lean muscle mass.
Is Ostarine Safe?
Ostarine is considered to be the safest SARM that exists. Because of its selective nature, it will not cause harm to your organs or produce negative androgenic effects.As noted in the side effects section above, some people have noted minor effects but non-major negative side effects have been reported with sensible use of Ostarine.
Ostarine vs RAD140
RAD140 is more powerful than Ostarine and we do not recommend it for your first cycle.If, however, you follow a 25 mg Ostarine mass-gaining cycle for 8 weeks with good results and no bad effects, you may follow it up with the more potent RAD 140 for a similar cycle.
Ostarine vs Ligandrol
Ligandrol is another effective SARM for bulking. If you are looking to pack on lean mass fast then this is a good bet for you.In terms of pure mass gains, Ligandrol is more effective than Ostarine. Ligandrol is also an excellent choice when it comes to pure strength gains.
Ostarine vs S4
Both Ostarine and Andarine S4 are used for cutting though, as we have seen, Ostarine, when taken at a higher dose, is also an effective bulking agent.It should be noted that Ostarine has a better safety profile. In fact, S4 was abandoned in clinical trials due to some safety concerns.
In terms of fat loss, while preserving muscle, S4 will probably produce better results. This, however, needs to be weighed against the better safety profile of Ostarine.
Ostarine vs YK-11
YK-11 is unique in the world of SARMs due to its ability to inhibit Myostatin, which is a protein that prevents muscle growth.This makes it a special and very potent mass-building agent.
As such, it is a better bulking agent than Ostarine. However, Ostarine wins out over YK-11 in its ability as a cutting agent.
Should You Take Ostarine?
If you are going to take a SARM, then Ostarine is the natural introductory agent. This is the mildest and safest SARM available with no major recognized side effects.Follow a conservative 8-week cycle at 25 mg per day and follow it with a 3-week PCT using 10 mg of Clomid per day.
You should only consider using this, or any other SARM, however, if you are beyond puberty, have been training for at least a year, and are consistently working out intensely while following a sensible clean diet that is geared toward your reason for taking the SARM in the first place.