Review: LG Sciences pSARM

Posted By elissa on Dec 22, 2008 | 2 comments

Note: pSARM has been discontinued.

“pSARMs act like testosterone in specific tissues like muscle. This gives us the unique benefit of being anabolic without the negative side effects found with illegal anabolics. The key to the pSARM is in the shape of the molecule which is similar to testosterone and acts like it in specific muscle tissues, giving the bodybuilder a very potent anabolic agent without the negative side effects.”

“pSARMs?”

According to LG Sciences, “pSARM” stands for “phytoSARM”—that is, a plant compound that has SARM activity.

So what is a SARM?

SARM = Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator. SARMs are non-steroidal compounds that can bind to androgen receptors and exert tissue-specific effects. A hypothetical SARM, for example, might block (or only weakly activate) androgen receptors in the prostate, while activating receptors in bone and/or skeletal muscle. Ideally, SARMs would provide the benefits of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), without the drawbacks (i.e., virilization, acne, prostate disease, alteration of blood lipids).

Although there are no currently available drugs on the market, SARMs are an active field of pharmaceutical research. In the near future, SARMs may be used to treat osteoporosis, muscle-wasting conditions (AIDS, sarcopenia, cachexia, post burn/injury catabolism) and prostate disease. Male contraception is another potential application.

Problem is, there’s no such thing as a “pSARM”—except, perhaps, in the collective imaginations of LG Sciences’ product development team. As I noted in the SARM-X review, there are no known naturally-occurring SARM compounds.

Ok, if pSARM isn’t a SARM…then just what is it? To answer that question, we need to inspect the label.

Amount Per Serving
pSarm 50mg
Osthol 90%
Natural PhytoAndrogens 220mg
Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis
Zingiberis Officinale
Eurycoma Longifolia
Metabolism Complex 180mg
Stinging Nettle Root (Standardized)
Ellagic Acid Standardized (40% From Red Raspberry)
Quercetin
Piperine
Yohimbe (Standardized For Yohimbine)

As is often the case, the ingredients in pSARM are subdivided into a series of proprietary blends…so we’ll take them one at a time.

pSARM: This is the core of the pSARM formula. It contains only one ingredient: osthol.

What the heck is osthol?

Osthol (or osthole) is 7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one—a coumarin derivative isolated from the seeds of Cnidium monnieri. Cnidium seeds—or “She Chuang Zi”—are used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat skin disorders and boost libido (the reason why Cnidium extracts are found in various “male enhancement” products). Several bioactive coumarins have been identified in Cnidium, but osthol is the best known and characterized.

Osthole appears to be orally bioavailable and has some interesting properties…for example, it may improve bone strength, inhibit tumor growth, reduce allergic reactions and have antioxidant/hepatoprotective effects. It also appears to increase nitric oxide levels in penile tissue, and may act as a phosophodiesterase inhibitor similar to Viagra…which may account for Cnidium’s reputation as an aphrodisiac. Unfortunately, there are no human studies, nor any clue about what constitutes an active, oral dose in humans to achieve any of these effects.

In addition, there’s little to suggest osthole can improve mass gains or strength. The best I could find was one, small study published in an obscure, Chinese language journal that reported increased gonadotropin and testosterone levels in rats given high doses—but this is hardly conclusive…nor is this the sort of result you’d expect to see from a SARM.

Needless to state, I found exactly zero evidence that osthole binds to androgen receptors and exhibits selective activity (either agonist or antagonist)—which is what a SARM is supposed to do.

Natural Phytoandrogens: This is a blend of three, unrelated medicinal herbs.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is used in Trinidad and Tobago for “menstrual pain and unspecified female complaints.”

Rodent studies indicate it may have wound healing, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective and contraceptive effects.

Androgenic activity was also noted in two studies on mice and rats given large doses of differently prepared extracts, but how these compare to the herbal preparation (and dose) given in pSARM is unknown.

Zingiber officinale is ginger: a well-known spice and staple in Asian folk medicine. Ginger is a useful treatment for nausea and has thermogenic and anti-obesity effects. One study also reported androgenic effects in rats gavaged with large doses of extract, but there’s no evidence this occurs in humans—let alone at the doses found in pSARM.

Eurycoma longifolia is better known as “Longjack” or “Tongkat Ali.” Eurycoma has been used traditionally as an aphrodisiac, and several Malaysian studies on rats do show enhanced libido and sexual activity. I like the way Wikipedia describes this research, however:

“Some scientific studies suggest that it enhances sexual characteristics and performance in animals. However, most of these studies were conducted by the same researchers, so more research is needed.”

Uh-huh…I’ve been aware of these studies for years and made similar observations. Personally, I’d like to see some independent verification of Eurycoma’s reputation, using something other than rats given ginormous doses of laboratory (vs. commercially) prepared extracts.

This brings up a relevant question: are the herbal ingredients in this blend actually extracts containing higher concentrations of the active compounds…or are they simply dried herbal powders? For the record, there is nothing on the label to indicate these ingredients have been extracted or concentrated in any way, unlike several other ingredients in the formula. Suffice it to say, a couple hundred milligrams of powdered whole plant material isn’t likely to be very useful.

Metabolism Complex: This is a blend of 5 ingredients. The first, Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), has been used as a traditional herbal remedy for centuries. Stinging nettle extracts are also used in modern medicine as an alternative therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate).

In vitro (cell culture) experiments have shown that Urtica extracts can inhibit SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin)—a protein that binds to testosterone and limits its bioavailability. This explains why Urtica extracts and 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran (an active compound), have been showing up in bodybuilding supplements like SAN Estrodex and Halodrol Liquigels.

Is this how it works in vivo? This is unclear, as the mechanism underlying Urtica’s effects on BPH has not been determined and changes in free testosterone have not been measured. It’s a tantalizing hypothesis, but there’s no real proof at this time.

The next ingredient, ellagic acid, is a polyphenolic antioxidant found in raspberries and other foods like pomegranates, cranberries and walnuts. It may have some anti-tumor properties, although its presence in pSARM is more likely due to its ability to inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes that metabolize testosterone. This is also true for quercetin, another phytochemical with antioxidant activity. In one study on rats gavaged with high doses of quercetin, testosterone levels increased up to 3.48x.

Yohimbe is a source of yohimbine, a compound often found in fat loss supplements. It’s also sold as a treatment for male impotence. Lastly, piperine is the alkaloid responsible for the pungency of black pepper, and has been shown to increase the absorption of certain nutrients taken with it.

Voila! There you have it. So the answer to the question we asked above is…???

“Not much.”

Truth is, there’s little here to justify the claims for pSARM. From where I sit, this supp looks less like an anabolic, and more like an incoherent jumble of various “male” oriented herbals and plant-derived compounds. Some of these are healthful enough and may produce sexual effects, but that’s about it.

SARM research is really quite promising, and I guess I can’t blame LG Sciences for attempting to jump on the bandwagon. But it’s a pretty lame attempt…simply calling something a “phytoSARM” isn’t enough to make it one.

The bottom line? Caveat emptor.