Peptides vs. SARMs

“Peptides” and “SARMs” are often mentioned in the same breath, which leads people to assume they are variations on one idea. They are not. They differ in what they are made of, how they are taken, and what they act on.

What a peptide is

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids — the same building blocks that make up proteins, just fewer of them. Peptides work as signals: they bind a receptor or mimic a natural hormone to tell a cell to do something. Because the digestive tract would break the chain apart, research peptides are typically injected rather than swallowed, and many are cleared from the blood quickly (a short half-life). Every compound documented in this library is a peptide or peptide-like molecule.

What a SARM is

A SARM — selective androgen receptor modulator — is a small synthetic molecule, not an amino-acid chain. It is built to act on one receptor, the androgen receptor (the same receptor testosterone uses), and it is usually taken orally. Despite often appearing alongside peptides in the same conversations, a SARM is a fundamentally different class of compound with a different chemistry, route, and regulatory status.

The key differences

This library documents research peptides only, and presents the research literature without making therapeutic claims. SARMs are described here strictly to define the term — they are outside the library's scope.