SR-9009

Rev-Erb Agonist | Circadian Rhythm & Metabolic Enhancement

SR-9009 (Stenabolic) is a synthetic Rev-Erb agonist developed by Professor Thomas Burris at the Scripps Research Institute. Despite being almost universally marketed and sold alongside SARMs, SR-9009 is not a selective androgen receptor modulator and does not bind to or activate the androgen receptor in any capacity. Its mechanism is entirely distinct: it acts as an agonist of the Rev-Erb-alpha and Rev-Erb-beta nuclear receptors, which are key components of the molecular circadian clock and play critical roles in regulating lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammatory responses, and mitochondrial biogenesis. In preclinical studies conducted in mice, SR-9009 demonstrated notable effects on exercise capacity, metabolic rate, fat oxidation, and circadian rhythm regulation. Treated mice showed increased oxygen consumption, decreased fat mass, and enhanced endurance without changes in food intake. However, the most significant limitation of SR-9009 is its extremely poor oral bioavailability, estimated at approximately 2% in rodent models. This means that the vast majority of an orally administered dose is destroyed by first-pass hepatic metabolism before reaching systemic circulation. The impressive preclinical results were obtained via injection, raising serious questions about whether oral dosing in humans can achieve pharmacologically meaningful plasma concentrations. SR-9009 has never been tested in human clinical trials, is not approved for any medical use, and is classified as a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It remains available through research chemical suppliers, where it is used in performance enhancement contexts primarily for its purported effects on fat loss, endurance, and energy levels.