RESEARCH MONOGRAPH · KDC-MN-266

Stenabolic (SR-9009)

May 9, 2026 Kodiac biolabs Research Revised May 30, 2026 3 min read

Our opinion on this compound

42/100

Rev-erb agonist with cool basic biology, terrible oral bioavailability, and most consumer claims fictional

SR-9009 is the compound where the scientific paper is far more interesting than the consumer marketing, and the gap between the two is enormous. Tom Burris's lab at Scripps published the original 2012 Nature paper showing that pharmacological activation of Rev-erb-alpha could increase mitochondrial biogenesis, shift metabolism toward oxidation, and reduce fat mass in mice. It was a legitimately exciting piece of circadian biology with real implications.

The basic mechanism is solid. Rev-erb-alpha is a nuclear receptor that's part of the core circadian transcription-translation loop and also a major regulator of metabolic gene expression. Agonizing it pharmacologically can in principle shift muscle metabolism, affect lipogenesis, and modulate circadian timing in extrahepatic tissues. The biology is real and interesting.

The catch nobody likes to mention is that SR-9009 has essentially zero oral bioavailability. The original work was done with intraperitoneal injection in mice. Published pharmacokinetic data shows oral SR-9009 doesnt reach meaningful plasma exposure in any species tested, including humans. The consumer narrative of taking it as a tablet or capsule to get exercise-mimetic effects is on its face implausible based on the actual pharmacology.

Newer Rev-erb agonists (SR-9011, SR-12418, and others) have somewhat better drug-like properties, but SR-9009 specifically is essentially a research probe for IP injection studies in animals. As a Rev-erb agonist tablet sold in the supplement world it almost certainly isnt doing what people claim.

What we like for legitimate research use is exactly that: SR-9009 is one of the standard Rev-erb tool compounds for in vitro work and for proof-of-concept animal studies on circadian-metabolism crosstalk. The 2012 paper has spawned a sizable literature on Rev-erb biology that's genuinely advancing the field.

What we dont like is the wholesale fiction the consumer marketing has built around it. Endurance gains, fat loss, exercise-in-a-bottle marketing, all applied to an orally dosed compound that doesnt orally absorb. The handful of human pharmacokinetic studies that have been done confirm this.

Sourcing is gray-market dominant with the usual purity concerns. Research-grade SR-9009 with documented HPLC purity is available for legitimate in vitro and rodent work.

Honest take: interesting research compound, almost entirely useless as the oral supplement it's sold as. The basic biology is the real story.

Evidence: 30
Mechanism: 75
Reliability: 30
Safety: 50
Sourcing: 45
Value: 35
Signal: 40
Staying power: 30

Plain-language summary Intrigue 50 / 100

Stenabolic (SR-9009) is a synthetic activator of Rev-erb-alpha, a nuclear receptor that helps regulate the body's circadian rhythm and metabolic gene expression. Mouse studies from Scripps showed striking effects on exercise capacity and body composition when delivered by injection. The catch: the compound has dismal oral bioavailability, well below 5 percent in most reports, so the effects seen in oral recreational use are unlikely to match the mouse data. It is sold as a SARM-adjacent fat-burner and endurance supplement, but the chemistry argues that most of an oral dose is never absorbed. Not WADA-banned by name but covered under broad metabolic-modulator clauses. Not stocked by Kodiac. This monograph is provided for research and educational reference.

Intrigue 0–100 blends mechanism novelty, evidence strength, and translational potential. Kodiac editorial, not peer-reviewed.

Rev-erb-alpha agonist (not a SARM)

A Rev-erb-alpha agonist developed for circadian and metabolic disorders; popularly grouped with SARMs but mechanistically distinct.

Abstract

Stenabolic (SR-9009; CAS 1379686-30-2; molecular formula C20H24ClN3O4S; molecular weight 437.94) is a synthetic Rev-erb-alpha agonist developed by Burris and colleagues at Scripps Research Institute. Rev-erb-alpha is a nuclear receptor with circadian regulation function; pharmacological agonism shifts metabolic gene expression toward fatty acid oxidation and reduces inflammatory gene transcription. Mouse studies demonstrated improved exercise capacity and body composition with intraperitoneal dosing, generating substantial popular interest. The compound has poor oral bioavailability (less than 5 percent in rodents), making the recreational oral use pattern pharmacologically inconsistent with the published in vivo data. SR-9009 is not approved by any regulatory authority and has no human clinical trial record. Plasma half-life is approximately 4 hours after IP dosing in rodents. Used as the canonical Rev-erb-alpha agonist in academic circadian and metabolic research.

Mechanism of action

Rev-erb-alpha agonist; circadian and metabolic effects on fatty acid oxidation. Poor oral bioavailability complicates oral use.

Reported research dose ranges

Rodent IP studies 100 mg/kg; oral recreational use commonly 10 to 30 mg with uncertain bioavailability.

References

Solt LA, et al. Regulation of circadian behaviour and metabolism by synthetic REV-ERB agonists. Nature 2012.
Burris TP, et al. Targeting the nuclear receptor Rev-erb-alpha for metabolic disease. Drug Discov Today 2013.
Geldof L, et al. Pharmacokinetic profile of SR9009 in rats. Drug Test Anal 2017.

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The full reference document is available as a research-use-only PDF download. Note: PDFs for newly added compounds may take a few hours to propagate after this article was published.

KDC-MN-266

The full reference document is provided strictly for research use only. It reports research dose ranges from the published literature, not instructions for use in humans or animals.

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FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not for medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes. Not for human consumption. All information is provided for research and educational purposes only.

Kodiac sells research compounds for investigative use only.

Stenabolic (SR-9009)

Abstract

Mechanism of action

Reported research dose ranges

References

Read the full monograph

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Abstract

Mechanism of action

Reported research dose ranges

References

Read the full monograph

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