Cardarine
Cardarine, or GW501516, is an unapproved PPAR-beta/delta agonist with short human lipid and fuel-use biomarker studies and severe chronic animal toxicology signals. It is not a SARM.
tier F · weight loss · 104 weeks duration of the chronic rat and mouse toxicology abstracts
verdict
Short controlled human studies changed lipid, liver-fat, insulin, and fuel-oxidation biomarkers. They did not establish weight loss, endurance, cardiovascular benefit, diabetes prevention, or chronic safety.
the core tension
Cardarine has measurable short-term human pharmacology, but no proven weight-loss or performance outcome. The chronic carcinogenicity details come from 2009 Society of Toxicology conference abstracts, and those animal results support a severe warning without permitting a numerical human cancer claim.
what it is
GW501516, also called cardarine, GW1516, or endurobol, is a selective PPAR-beta/delta nuclear-receptor agonist. It is not a SARM and does not act through androgen-receptor modulation.
what it does
PPAR-beta/delta activation changes transcription involved in lipid handling and fuel oxidation. The human studies measured biomarkers and mechanistic endpoints, not body-weight loss, athletic performance, or clinical cardiovascular events.
origin
No FDA-approved GW501516 product exists. FDA has acted against marketed products as unapproved new drugs, while WADA says development was terminated following serious preclinical toxicities and prohibits the substance in sport.
does it work
In a 12-week low-HDL study, GW501516 changed HDL, LDL, triglyceride, apolipoprotein, and free-fatty-acid markers. A separate two-week study exposed only six men to GW501516 and measured metabolic biomarkers, liver fat, muscle expression, and meal-fat oxidation.
key facts
- molecular formula: C21H18F3NO3S2
- molecular weight: 453.5007 g/mol
- amino acids: n/a (small molecule, not a peptide)
- half-life: not stated; no qualifying original human half-life set located
- type: selective PPAR-beta/delta nuclear-receptor agonist; not an androgen-receptor SARM
- CAS: 317318-70-0
- 268 participants in the published randomized low-HDL study
- 18 men in the two-week mechanism study
- 104 weeks duration of both chronic toxicology abstracts
frequently asked questions
Is cardarine a SARM?
No. It is a PPAR-beta/delta nuclear-receptor agonist, not an androgen-receptor modulator.
Is it FDA approved?
No. FDA has treated marketed GW501516 products as unapproved new drugs, and no prescribing label exists.
Did human studies show weight loss or endurance?
No. The cited studies measured lipid, liver-fat, insulin, oxidation, and related biomarkers over two or twelve weeks. They did not measure durable weight loss or athletic performance benefit.
Does cardarine cause cancer in people?
Human causation has not been established. The central record is severe multi-tissue neoplasia in chronic animal studies, with no quantitative human cancer-risk estimate.
What is the human half-life?
This page does not publish one. No qualifying quantitative Cmax, AUC, or half-life set was located in the original human reports or posted registry results.
related peptides
- Ligandrol: The cardarine evidence cited on this page does not establish ligandrol's identity, mechanism, approval, or outcomes.
- Enobosarm: The cardarine evidence cited on this page does not establish enobosarm's identity, mechanism, approval, or outcomes.
reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.