What is Cardarine?
Cardarine is also known as GW-501516, as well as Endurabol (a nickname that was created later, after it was taken off the market potential) — created by two pharmaceutical companies working together (Ligand Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals) in 1990. The original intention behind its invention was to help people/patients who suffered from heart and metabolic conditions, yet was too high risk for more conventional drugs that had already been developed. Something had to bridge the gap–and for a while, Cardarine or GW-501516 seemed to be it.
- One of the first things you should know? It is not a SARM (selective androgen receptor modulator), whose purpose is to help rebuild wasting muscles and bones, by binding to the androgen receptors that are found in your muscles and bones to build muscle tone and bone density.
- What Cardarine is, is a PPAR receptor agonist. Later in the article, we will discuss what that means more, but for now, all you need to know is that this supplement is not intended to help mitigated symptoms that you suffer if you have a muscle or bone-wasting disease–which is a common misconception that people have about Cardarine.
- What Cardarine does, explicitly, it helps your body burn fat at a much higher rate than it has been previously. How it does this is that Cardarine is made up of compounds that allow it to regulate your body’s fatty acid metabolism.
- There is a sensor (the PPAR) that is found in your muscles that also lives in the fat cells of your body. When you take Cardarine, that sensor is flipped on, and your body/muscles are told via fatty cell receptors, that they need to start burning fat now.
If you are an athlete or anyone who is struggling and trying to shift those last ten pounds or one hundred pounds, Cardarine is an exciting alternative for you to try. If you have tried everything from drinking more water, working out more times in the week, and cutting calories–Cardarine could be an alternative for you to at least test out. And because it’s a supplement, there is an added benefit that there isn’t a huge expense the way there would be, if you had bought another workout or exercise machine or DVD set.
It never hurts to try–but before you do, before you put anything in your body, you should always read up about the risks. No supplement or drug is complete, one hundred percent risk-free, no matter what anyone says.
Benefits of Using Cardarine
There are several benefits to using Cardarine as a supplement to aid in your weight loss or to add more endurance to your workouts.
- The first benefit that has been shown through multiple studies performed is increased cardiovascular performance. In layman’s terms, these supplements help improve and increase your stamina in a significant manner than before you began taking the supplement.
- To give you several professional sports organizations have banned a hint of how much your stamina will increase this supplement because of the advantage it would provide a single athlete against another team and his/her teammates.
- However, if you are not a professional athlete, then you should be fine taking it.
- The second benefit of Cardarine is that it burns fat at a speedy rate. And as a bonus, if you are eating at a deficit, it will direct your fat to be burned first, while saving more of your muscles, e.g., muscle tone.
- The third benefit of this supplement is its potential effect on your cardiovascular system, e.g., your heart and blood vessels. Studies showed that when mice were given doses of Cardarine, issues in their cardiovascular system, e.g., their arteries were reduced.
- The fourth benefit of taking Cardarine as a supplement is that when a person takes it, they are not only burning fat off, they are stimulating their muscle fibers to move. Which, in turn, means they are stimulating muscle growth, every time they take a dose. This is due, in large part, because Cardarine is a PPAR delta supplement. More on that later.
- The fifth benefit of using this supplement is that you will not suffer from any hormone-based side effects because this supplement targets your muscle and bone receptors, not your reproductive system. This means that Cardarine does not change your testosterone levels, which means you do not need a PCT to counteract that.
- The sixth and last benefit listed is that Cardarine is also a natural wound healer. Myofibril blasts are essential in wound healing, yet not often implemented by the body. When it is used, Cardarine automatically promotes Myofibril blasts to help assist with wound healing.
Benefits of Using Cardarine Overview
- Increases stamina overall, perfect for those who want a better workout
- Burns fat quickly, while preserving muscle tone (even if you are eating at a deficit)
- Could potentially help reduce the damage done in a damaged cardiovascular system
- Stimulates muscle growth by stimulating muscle fibers to move, in addition to burning fat
- No hormone-induced side effects, e.g., acne, hair growth, breast enlargement, etc. Does not change your testosterone levels.
- Stimulates wound healing due to encouraging myofibril blasts.
Side Effects When It Comes to Using Cardarine
There aren’t any officially known side effects that have been tied to Cardarine use. This is mainly because the drug was never approved to be used in the United States, and so trials were halted. All that can be said on the subject is that you should carefully monitor your body’s reactions to anything you put into it. There is no drug, supplement, food, or drink that you can put into your body that is without any risk of making you ill or causing you to develop something later. You alone have to decide what risks you are willing to take and what is best for your body.
- It has been said that Cardarine can cause cancer-however, Cardarine was mainly tested in mice, with daily dosages of up to 55 mg. As we have said before, there is a risk to every supplement, drug, food, and drink that you consume–it is up to you to research and evaluate the risks that you could face.
Recommended Dosages for Cardarine Users
There is a wide range of recommendations when it comes to the dosages that people should take to make Cardarine it’s most safe, yet also useful.
- During the clinical trials, the dosages that were given out were 2.5 mg to 10 mg a day.
- However, those dosages were given to animals. A few athletes and bodybuilders have recommended taking no more than 10 mg to 20 mg a day.
- They say that they have seen people go as high as 30 mg a day, but because there is not much information available about the supplement, we would be leery of recommending anyone go above 10 mg to 20 mg max.
- Cardarine’s half-life lasts from twelve hours to twenty-four hours. So whatever dosage you decide to take, you should not take more than two dosages in a day.
- The cycle length you take your dosages on is about six to eight weeks. We cannot recommend you go any longer at a time.
One of the great things about Cardarine is that because it does not attach itself to your hormone receptors or affect them in any way, you can stop taking it. You do not need a PCT to stop taking it, the way you would with other supplements.
Cardarine Dosages, Overview
- 2.5 mg to 10 mg of Cardarine, in a single day (two doses)
- 10 mg to 20 mg of Cardarine, in a single day (two doses)
Cardarine Half-Life, Overview
- Cardarine’s half-life lasts from anything from twelve to twenty-four hours, so your dosage should not go over two a day
- You do not need a PCT to stop taking this supplement
Cardarine is a PPAR Receptor Agonist – What is a PPAR Receptor Agonist?
As said at the very start of this article, Cardarine and its equivalent Endurabol have been confused with SARMs. However, they are not a SARM. PPAR receptor agonists and SARMs have two completely different purposes, and they work in two entirely different ways.
- A SARM is a therapeutic compound whose purpose is to help rebuild wasting muscles and bones, by binding to the androgen receptors that are found in your muscles and bones to build muscle tone and bone density.
- To put it, if you want to gain muscle–whether that is because you work out or play sports, or if you suffer from a disease that causes your muscles to degenerate, e.g., Lou Gehrig’s Disease, et al., then you would take a SARM.
- A PPAR Receptor Agonist, also known as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist, is a therapeutic compound that can be used to burn fat. That is not the extent of its uses–the extent of its abilities. Initial studies and tests believed that it could have a huge role to play in the homeostasis of the body’s energy and treat inflammation.
- In the 1970s, scientists first discovered the use of fibrates in PPAR receptor agonists, as they were found to activate PPAR, which in turn took advantage of their lipid burning properties. Through further tests and studies, they were shown to have an influence on fatty acid flux, which in turn led to reduced levels of blood glucose and less resistance against insulin production.
As a result, PPARgammas are used to treat People living with Type II Diabetes. They have also been known to lower triglycerides, increase HDL cholesterol, and lower VLDL particles in the body. PPAR was also known to impact inflammation, vascular remodeling, and vascular function positively. This leads to understanding that PPAR can impact cardiovascular and metabolic health–which is the basis of supplements like Cardarine and Endurable.
PPAR Delta – How does this affect your body?
PPAR Delta, like other PPAR receptor agonists, has been animal tested and not optioned for further testing at the moment. However, through those studies, PPAR delta has been known to
- improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin,
- reduce weight gain,
- improve cardiovascular function,
- reduce atherogenic inflammation,
- and increase the muscle’s metabolic rates.
- This is because PPAR delta can balance the body’s energy, reduces fat deposits, and defends against lipotoxicity.
PPAR delta helps your body burn fat, and increases your endurance levels so you can exercise, walk, run, etc. for longer. It does this by enhancing your fatty acid metabolism, which helps to increase your body’s overall endurance.
History of Cardarine – Where Did It Come From?
As referenced before, Cardarine was developed as a joint project between Ligand Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline in 1992. It was officially discovered (the compound itself) in 2001, when an article was written about it in the magazine, PNAS (a scientific journal).
- From there, the Phase I trial of the drug testing began, with Phase II starting early the next year. It was developed up until 2007 when it was discovered that animals that were being tested on were developing cancer from being dosed with the supplement.
- As discussed previously–the drug was tested on animals, with up to five times the dosage a person would take in a single day. All a person can do is decide what risks they are willing to take with themselves and their bodies.
- However, the supplement did do as it said–it drastically improved the fitness and endurance based on the fact that it affects your cardiovascular system, as well as burns, fat very fast.
- After this, the supplement took on a new name–Endurabol–as it became very popular with athletes because of its effects. This led to the drug being banned entirely by many professional sports leagues because it was being used as a doping agent during professional games by professional athletes– notably the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
- It was during these Games that some concerns were raised, because Cardarine/Endurabol was not a banned substance, nor was there a specific test for it. Later that year, a urine test was developed to test for the compound and added to the official roster. It has generally been available for private purchase since 2011, although it is officially discouraged.
In 2012, Cardarine/Endurabol was recategorized as a “hormone and metabolic modulator,” and it was around that time that the cancer risks were revealed to the general public, in the hopes of educating anyone who wanted to use the supplement.
- Despite its designation by the general public, you can buy and sell Endurabol/Cardarine online freely. A simple google search will give you want. Whether you are an athlete, a bodybuilder, or someone who likes to workout-you can find Cardarine/Endurabol online quite easily.
- This article easily references the risks and the benefits of taking the supplement–it is up to you to choose what you will do with this information and how you take it.
From the Horse’s Mouth– Real Experiences with Cardarine/Endurabol (Testimonials)
- “Having tried multiple SARMs such as LGD-4033 and Ostamuscle in the past, I had decided to try out Cardarine. A few of my friends have used it during a cutting phase to help them shred off fat whilst maintaining muscle. All of them seemed very positive about Endurobol and suggested I tried it out.
- My diet and workouts were in check, and I decided to throw it in at 10mg a day and ended up building it up to 20mg a day. The results were stunning; the first thing I noticed was the massive improvement in endurance. My cardio sessions got so much more comfortable even though I was consuming a lot fewer calories than usual.
- I started at 14% body fat and ended up losing 5% of body fat in about 6 weeks. In the end, I was extraordinarily vascular and lean. GW501516 was a great addition during my cut, and I did not expect such drastic results.
- It worked great for me, and I got good results. It gives that extra performance boost I needed during my caloric deficit. My cardio got more comfortable, and I was able to handle more volume.
- It was very active at burning fat, and I think it might even have helped me with preserving muscle. I’m probably going to be rerunning this compound in the nearby future.”
- “I notice increases in endurance, fat loss, and recovery the very first day of taking cardarine, but it takes about 2 weeks for me to notice the full effects. I notice that cardio becomes much less of an effort and that I have more drive in the gym. Cardio can almost seem impossible after a grueling workout, but that is no longer the case when I am using cardarine.
- A lot of females think that “fat burning” and stimulants go hand and hand. This is completely untrue. The beauty of cardarine is that it allows females to burn fat without any of the side effects that you would get with stimulant use. Stimulants can be counterproductive to a female’s fat loss and muscle building goals because they raise cortisol levels and can lead to adrenal fatigue. I do not use any stimulants, but if a female wants to continue using her stimulant based fat burner or pre-workout supplements, she can safely stack cardarine with it.
- What I like about cardarine is that it is a much safer option than prescription fat burners like Clenbuterol and T-3, which can cause extensive side effects and even possible long term issues. What I dislike the most about prescription fat burners is that they are catabolic and promote muscle wasting. When cutting, I do not want to risk losing any hard earned muscle. Cardarine is not catabolic, so I can hold onto my muscle (and even continue to build more) while cutting body fat.
- I like to split my daily cardarine dosage into an AM and PM dosage because of the compound’s 20-hour half-life. I take my first dosage with breakfast and my second dosage around 5 PM before my workout. Cardarine will not affect sleep in any way, so there is no need to worry about dosing it close to bedtime.”
So What Do You Think About Cardarine/Endurabol?
After everything that you have read in this article, what is your initial impression? Are you wary about taking the supplement after reading about the potential side effects–or lack thereof? Or are you unconcerned because you know that you can take a small dose for a short time, without much risk to yourself at all?
- Nothing is risk-free in life-not walking down the street, nor chewing on a piece of ice. How we choose to inform and educate ourselves matters–no matter what our decision is, at least we went into it with both eyes open.
- As an athlete, especially, there is a lot to gain with using Cardarine/Endurable, even in the short term period. There is no question at all that the drug doesn’t work. For every testimonial that was put into this article, there were hundreds of other articles and blogs that talked about how great Cardarine was when they used it, and how it helped their workouts go faster and easier. There is no doubt about that–the validity of the product.
All that’s left is to decide if you want to use it or not–you are armed with all of the facts, you have some knowledge of how you might mitigate some of the possible side effects (lower dosages, never exceeding two dosages in a single day). All that’s left is for you to decide.