SARMs

Cardarine

Also known as: GW501516 · GW-501516 · Endurobol

The endurance and fat-burning PPARδ agonist — the original 'exercise in a pill.'

Half-Life
~16–24 hours
Administration
Oral
Category
SARMs
Citations
2 studies

What is Cardarine?

Cardarine (GW501516) is a PPARδ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta) agonist, technically not a SARM but often grouped with them. It dramatically improves endurance, fat burning, and metabolic health. It was famously abandoned by GlaxoSmithKline after cancer findings in animal studies — a critical context that every researcher must understand.

Mechanism of Action

Cardarine activates PPARδ receptors, which regulate genes involved in energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and muscle fiber type. It switches muscle metabolism toward fat burning, increases mitochondrial biogenesis, converts fast-twitch fibers to slow-twitch (endurance), and dramatically improves aerobic capacity.

Cardarine Dosing Protocol

10–20 mg/day oral. Most research uses 10 mg/day. Cycle: 8–12 weeks. The cancer risk in animal studies was at 3 mg/kg/day for 2 years — far above typical research doses, but the risk cannot be dismissed.

Administration Routes
Oral
Half-Life
~16–24 hours

Want a personalized protocol? Tell PepBot your goals, health status, and experience level for a custom Cardarine protocol.

Cardarine Benefits

Dramatic endurance improvement (50%+ in animal studies)
Powerful fat burning
Improved lipid profile (raises HDL)
Muscle fiber type switching
Metabolic syndrome improvement
No testosterone suppression

Side Effect Profile

CRITICAL: Cardarine caused cancer (tumor promotion) in multiple animal studies at high doses over extended periods. The mechanism (PPARδ activation promoting cell proliferation) is theoretically concerning at any dose. This is a high-risk compound that requires informed decision-making. Not recommended for long-term use.

Cardarine Stacking Guide

Cardarine works synergistically with these compounds. Click any to learn more, or ask PepBot to build you a complete stack.

Research & Citations

1
GW501516 activates PPARdelta and improves metabolic syndrome
Cell Metabolism · 2008
2
GW501516 promotes tumor progression in multiple cancer models
Cancer Research · 2008

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardarine

Is Cardarine safe to use?
This is the most important question about Cardarine. GSK abandoned it because it caused cancer in animal studies at high doses over 2 years. The mechanism (PPARδ promoting cell proliferation) is theoretically concerning. Short-term use at low doses (10 mg/day, 8 weeks) has not shown cancer in humans, but no long-term human data exists. SLU-PP-332 may be a safer alternative for endurance enhancement.

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