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NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIO
Cardarine (GW501516), also known as Endurobol, is a selective agonist of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor delta (PPARδ). Developed in the 1990s by GlaxoSmithKline and Ligand Pharmaceuticals, GW501516 was initially explored for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. However, clinical development halted due to preclinical safety concerns. Despite this, GW501516 has gained popularity among athletes and bodybuilders illicitly due to its purported endurance-enhancing and fat-loss properties.
Chemical Name: GW501516
Drug Class: PPARδ (PPAR-beta) selective agonist
Administration Route: Oral (capsule/liquid)
Half-life: Approximately 16–24 hours
Primary Target: PPARδ nuclear receptor, regulating lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, and inflammation.
Cardarine acts primarily by activating PPARδ receptors, influencing several physiological processes:
Increases fatty acid oxidation, enhancing metabolism, energy utilization, and reducing adiposity.
Promotes the conversion of muscle fibers toward oxidative, slow-twitch (Type-I) fibers, dramatically enhancing aerobic capacity and endurance.
Increases mitochondrial biogenesis, boosting energy production efficiency.
Improves cholesterol profile: lowers LDL, triglycerides; raises HDL cholesterol.
Exhibits anti-inflammatory properties beneficial to cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Enhances insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, potentially benefiting metabolic disorders.
GW501516 showed significant therapeutic promise in preclinical studies before discontinuation:
Metabolic Disorders: Obesity, Type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome.
Cardiovascular Diseases: Dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, peripheral artery disease.
Inflammatory Conditions: Chronic systemic inflammation, autoimmune diseases.
Illicitly used for endurance sports, bodybuilding, enhancing cardiovascular performance, reducing fat mass, and improving physique definition.
GW501516 is not medically approved, and thus no official clinical dosing exists. Common experimental dosages based on anecdotal use are:
Context | Typical Experimental Dosage | Administration Frequency |
---|---|---|
Endurance Enhancement/Fat Loss | 10–20 mg/day orally | Once daily |
Cycle Duration (Typical) | 6–12 weeks | Continuous throughout cycle |
Note: Dosages reflect illicit practices and are not medically endorsed or validated.
Although initially promising, GW501516 raised serious safety concerns in animal studies, limiting human clinical exploration.
Mild gastrointestinal discomfort
Occasional headaches
Mild fatigue
Carcinogenic Potential: Animal studies at high doses indicated a significantly increased risk of tumor development (notably liver, colon, stomach, bladder tumors in rodents).
The carcinogenicity concerns resulted in the cessation of clinical development and explicit safety warnings issued by regulatory bodies.
Absolute Contraindications:
Known malignancy or history of cancer (due to carcinogenic risk).
Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Precautions:
Individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular, liver, or gastrointestinal conditions due to unknown long-term safety.
Long-term effects and safety at therapeutic human doses remain unestablished.
Approval Status:
GW501516 is not approved by the FDA or any major regulatory agency worldwide.
Availability:
Primarily marketed as a "research chemical" explicitly labeled "not for human consumption."
Sports Regulations:
Explicitly prohibited by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) due to potent performance-enhancing and health-risk concerns.
Preclinical Studies: Extensive animal research confirmed GW501516’s potent metabolic, cardiovascular, and endurance-enhancing properties, alongside serious carcinogenic risks at very high doses.
Clinical Trials:
Early clinical studies in humans demonstrated beneficial metabolic effects, improved lipid profiles, and increased insulin sensitivity.
No recent clinical studies due to safety concerns. Human data are limited primarily to small-scale and anecdotal reports.
Potential Benefits | Serious Risks and Limitations |
---|---|
Dramatic endurance enhancement | Significant carcinogenic potential (animal studies) |
Enhanced fat oxidation and metabolic efficiency | Lack of robust human long-term safety data |
Improved cardiovascular profile (HDL, LDL) | Regulatory prohibitions; no clinical approval |
Anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitivity improvements | Unknown risk-benefit balance in humans |
Further human studies unlikely due to carcinogenic concerns; however, safer analogs or modified dosing regimens could be potential future avenues.
Development of alternative PPARδ agonists with improved safety profiles and retained therapeutic benefits.
Research into precise molecular mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis associated with GW501516 to understand if risks are dose-dependent or unavoidable.
Cardarine (GW501516) is a powerful experimental PPARδ agonist demonstrating significant preclinical promise in metabolism, cardiovascular health, and endurance performance. However, severe safety concerns identified in animal models, specifically carcinogenic potential, halted clinical development and raised regulatory warnings. Currently banned by anti-doping agencies and explicitly not approved for human use, GW501516 remains an illicit experimental compound associated with substantial health risks. Research continues into safer PPARδ modulation strategies, but GW501516 itself carries serious safety and legal risks.
Narkar, V.A., et al. (2008). "AMPK and PPARδ agonists are exercise mimetics." Cell, 134(3), 405–415.
Geiger, L.E., & Dunsmore, K.E. (2021). "Potential therapeutic role of PPARδ agonists." Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12, 635858.
Billin, A.N. (2008). "PPARβ/δ agonists for type 2 diabetes and obesity treatment." Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs, 9(10), 1010–1019.