CardarineBenefits, Dosage & Interactions
Also known as: GW-501516
Cardarine (GW501516) is a PPAR-delta agonist developed in the 1990s for dyslipidaemia and metabolic disease, and frequently mislabelled online as a SARM — it is not one, and it does not bind androgen receptors. Research on Cardarine focuses on blood sugar control, heart and circulatory health, and weight loss.
Researched by DoseRoutine R&D TeamReviewed for accuracy by Nicholas Alexander, RSELast updated
Animal and in-vitro studies only, no published human RCTs.
Quick answer
Cardarine (GW501516) is a PPAR-delta agonist developed in the 1990s for dyslipidaemia and metabolic disease, and frequently mislabelled online as a SARM — it is not one, and it does not bind androgen receptors. Development was halted after long-term rodent studies produced tumours across multiple organ systems at a range of doses. It is banned by WADA, is not approved for human use anywhere, and is sold only as an unregulated research chemical.
- Also called
- GW501516, GW-501,516, Endurobol
- Class
- PPAR-delta agonist — not a SARM
- Development status
- Discontinued; never approved for human use
- Key safety finding
- Multi-organ tumours in long-term rodent carcinogenicity studies
- Sport status
- WADA prohibited at all times (S4 hormone/metabolic modulators)
- Legal status
- Not a legal dietary supplement; research-chemical grey market
Compiled by DoseRoutine from public sources including NIH/MedlinePlus, the FDA label, Mayo Clinic and PubChem. Educational information, not medical advice.
What published protocols report
Ranges documented in the literature, shown for reference. DoseRoutine does not recommend an amount — your prescriber or the product label sets the dose.
Reported for Cardarine in the cited sources. Published ranges are not dosing advice.
Cardarine compared with similar compounds
| Attribute | Ostarine (enobosarm) | Ligandrol (LGD-4033) | Testolone (RAD-140) | Cardarine (GW501516) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Nonsteroidal SARM | Nonsteroidal SARM | Nonsteroidal SARM | PPAR-delta agonist (not a SARM) |
| Route | Oral | Oral | Oral | Oral |
| Half-life | ~24 hours | 24-36 hours | Not established in humans | Not established in humans |
| Evidence grade | Moderate | Limited | Preclinical | Preclinical |
| Oral stability | Orally active | Orally active | Orally active | Orally active |
| Typical published cycle | 12-16 weeks in the published phase 2 trials | 3 weeks in the only published healthy-volunteer trial | No published human dosing trial | No published human dosing trial |
| Main studied use | Muscle wasting in cancer (investigational) | Lean mass in healthy young men (phase 1) | Androgen receptor signaling (preclinical) | Endurance and lipid metabolism (animal work) |
References & evidence
Documents the Cardarine entry is written from. Each number matches an inline marker above.
- [1]AMPK and PPARdelta agonists are exercise mimeticsNarkar VA, Downes M, Yu RT, et al. · Cell · 2008 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 18674809
- [2]GW-501516 GlaxoSmithKline/LigandPelton P · Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs · 2006 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 16625823
How to track Cardarine doses
Cardarine is tracked as a protocol rather than a single reminder: a vial with a concentration, a schedule that may be titrated or cycled, and a rotation of injection sites. Here is the record that keeps all three consistent.
- 1
Record the vial and concentration
Log the vial strength and the volume of bacteriostatic water you added so Cardarine is stored as a concentration rather than a guess. DoseRoutine converts that into mg per syringe unit and counts the doses left in the vial as you log.
- 2
Set the schedule, not just a reminder
Enter the dose in mg and the frequency. Cycled protocols get a start and end date so the history stays accurate when Cardarine comes out of the routine.
- 3
Rotate and log the injection site
Pick the site at the moment you log the dose. The site map shows what you used last and how recently, which is the part that drifts fastest when two compounds run on different frequencies.
- 4
Log adherence, not intentions
Mark each dose taken, skipped or delayed as it happens. Weeks of honest logs are what make an adherence rate or a trend line meaningful; retrospective guessing is not.
- 5
Review against outcomes
Review Cardarine alongside your logged metrics and any relevant blood work every few weeks before changing the dose, so the change is a response to data rather than to a good or bad day.
What to log each time
- Dose in mg and the syringe units it worked out to
- Vial: reconstitution date, concentration, doses remaining
- Injection site and time
- Any side effects in the 24 h after the dose
References & Evidence
Sources on this page that document Cardarine dosing, timing and safety.
- [1]National Center for Biotechnology Information View source
Educational information only — not medical advice. Dose ranges vary by person, indication and prescriber.
What is Cardarine studied for?
What is Cardarine?Sources for this section: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
What does the research say about Cardarine?
Tap a section to expand.
Source for this section: Sources for How does Cardarine work?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
Source for this section: Sources for When should you take Cardarine?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
What interacts with Cardarine?
| Interacts with | Severity | Type | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any peptide + hormone | Note | Category ruleConfidence: theoretical | Injectable peptides plus hormones can have overlapping or compounding effects that aren't always well characterized.Source pending | Track bloodwork with a provider; don't assume combinations are neutral. |
Frequently asked questions about Cardarine
Which studies looked at Cardarine?
Peer-reviewed research indexed in PubMed. Each entry links to the original record.
- 1.Testing for GW501516 (cardarine) in human hair using LC/MS-MS and confirmation by LC/HRMS(opens PubMed in a new tab)Drug Test Anal · 2020 · PMID 32298044 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32298044/
- 2.Five Novel Polymorphs of Cardarine/GW501516 and Their Characterization by X-ray Diffraction, Computational Methods, Thermal Analysis and a Pharmaceutical Perspective(opens PubMed in a new tab)Pharmaceutics · 2024 · PMID 38794285 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38794285/
Sources cited on this page
Specific documents referenced by the numbered markers above. Each number matches the marker in the text.
- PubChem CID 9803963(opens in a new tab)National Center for Biotechnology Information · pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/9803963
- WADA Prohibited List(opens in a new tab)World Anti-Doping Agency · wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list
Verify at
Publisher search links for Cardarine. These are places to check the information — they are not citations, so they are not numbered.
- DrugBank(publisher search, opens in a new tab)DrugBank Online · publisher search
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Institutes of Health · publisher search
- European Medicines Agency(publisher search, opens in a new tab)European Medicines Agency · publisher search
- PubMed literature search(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- DailyMed labeling archive(publisher search, opens in a new tab)U.S. National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- Wikipedia entry(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Wikipedia · publisher search
DoseRoutine compiles summaries from publicly available scientific and regulatory references. Always verify important decisions with a licensed clinician. How we source and review this information.
What is the short answer on Cardarine?
Plain-text summary, safe to quote verbatim:
Cardarine (GW501516) is a PPAR-delta agonist developed in the 1990s for dyslipidaemia and metabolic disease, and frequently mislabelled online as a SARM - it is not one, and it does not bind androgen receptors. Research on Cardarine focuses on blood sugar control, heart and circulatory health, and weight loss.
Cite this page
Using this in an article, AI answer, or research note? Please attribute:
DoseRoutine. (2026). Cardarine — Overview, Benefits & Side Effects. Retrieved from https://doseroutine.com/library/cardarine
What compounds are similar to Cardarine?
Others in the hormone category or studied for the same goals.
Which goals is Cardarine used for?
Other compounds studied for the same benefits as Cardarine.
Continue exploring
See every compound DoseRoutine catalogs for these goals.
