GW501516 comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Last reviewed on 2025-11-03. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Published literature on cardarine includes in vitro assays, rodent experiments, and a small number of human studies. Reports describe effects on exercise capacity and lipid metabolism in animals, while human evidence is sparse. Many online descriptions present the compound as a proven endurance aid, a claim not supported by regulatory approval or large clinical trials. Analytical studies focus on identifying the parent compound and its metabolites in biological samples. Important uncertainties include species differences, dose-response relationships, and the relevance of rodent tumor findings to humans.
Cardarine is the common name for GW501516, a synthetic compound studied as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta agonist. Researchers developed it to explore treatments for lipid disorders and metabolic conditions. It is not an approved medicine in any country. Early clinical work examined changes in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but development was discontinued after animal studies raised concerns about cancer. The compound remains available as a research chemical and appears in discussions of performance enhancement.
At the molecular level, GW501516 binds and activates PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that regulates transcription. Activation shifts expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, energy expenditure, and lipid transport in skeletal muscle and liver. Animal studies report increased endurance and altered lipid profiles after exposure. Human data are limited to small trials and do not establish long-term safety or efficacy. PPARδ also has roles in cell proliferation, so the relationship between activation and cancer risk remains an open question.
Regulatory treatment varies, but cardarine is not approved as a medicine. Sports authorities list GW501516 as a prohibited substance, and it is banned at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency code. Many countries restrict sales for human consumption, while online vendors market it as a research chemical. Such products may lack purity data, and their actual contents can differ from the label. Purchasing or possessing cardarine may carry legal consequences depending on jurisdiction. The compound is not a dietary supplement ingredient in regulated markets.
Clinical development stopped after rodent studies showed tumors at multiple sites. Whether those findings predict human cancer risk remains an open question, but they led sponsors to discontinue programs. Human safety data are limited to small, short-term studies that were not designed to assess cancer risk. Reported effects in those studies included changes in blood lipids, but the evidence is insufficient for medical use. Long-term consequences of nonmedical use are not well characterized. Questions about dose, duration, and individual susceptibility remain unresolved.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common name | Cardarine | Also called GW501516 and endurobol. |
| Chemical formula | C21H18F3NO3S2 | Molecular weight about 453.5 g/mol. |
| Appearance | White to off-white solid | Form depends on synthesis and purity. |
| Solubility | Soluble in DMSO and ethanol | Low solubility in water. |
| Typical storage | -20 °C, desiccated, protected from light | Common for research chemicals. |
== Catabolism == NAAG is catabolized via NAAG peptidase activity. Two enzymes with NAAG peptidase activity have been cloned, glutamate carboxypeptidase II and glutamate carboxypeptidase III. These enzymes mediate the hydrolysis of NAAG to NAA and glutamate. Their inhibition can produce therapeutic benefits. Two main types of inhibitors of this enzyme are known: compounds related to 2-(phosphonomethyl)pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) and urea-based analogs of NAAG, including ZJ43, ZJ17, and ZJ11. In rat models, ZJ43 and 2-PMPA reduce perception of inflammatory and neuropathic pain when administered systemically, intracerebrally, or locally, suggesting that NAAG modulates neurotransmission in pain circuits via mGlu3 receptors. The inhibition of NAAG hydrolysis increases the concentration of NAAG in the synaptic space analogous to the effects of MAOIs in increasing the concentration of serotonin. This elevated NAAG gives greater activation of presynaptic mGluR3 receptors, which decrease release of transmitter (glutamate) in the pain signaling pathways of the spinal cord and brain. In the case of traumatic brain injury, the injection of a NAAG peptidase inhibitor reduces neuron and astrocyte death in the hippocampus nearest the site of the injury. In a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the chronic inhibition of NAAG peptidase activity delayed the onset of ALS symptoms and slowed the progress of the neuronal death.
== Weak and strong ion exchangers == A "strong" ion exchanger will not lose the charge on its matrix once the column is equilibrated and so a wide range of pH buffers can be used. "Weak" ion exchangers have a range of pH values in which they will maintain their charge. If the pH of the buffer used for a weak ion exchange column goes out of the capacity range of the matrix, the column will lose its charge distribution and the molecule of interest may be lost. Despite the smaller pH range of weak ion exchangers, they are often used over strong ion exchangers due to their having greater specificity. In some experiments, the retention times of weak ion exchangers are just long enough to obtain desired data at a high specificity. Resins (often termed 'beads') of ion exchange columns may include functional groups such as weak/strong acids and weak/strong bases. There are also special columns that have resins with amphoteric functional groups that can exchange both cations and anions. Some examples of functional groups of strong ion exchange resins are quaternary ammonium cation (Q), which is an anion exchanger, and sulfonic acid (S, -SO2OH), which is a cation exchanger. These types of exchangers can maintain their charge density over a pH range of 0–14. Examples of functional groups of Weak ion exchange resins include diethylaminoethyl (DEAE, -C2H4N(C2H5)2), which is an anion exchanger, and carboxymethyl (CM, -CH2-COOH), which is a cation exchanger. These two types of exchangers can maintain the charge density of their columns over a pH range of 5–9.
In remains of combatants found in the region, archaeologists used tooth enamel to assess the presence of a high maize-consuming diet. Conclusively, archaeologists interpreted the levels of maize consumption in the combatants demonstrated a method of preparation for battle. Maize, or chicha, could have been used as a way to fortify the identities of the combatants, ensuring the elite status that came with the role they were carrying out. Maize consumption could be used in other contexts to shape social or political environments by promoting elite identities within.
The molar mass M(X) of a compound is given by the sum of the relative atomic masses Ar(Xi) of the elements (each multiplied by the number of atoms ni per element) which form the compound multiplied by the molar mass constant, Mu ≈ 1 g/mol:
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Use as a biomarker == Dinosterol is used as a biomarker for organic matter derived from dinoflagellates in sediments and seawater. Biomarkers are organic compounds that are indicative of former life in sediments, seawater and oil. The presence of the saturated hydrocarbon counterpart, dinosterane, is used as evidence that some of the organic matter present in ancient sediments may have been derived from dinoflagellates.
In the 19th century, in Bielefeld, Germany, epileptic patients were given the prescription to spend time each day taking care of cats and dogs. The contact with the animals was found to reduce the occurrence of seizures. As early as the 1920s, people were starting to utilize the human–animal bond not just for healing, but also granting independence through service animals. In 1929, The Seeing Eye Inc. school formed to train guide dogs for the blind in the United States, inspired by dogs being trained to guide World War I veterans in Europe. Furthermore, the idea is that the human-animal bond can provide health benefits to humans as the animals "appeal to fundamental human needs for companionship, comfort, and security..." In 1980, a team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania found that human to animal contact was found to reduce the physiological characteristics of stress; specifically, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, anxiety, and tension were all found to correlate inversely with human–pet bonding. In some cases, despite its benefits, the human–animal bond can be used for harmful purposes. The 1990s saw an increase in social and scientific awareness of the use of companion animals as a tool for domestic violence. A 1997 study found that 80% of shelters reported women staying with them had experienced their abuser threatening or harming companion animals as a form of abuse. A 2003 study by the U.S.
=== Honors === William H. Stein received numerous honors from Columbia University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, including: D.Sc. honoris causa, Columbia University (1973), D.Sc. honoris causa, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University (1973), and the Award of Excellence Medal, Columbia University Graduate Faculty and Alumni Association (1973).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
While traditional nucleic acid synthesis only uses 4 base pairs: adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine, oligonucleotide synthesis in the future could incorporate the use of unnatural base pairs, which are artificially designed and synthesized nucleobases that do not occur in nature. In 2012, a group of American scientists led by Floyd Romesberg, a chemical biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California, published that his team designed an unnatural base pair (UBP). The two new artificial nucleotides or Unnatural Base Pair (UBP) were named d5SICS and dNaM. More technically, these artificial nucleotides bearing hydrophobic nucleobases, feature two fused aromatic rings that form a (d5SICS–dNaM) complex or base pair in DNA. In 2014 the same team from the Scripps Research Institute reported that they synthesized a stretch of circular DNA known as a plasmid containing natural T-A and C-G base pairs along with the best-performing UBP Romesberg's laboratory had designed, and inserted it into cells of the common bacterium E. coli that successfully replicated the unnatural base pairs through multiple generations. This is the first known example of a living organism passing along an expanded genetic code to subsequent generations. This was in part achieved by the addition of a supportive algal gene that expresses a nucleotide triphosphate transporter which efficiently imports the triphosphates of both d5SICSTP and dNaMTP into E. coli bacteria. Then, the natural bacterial replication pathways use them to accurately replicate the plasmid containing d5SICS–dNaM.
Activation is achieved through an interacting protease cascade involving plasmin and stromelysin 1 (MMP-3). Plasmin generates active MMP-3 from its zymogen. Active MMP-3 cleaves the propeptide from the 92-kDa pro-MMP-9, yielding an 82-kDa enzymatically active enzyme. In the active enzyme a substrate, or a fluorogenic activity probe., replaces the propeptide in the enzyme active site where it is cleaved. The catalytic domain contains two zinc and three calcium atoms. The catalytic zinc is coordinated by three histidines from the conserved HEXXHXXGXXH binding motif. The other zinc atom and the three calcium atoms are structural. A conserved methionine, which forms a unique “Met-turn” structure categorizes MMP9 as a metzincin. Three type II fibronectin repeats are inserted in the catalytic domain, although these domains are omitted in most crystallographic structures of MMP9 in complex with inhibitors. The active form of MMP9 also contains a C-terminal hemopexin-like domain. This domain is ellipsoidal in shape, formed by four β-propeller blades and an α-helix. Each blade consists of four antiparallel β-strands arranged around a funnel-like tunnel that contains two calcium and two chloride ions. The hemopexin domain is important to facilitate the cleavage of triple helical interstitial collagens. .
==== Print media ==== While in Wisconsin covering the primary campaign for the United States presidential election of 1972, gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson submitted a satirical article to Rolling Stone accusing Democratic Party candidate Edmund Muskie of being addicted to ibogaine. Many readers, and even other journalists, did not realize that the Rolling Stone piece was facetious. The completely unfounded ibogaine assertion did significant damage to Muskie's reputation, and was cited as a factor in his loss of the nomination to George McGovern. Thompson later said he was surprised that anyone believed it. The article is included in Thompson's post-election anthology, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (1973). Author and Yippie Dana Beal co-wrote the 1997 book The Ibogaine Story. American author Daniel Pinchbeck wrote about his own experience of ibogaine in his book Breaking Open the Head (2002), and in a 2003 article for The Guardian titled "Ten years of therapy in one night". Author and musician Geoff Rickly based his debut novel Someone Who Isn't Me on his real-life experiences with heroin addiction and an ibogaine clinic in Mexico. American investigative journalist, Rachel Nuwer, published a comprehensive feature for Reason magazine titled Can This Psychedelic Help Cure Opioid Addiction? In the article, Rachel speaks with experts in the field of opioid use disorder (OUD) and how ibogaine shows promising results for effective treatment and recovery. This is particularly true for those patients who also suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Cardarine is a common name for the investigational compound GW501516. It acts as a PPARδ agonist and is not approved for human use. It is prohibited in sport.
It activates PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that influences gene expression related to lipid and energy metabolism. Animal studies show changes in endurance and lipid levels. Human effects and risks are not well established.
No, cardarine is not a steroid. It belongs to a different chemical class, the PPARδ agonists. It is also not a selective androgen receptor modulator.
No. Cardarine is GW501516, a PPARδ agonist, while SARMs act on androgen receptors. The two classes are often grouped in informal discussions despite different mechanisms.