What is Cardarine (GW 50156)?

Cardarine or GW 50156 is a compound that is frequently thought as to be a SARM (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator). However, it is actually not the case, as GW 50156 or Endurobol is PRAR (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) agonist. This drug was initially formulated as a candidate for both metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Later research on this compound has shown that it could potentially aids in increasing performance and capacity. Clinical studies have suggested that Cardarine can help in increasing endurance and improving overall cardiovascular health. In addition, it also assists in faster fat loss and increases your capacity to perform like a beast in the workout sessions.

GW 50156 Sarms was formulated in the 90s by Ligand Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline as the treatment of disease like diabetes and cardiovascular issues. Ligand Pharmaceuticals is the same company behind the development of LGD 4033. After going through lot of studies and clinical trials the compound was ultimately abandoned in 2007 when one of the study done by GlaxoSmithKline showed cancer development in rats due to Cardarine. Later on, more studies were done to dig down the issue and ended up in contradictive results. Even though Cardarine is not an approved compound due to safety concerns, bodybuilders and athlete started using it because of its incredible endurance and fat loss benefits. Some people also give it a try to improve their cardiovascular health. However, shortly after people started using Cardarine, the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) added this compound and PRAR receptor agonists to the banned substances category.

How Does it Work?

As it is mentioned earlier, Cardarine is a PRAR receptor agonist, which clearly means it binds to the PRAR receptor to trigger some biological responses. The main working mechanisms that Cardarine has been associated with for being binding to the PRARδ receptor are as follows:

It helps in increasing the oxidative capacity in muscles, which in turn means the user will experience more fat loss and a massive boost in endurance levels.

It also helps in switching your energy source from glucose to fat, which also means suppression of Glucose metabolism.

It is suggested that Cardarine also helps in increasing the insulin sensitivity, which is the potential benefit to treat diabetes patients.

Glucose metabolism suppression basically means that the body will start using fat as an energy source instead of glucose. Because of the metabolic shift, Cardarine has helped many users to lose body fat easier and faster.

Is Cardarine Legal?

Before using any compound or drug it is quite imperative to know their legal status. As of June 2020, Cardarine or GW 50156 is considered legal to buy and use in every country around the world except for Australia. However, the legality status of Cardarine is bit different in professional sports.

It is important to note that GW 50156 is sold under the label of “Research chemical” or sometimes it is labeled as “Not for human consumption”. This is because it is not approved for human consumption by FDA (Food and Drug Administration). However, this doesn’t have anything to link with Cardarine legal status.

As per Australia’s laws, Cardarine is considered to be a Schedule 9 compound by the TGA, which means that it is considered illegal to use even with a doctor’s prescription. On the other hand, SARMs and MK 677 are legal in Australia with a doctor’s prescription.

However, when it comes to the sports, Cardarine or GW 50156 is considered a prohibited substance to use for professional athletes by almost all sports associations and leading bodies. Also, in the Olympics it is not allowed to use Cardarine by the participants because of the obvious unfair advantage that it can give in terms of better endurance and stamina. Besides WADA, GW 50156 is also been put on the list of banned compounds by the USADA (the United States Anti-Doping Agency and ASADA (the Australian Anti-Doping Agency).

Cardarine Side Effects

As we have discussed many details regarding Cardarine, let us take a look at the side effects of GW 50156. After conducting a lot of studies and researches on this compound, it has been revealed that it accelerates the development of cancerous tumors. The concern arises when the 2007 GSK conducted a study that showed an accelerated cancerous tumor development in rats after taking Cardarine. However, people are bit skeptical about this study, as absurd dosages of GW 50156 were used and that too for the long cycle periods. Since then there have been a lot of studies conducted that showed cancer development, but the whole thing about this concern is a bit controversial.

Though, there are no cases documented cancer in as of 2020 for the people using Cardarine. However, it is better to be careful and know in depth about the compounds that have some doubts related to cancer. Due to this controversy, Cardarine was also discontinued in 2007.

On the other hand, there are plenty of new studies that proved that Cardarine doesn’t cause any cancerous effects when used in normal dosages for normal cycle length. In order to prevent yourself from this serious side effects, it should be noted that Cardarine should be used for normal cycle length, i.e. maximum of 8 weeks. Also, the dosages should also be taken in normal range that is, maximum of 15-20 mg a day.

Conclusion

At the end, we would like to say that though Cardarine is a compound that has incredible benefits like increased endurance, and faster fat loss; still there are lot of concerns linked with this compound. A lot of people are scared off using Cardarine because of its association with the risk of cancer. Also, Cardarine is preferred by people as it can be stacked with compounds like Ostarine and LGD-4033 to keep up the lean muscle mass and cut the fat or bulk up without putting on any fat. However, these compounds are not at all magical pills and are not recommended to use for longer terms at all. It is better to use legal SARMs alternative and do training with healthy lifestyle to get your desired body.