Everything below concerns PPARδ. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.
Updated 2026-02-20. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
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.
Cardarine is explicitly prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency under the class of PPARδ agonists. Its presence in urine or blood samples can be detected using mass spectrometry-based methods, often liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Athletes who test positive may face sanctions, including bans from competition. The compound is also regulated as a prescription-only or unapproved drug in many countries. Enforcement varies by jurisdiction, and some regions treat it as a controlled substance. Online sales may occur despite these restrictions, creating quality and legal risks.
Laboratory detection of cardarine typically involves sample preparation followed by chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric identification. Urine is the most common matrix for anti-doping tests, though blood and hair have also been explored. Methods can target the parent compound or its metabolites, depending on the expected window of detection. Reference standards are required for accurate quantification. Matrix effects and dilution can influence results, so laboratories use internal standards and validation protocols. The exact detection window varies with dose, route, and individual metabolism.
| 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. |
Early clinical research explored GW501516 for lipid disorders, obesity, and diabetes. Some short-term human studies reported changes in HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. The development program was discontinued after rodent studies showed dose-dependent tumor formation in multiple tissues, including liver, bladder, stomach, and skin. These findings raised concerns about long-term cancer risk in humans. Because human exposure data are limited, the clinical significance of the rodent tumors remains uncertain.
Literature on cardarine often separates receptor pharmacology from toxicology. Mechanistic papers describe PPARδ activation and gene expression changes, while safety assessments focus on carcinogenicity and species differences. Questions remain about whether rodent tumors arise through PPARδ-dependent or off-target mechanisms. Another open area is how human metabolism and exposure compare with those in animal studies. Analytical methods such as liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry are used to confirm identity in biological and product samples.
The compound is typically described as a laboratory compound rather than a therapeutic product. Published reports have explored its role in lipid disorders, insulin sensitivity, and exercise metabolism, yet no major drug regulator has approved it for medical use. Commercial samples sold under the cardarine name may vary in purity and identity. Analytical confirmation is therefore necessary when the material is discussed in scientific or regulatory contexts. Its classification as a prohibited substance in sport further shapes how it is studied and reported.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic compound studied for its effects on lipid and glucose metabolism. It functions as an agonist at peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta, or PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that influences gene expression. The molecule is not a steroid, nor is it a selective androgen receptor modulator. It is also known in research and sports literature as GW-501516 and endurobol. Early laboratory work examined its metabolic activity in cell cultures and animal models.
Activation of PPARδ changes transcription of genes involved in fatty acid transport, mitochondrial function, and skeletal muscle fuel preference. In rodent studies, pharmacological PPARδ activation was associated with increased endurance and altered body composition. These findings generated interest in performance enhancement, but species differences and study designs limit direct extrapolation to humans. Small human trials were conducted in the 2000s and later discontinued. The extent to which cardarine produces similar metabolic or performance effects in people remains an open question.
== Bibliography == Biko, Steve (1979). Steve Biko: Black Consciousness in South Africa; Biko's Last Public Statement and Political Testament. Random House. ISBN 978-0-394-72739-4. Biko, Steve (2002). I Write What I Like: Selected Writings. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-04897-0. Clarke, Anthony J.; Fiddes, Paul S., eds. (2005). Flickering Images: Theology and Film in Dialogue. Regent's Study Guides. Vol. 12. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing. ISBN 1-57312-458-3. Goodwin, June (1995). Heart of Whiteness: Afrikaners Face Black Rule In the New South Africa. Scribner. ISBN 978-0-684-81365-3. Harlan, Judith (2000). Mamphela Ramphele. The Feminist Press at CUNY. ISBN 978-1-55861-226-6. Juckes, Tim (1995). Opposition in South Africa: The Leadership of Z. K. Matthews, Nelson Mandela, and Stephen Biko. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-275-94811-5. Magaziner, Daniel (2010). The Law and the Prophets: Black Consciousness in South Africa, 1968–1977. Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-8214-1918-2. Malan, Rian (2000). My Traitor's Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-3684-8. Omand, Roger (1989). Steve Biko and Apartheid (People & Issues). Hamish Hamilton Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-12640-0. Paul, Samuel (2009). The Ubuntu God: Deconstructing a South African Narrative of Oppression. Pickwick Publications. ISBN 978-1-55635-510-3. Pityana, Barney (1992). Bounds of Possibility: The Legacy of Steve Biko & Black Consciousness. D. Philip. ISBN 978-1-85649-047-4. Price, Linda (1992).
Barotrauma typically occurs when the organism is exposed to a significant change in ambient pressure, such as when a scuba diver, a free-diver or an airplane passenger ascends or descends or during uncontrolled decompression of a pressure vessel such as a diving chamber or pressurized aircraft, but can also be caused by a shock wave. Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is a condition caused by over-expansion of the lungs by mechanical ventilation used when the body is unable to breathe for itself and is associated with relatively large tidal volumes and relatively high peak pressures. Barotrauma due to overexpansion of an internal gas-filled space may also be termed volutrauma.
=== Iodine, bromine and kappa number === In measuring unsaturation in fatty acids, the traditional method is the iodine number. Iodine adds stoichiometrically to double bonds, so their amount is reported in grams of iodine spent per 100 grams of oil. The standard unit is a dimensionless stoichiometry ratio of moles double bonds to moles fatty acid. A similar quantity, bromine number, is used in gasoline analysis. In pulp and paper industry, a similar kappa number is used to measure how much bleaching a pulp requires. Potassium permanganate is added to react with the unsaturated compounds (lignin and uronic acids) in the pulp and back-titrated. Originally with chlorine bleaching the required quantity of chlorine could be then calculated, although modern methods use multiple stages. Since the oxidizable compounds are not exclusively lignin and the partially pulped lignin does not have a single stoichiometry, the relation between the kappa number and the precise amount of lignin is inexact.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Characterization == Volatile thiols are easily and almost unerringly detected by their distinctive odor. Sulfur-specific analyzers for gas chromatographs are useful. Spectroscopic indicators are the D2O-exchangeable SH signal in the 1H NMR spectrum (33S is NMR-active but signals for divalent sulfur are very broad and of little utility). The νSH band appears near 2400 cm−1 in the IR spectrum. In the nitroprusside reaction, free thiol groups react with sodium nitroprusside and ammonium hydroxide to give a red colour.
==== Narcolepsy ==== Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep-wake disorder that is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, and sleep paralysis. Patients with narcolepsy are diagnosed as either type 1 or type 2, with only the former presenting cataplexy symptoms. Type 1 narcolepsy results from the loss of approximately 70,000 orexin-releasing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus, leading to significantly reduced cerebrospinal orexin levels; this reduction is a diagnostic biomarker for type 1 narcolepsy. Lateral hypothalamic orexin neurons innervate every component of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS), which includes noradrenergic, dopaminergic, histaminergic, and serotonergic nuclei that promote wakefulness. Amphetamine's therapeutic mode of action in narcolepsy primarily involves increasing monoamine neurotransmitter activity in the ARAS. This includes noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus, dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, histaminergic neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus, and serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Dextroamphetamine, the more dopaminergic enantiomer of amphetamine, is particularly effective at promoting wakefulness because dopamine release has the greatest influence on cortical activation and cognitive arousal, relative to other monoamines. In contrast, levoamphetamine may have a greater effect on cataplexy, a symptom more sensitive to the effects of norepinephrine and serotonin.
== Properties == Energy plays a very important role in p3 peptides. While Aβ models have a strong negative energy, p3 oligomeric models have a positive one. Another characteristic that must be pointed out is that p3 peptides have more solvent-exposed hydrophobic surfaces (60%) than Aβ oligomers do (20%), so buried surface areas are not as big within p3 oligomers (30%) as they are within Aβ oligomers. These evidences show that the expected energy of the Aβ-based oligomeric models of p3 is always positive and that these models expose hydrophobic patches to the solvent and bury a small proportion of their accessible surface within the oligomeric intermediates. Having these facts into account, we can state that p3 oligomers' existence is thermodynamically unfavourable, which suggests that the p3 peptide cannot form stable soluble oligomers in the same way Aβ does. Solution of p3 cannot assemble into stable oligomers as Aβ1–42 in the same concentration does. Therefore, it is very possible that p3 could not last long by itself, evolving rapidly into fibrillar forms that hide exposed hydrophobic patches. p3 peptides have been analyzed in some researches with Western blot techniques. Primary antibodies were used to recognize Aβ1–16 residues. Unexpectedly, it was discovered that the residues did not show any signal. This confirms the absence of N-terminal domain Aβ1-16 in p3 peptides.
The most common sources of caffeine for human consumption are the tea leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and the coffee bean, the seed of the Coffea plant. Steeping the plant product in water—a process called infusion—extracts the caffeine and other components for various purposes. Caffeine-containing drinks, such as tea, coffee, and cola, are consumed globally in high volumes. In 2020, almost 10 million tonnes of coffee beans were consumed globally. Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug. Unlike most other psychoactive substances, caffeine remains largely unregulated and legal in nearly all parts of the world. Caffeine is seen as socially acceptable in most cultures and is encouraged in some. Caffeine has both positive and negative health effects. It can treat and prevent the premature infant breathing disorders bronchopulmonary dysplasia of prematurity and apnea of prematurity. Caffeine citrate is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. It may confer a modest protective effect against some diseases, including Parkinson's disease. Caffeine can acutely improve reaction time and accuracy for cognitive tasks. Some people experience sleep disruption or anxiety if they consume caffeine, but others show little disturbance. Evidence of a risk during pregnancy is equivocal; some authorities recommend that pregnant women limit caffeine to the equivalent of two cups of coffee per day or less.
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.
Yes, WADA prohibits cardarine as a PPARδ agonist. It appears on the prohibited list and can be detected in urine or blood. Athletes using it risk sanctions.