en · de · es
cardarine-notes.peptides8425.com › News › Background And Research Context — 2026 Update

Background And Research Context — 2026 Update

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-04-13 · last reviewed 2026-05-15 · News

Everything below concerns research chemical. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.

Updated 2026-05-15. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.

Background and Research Context

Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic compound developed in the 1990s through research collaborations involving GlaxoSmithKline. It belongs to a class of molecules known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta agonists. Early studies explored its effects on lipid metabolism and energy expenditure in animal models. The compound was never approved as a human medicine, and clinical development was discontinued. In the years since, it has appeared in fitness and bodybuilding communities as a performance-enhancing substance. Regulatory agencies classify it as an unapproved drug.

PPARδ is a nuclear receptor that regulates gene expression related to fatty acid oxidation, glucose homeostasis, and mitochondrial function. GW501516 binds to this receptor with high affinity and activates downstream signaling in skeletal muscle and other tissues. Animal studies reported increased endurance and altered fuel preference, but human data remain limited and inconsistent. The precise relationship between receptor activation and observed physiological changes is still an area of active investigation. Researchers have also examined whether the compound affects inflammation or cell proliferation. No approved therapeutic indication exists for cardarine.

Identity and Regulatory Status

Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, an investigational compound developed in the 1990s for metabolic conditions. It acts as an agonist at peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta, a nuclear receptor involved in lipid and energy metabolism. The compound is frequently mislabeled as a selective androgen receptor modulator, or SARM, but its molecular target is different. GW501516 reached early clinical testing before development was discontinued. It has no approved therapeutic use in any country. The name cardarine is not a formal international nonproprietary name.

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.

Cardarine at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
CAS Registry Number317318-70-0Unique identifier for the compound.
Chemical classPPARδ agonistSynthetic ligand for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta.
AppearanceWhite to off-white solidTypical form of research-grade material.
SolubilitySoluble in DMSO and ethanolPoorly soluble in water.
Typical storage-20°CRecommended for long-term storage of stock solutions.

Identity and Pharmacological Classification

Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, also GW-1516, a synthetic compound developed as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonist. It belongs to a class of agents that modulate gene transcription related to lipid and energy metabolism. The compound was studied in preclinical and early clinical research for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, but it did not progress to approved therapeutic use. Its name appears in fitness and sports contexts despite not being approved as a drug.

PPARδ is a nuclear receptor that influences transcription of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, lipid transport, and energy homeostasis. GW501516 binds and activates this receptor with high selectivity relative to PPARα and PPARγ in laboratory assays. Activation alters expression of target genes in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue in animal models. The exact clinical consequences of these changes in humans remain incompletely characterized, and observed effects in animals do not establish therapeutic benefit or safety.

Related pages on this site

Cardarine Identity and Mechanism

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.

Further detail

=== Breast milk === Taurine is present in breast milk, and has been added to many infant formulas as a measure of prudence since the early 1980s. However, this practice has never been rigorously studied, and as such it has yet to be proven to be necessary, or even beneficial.

== Examples in thin layer chromatography == The chromatographic response functions in thin layer chromatography characterize the equal-spreading of the spots. The ideal case, when the retardation factor (RF) of the spots are uniformly distributed in [0,1] range (for example 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 for three solutes) should be characterized as the best situation possible. The simplest criteria are ΔRF and ΔRF product. They are the smallest difference between sorted retardation factor values, or the product of such differences. Another function is the multispot response function (MRF) as developed by De Spiegeleer et al. It is based also of differences product. This function always lies between 0 and 1. When two RF values are equal, it is equal to 0, when all RF values are equal-spread, it is equal to 1. The L and U values – upper and lower limit of RF – give possibility to avoid the band region.

== Further reading == The City of Albany, State of Oregon. Portland, OR: Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., 1891. "Mayors of Albany: Men Who Have Served Since the Earliest Municipal Organization," Morning Daily Herald [Albany], vol. 4, no. 33 (Jan. 6, 1889), pg. 3.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Supporting material

=== Maps === National Atlas of the United States – official maps from the U.S. Department of the Interior Wikimedia Atlas of the United States Geographic data related to United States at OpenStreetMap "Measure of America" – a variety of mapped information relating to health, education, income, safety and demographics in the United States

March 26 Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appear in a New York federal court for their latest hearing, faced with charges of narcoterrorism and weapons offenses. Treasury Secretary Bessent announces that Trump's signature will appear on U.S. paper currency, the first time a sitting president's signature will appear instead of the Treasurer and Secretary of the Treasury. March 27 A House Ethics Committee panel finds that Florida Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick committed ethics violations in misappropriating federal disaster money for her re-election campaign. A federal appeals court overturns a $16.1 billion judgment against Argentina over their nationalization of oil firm YPF. March 28 Protests against Donald Trump: The third No Kings protests are held in all 50 U.S. states against the policies of Trump and his administration including the Iran war, ICE operations, and the January shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. In the NCAA Tournament, the Arizona Wildcats reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001. Additionally, Illinois reaches the Final Four for the first time since 2005. 3,500 U.S. troops arrive in the Middle East with the USS Tripoli (LHA-7), as strikes between Israel and Iran continue. March 30 – Trump and his son Eric unveil the plans for Trump's presidential library in Miami, Florida, at the Miami Dade College campus.⁠ Trump plans for the library to also be a hotel. March 31 AAA reports the average price of gas in the United States has risen to $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022.

In 1996, the Stony Brook group trapped 3000 atoms in their MOT, which was enough for a video camera to capture the light given off by the atoms as they fluoresce. Francium has not been synthesized in amounts large enough to weigh.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is cardarine?

Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic PPARδ agonist developed for research. It has not been approved as a medication in any country. It is classified as an unapproved drug and a prohibited substance in sport.

Is cardarine a steroid?

No. Cardarine is not an anabolic steroid; it belongs to a different chemical class that targets PPARδ. Steroids act primarily through androgen receptors, while cardarine acts through a nuclear receptor involved in metabolism.

What did animal studies find?

Some rodent studies reported increased endurance and changes in fat metabolism after cardarine exposure. Long-term studies in animals also raised concerns about cancer in certain tissues. Human trial data are limited, so these findings cannot be directly translated to people.

Is cardarine a SARM?

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.

Network