GW501516 is one of those subjects where the details matter more than the headlines. This page pulls together the background, the mechanisms, and the practical points readers ask about most.
Updated 2026-05-25. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Cardarine is a common name for the investigational chemical GW501516, also written GW-1516. It was developed as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta agonist for metabolic conditions such as dyslipidemia. Early research focused on lipid handling and energy use in skeletal muscle and other tissues. The compound was never approved as a medicine. In public discussion, it is often grouped with performance-enhancing substances, although its receptor target differs from that of anabolic steroids or selective androgen receptor modulators. Regulatory and health authorities have issued warnings about its use.
GW501516 acts on PPARδ, a nuclear receptor that helps regulate fatty acid oxidation and energy homeostasis. In animal studies, activation of this receptor was associated with increased endurance and changes in lipid metabolism. Human trials examined effects on blood lipids and other metabolic markers, but the compound did not advance to approval. Rodent studies later reported tumors in multiple tissues at doses used in those experiments. Whether those findings translate to human risk remains uncertain, and the clinical relevance of the animal data is still debated.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common name | Cardarine | Common internet and media name. |
| Research code | GW501516 | Also written GW-1516. |
| Drug class | PPARδ agonist | Not a selective androgen receptor modulator. |
| Development status | Discontinued | Clinical development halted after rodent cancer findings. |
| Regulatory status | Prohibited in sport | Listed by WADA; not approved as medicine. |
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic compound first described in the 1990s as a selective agonist of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta. It was studied in preclinical models for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, but it has not been approved as a medicine in the United States, Europe, or other major jurisdictions. Retail products labeled as cardarine are generally research chemicals or supplements, not pharmaceutical formulations. Because human safety and efficacy data remain limited, regulatory agencies treat it as an unapproved substance rather than a therapeutic product.
Sporting authorities added GW501516 to prohibited lists after it appeared in athlete samples and online markets. The World Anti-Doping Agency classifies it as a hormone and metabolic modulator, and its use can lead to an anti-doping rule violation. Some early laboratory work suggested effects on fatty acid oxidation and endurance-related metabolism in animals, but those findings do not establish safe or effective use in people. Reports of adverse events in humans are scarce and often anecdotal, which complicates risk assessment.
Analytical laboratories typically identify cardarine and its metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is a common matrix in anti-doping testing, while blood and tissue may be used in research settings. Detection windows depend on the assay, the sample matrix, and the compound's metabolism. Because cardarine is extensively metabolized, laboratories often target specific metabolites to improve sensitivity and confirmation. Reference standards are required for reliable quantification. Method validation includes checks for selectivity, linearity, and carryover.
A persistent misconception is that cardarine is a fat-burning drug or a safe alternative to anabolic steroids. No approved therapeutic product exists, and human safety data are limited. The tumor findings in rodents remain a central concern in scientific reviews. Products sold online may contain inaccurate labels, impurities, or different compounds entirely, which complicates any assessment of effects. Independent testing of such products has reported frequent mislabeling. For these reasons, discussions in the literature emphasize risks and unknowns rather than benefits.
Lowered Notch1 expression resulted in no tadpole tail regeneration, and induced Notch1 expression was able to partially rescue tail regeneration in the form of the notochord and spinal cord (but very little musculature.) Moreover, Wnt/beta-catenin activation has shown promising results in its involvement with dedifferentiation. In both a human epithelial cell transplant into mice and in vitro epithelial cell model, the activated canonical Wnt signaling pathway was found to be necessary for dedifferentiation. When in conjunction with Nanog, the canonical Wnt pathway also induced partial dedifferentiation in zebrafish endothelial cells, as seen by an increase in cell cycle re-entry and loss of cellular adhesion.
=== October === 1 October – A ban on single-use plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays comes into force in England. 2 October – NHS doctors in England begin a 72-hour strike as their dispute over pay and conditions continues. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announces plans to ban pupils from using mobile phones at schools, both in lessons and during breaktime. A gas tank explodes at the Severn Trent Green Power site in Cassington, Oxfordshire, after it is struck by lightning. A boy is taken to hospital in a critical condition along with a man in his 50s after both are hit by lightning during a football match at The Sele School in Hertford. 3 October – Appearing at Sheffield Crown Court, a 13-year-old boy admits causing the death of Marcia Grant, 60, by running her over with her own car in the Greenhill area of Sheffield in April 2023. Following a trial at Worcester Crown Court, food processing factory worker Garry Jones, who contaminated food destined for Nando's with plastic gloves, plastic bags and metal ring pulls is sentenced to three years in prison. 4 October – Sunak confirms plans to replace A Levels and T Levels in England with a new qualification called the Advanced British Standard. 5 October – Historic England says it has discovered damage to Hadrian's Wall next to the felled Sycamore Gap Tree. An inquest is opened and adjourned into the M53 motorway coach crash. 8 October – Part of the Grade II listed Old Courthouse in Cockermouth, Cumbria, collapses into the River Cocker.
=== Data interpretation === The most common data interpretation is based on the Fresnel formulas, which treat the formed thin films as infinite, continuous dielectric layers. This interpretation may result in multiple possible refractive index and thickness values. Usually only one solution is within the reasonable data range. In multi-parametric surface plasmon resonance, two SPR curves are acquired by scanning a range of angles at two different wavelengths, which results in a unique solution for both thickness and refractive index. Metal particle plasmons are usually modeled using the Mie scattering theory. In many cases no detailed models are applied, but the sensors are calibrated for the specific application, and used with interpolation within the calibration curve.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Generic names === Topilutamide is the generic name of the drug and its INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name. It is also known more commonly as fluridil. Topilutamide is also known by its former developmental code name BP-766.
The feeding activity of the omnivorous starfish Oreaster reticulatus on sandy and seagrass bottoms near the Virgin Islands effects the composition of communities of microorganisms. These starfish engulf piles of sediment removing the surface films and algae adhering to the particles. Organisms that dislike this disturbance are replaced by others better able to rapidly recolonise "clean" sediment. In addition, foraging by these starfish creates diverse patches of organic matter, which may attract larger organisms such as fish, crabs and sea urchins that feed on the sediment. Starfish sometimes have negative effects on ecosystems. Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish have caused damage to coral reefs in Northeast Australia and French Polynesia. A study in Polynesia found that coral cover declined drastically with the arrival of migratory starfish in 2006, dropping over 40% to under 5% in four years. This in turn had a cascade effect on both sessile bottom-dwelling animals and reef fish. Asterias amurensis is a rare example of an invasive echinoderm. Its larvae likely arrived in Tasmania from central Japan via water discharged from ships in the 1980s. The species has since grown in numbers to the point where they threaten important bivalve fisheries in Australia. As such, they are considered pests, and are on the Invasive Species Specialist Group's list of the world's 100 worst invasive species. Some species that prey on bivalve molluscs can transmit paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Section Alatae Lemna aequinoctialis Welw. – lesser duckweed – tropical and subtropical Lemna perpusilla Torr. – minute duckweed – eastern United States, Quebec Section Biformes Lemna tenera Kurz – Indochina, Sumatra, Northern Territory of Australia Section Lemna Lemna disperma Hegelm. Lemna ecuadoriensis Landolt Lemna gibba L. – gibbous duckweed – widespread Lemna japonica Landolt – Japan, China, Korea, Russian Far East Lemna minor L. – common duckweed – cosmopolitan Lemna obscura (Austin) Daubs – United States, Mexico, Bahamas, Colombia, Ecuador Lemna trisulca L. – ivy duckweed – cosmopolitan Lemna turionifera Landolt – temperate Europe, Asia, North America Section Uninerves Lemna minuta Kunth – least duckweed – North + South America Lemna valdiviana Phil. – Valdivia duckweed – North and South America Lemna yungensis Landolt – Bolivia Formerly placed here Landoltia punctata (G.Mey.) Les & D.J.Crawford (as L. oligorrhiza Kurz and L. punctata G.Mey.) Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. (as L. polyrhiza L.) Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Horkel ex Wimm. (as L. arrhiza L.) Wolffia globosa (Roxb.) Hartog & Plas (as L. globosa Roxb.)
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
No. Cardarine is a PPARδ agonist, while selective androgen receptor modulators act on androgen receptors. The two classes differ in receptor target and downstream effects.
Preclinical rodent studies reported cancers, including liver and bladder tumors, at tested doses. The human relevance of those findings is uncertain, but development was discontinued. No approved human product resulted.
No. It remains an investigational compound without approved therapeutic labeling. Sports regulators prohibit its use, and health agencies have warned against consuming it.
Cardarine is a common name for GW501516, a synthetic PPARδ agonist. It is not a steroid or a selective androgen receptor modulator. It was developed and studied as a research compound for metabolic pathways.