This Cardarine guide will talk you through everything you need to know about this fantastic bodybuilding supplement. I’ll explain exactly why it exists, how it works, what the effects are, and how you can benefit. I’ll also tell you about side-effects you have to look out for, and also the results you could get, especially if you stack Cardarine with a muscle-building SARM.
There are a lot of misconceptions around Cardarine, I’m going straight all of those out for you, with some open and honest information. You’ll also learn about the optimal Cardarine cycle length, and how to stack it so that you can benefit while minimizing side effects.
Importantly, sourcing good quality SARMs for sale is difficult, so I’ll also cover that by telling you about three trusted retailers where you can find pure Cardarine for sale.
Is Cardarine A SARM?
So what actually is Cardarine? Most people think it’s a SARM, a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator because SARMs are the group of drugs it’s talked about as being part of. But the truth is that Cardarine is not a SARM.
It is structured differently, and its mechanism of action is different, even though its main positive effects are very similar to SARMs.
Also catchily known as GW-501516, it does work by helping to build muscle endurance, and stripping fat, amongst other benefits. But the way it does it is different to SARMs.
Cardarine is a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor or PPAR. These are chemically structured to be agonists that bind to PPAR-delta receptors in the body, which are sensor proteins. These are mostly found in muscles and the fatty acids around the body. When activated, they increase the ability of our body to burn fat, especially brown fat
These proteins also help to build muscle endurance, so that’s great for bodybuilding because you can do more reps without exhausting your muscles as quickly. You can also stress the muscles better, to build them up.
So you’re looking at significant fat-burning ability, mixed with the ability to train harder and for longer, which all brings incremental energy increases.
Also, none of this comes at the cost of pressure on the heart or blood pressure, because it doesn’t act like a stimulant. All in all, Cardarine does sound too good to be true.
Is It Legal?
So Cardarine sounds wonderful, but is it legal? Well, it’s not illegal. That means it’s not regulated for sale. So it shouldn’t be sold for human consumption or bought for human consumption. But you won’t get arrested for doing so.
In the USA, it simply means that the FDA has not approved it for human use. That’s because Cardarine, in common with SARMs, has never fully passed the process of clinical testing, and then been put to market properly.
Where it is completely illegal to use is in professional sports. It was banned after the 2008 Beijing Olympics after it became known that a lot of athletes had been using it because it wouldn’t be detected in standard dope testing. In 2009 it was added to the banned substances list and is now looked for during drug testing in all major sports.
Benefits I Noticed After A Few Weeks
So Cardarine definitely has great benefits in terms of building muscle, and endurance. But that’s not where the positive effects and benefits of Cardarine end.
Studies, admittedly in mice, have shown that Cardarine can potentially reduce the damage to tissues and arteries that happens in our lifetimes. It’s known as oxidative damage, and it occurs over time. Although preliminary, studies have suggested that Cardarine can reverse this process.
Because it’s not a SARM, you’ll also not experience a drop in testosterone levels, nor will it cause problems with estrogen So it means you won’t need a PCT supplement if you are using it on its own. In fact, some people use it at the end of a SARMs supplement alongside PCT to keep the fat burning going between SARMs cycles, although I wouldn’t recommend that unless you are highly experienced.
Plus, there’s one other benefit of using Cardarine that is not widely talked about at all. It’s actually been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels. It does this through its mechanism of action, but also because of how it lowers body fat and promotes more intense exercise. This could be significant for people who are unhealthy, and at risk of type II diabetes, and in fact it’s been investigated in the past two years as a possible cure.
So in summary, Cardarine has the following positive benefits
- Helps the body to burn fat faster
- Allows muscles to work harder and longer
- Can lower LDL-cholesterol
- You won’t need a PCT supplement between cycles
- Can potentially help maintain heart and arteries
- Delivers better sleep
Results To Expect
Now the caveat here is that the results you can expect from using Cardarine will be different for everyone, and when you are using it to gain Cardarine fat loss benefits, then obviously results will depend on how much you burn, and what you eat.
I can tell you from personal experience that Cardarine does the business. I dropped 7% body fat in my first cycle, and I read online that that is not unusual at all, with some people lowering by 10%. Now they might be more disciplined than me, both in terms of diet, and their workouts, but that’s still pretty significant in six weeks.
The results will get even better if you stack Cardarine, as I did. I used it with Ostarine and MK-677 after my first cycle, and the fat stripping was even more intense. Plus the MK-677 builds muscle, and within two cycles the combo had pumped me right up. Now look, I was working hard, and you have to put in the effort, and watch the diet, but the rewards are there.
In terms of the results of Cardarine, I also didn’t suffer any side effects. I did use a PCT supplement, but that was just in case the SARMs I was also using lowered my T levels at all, but the truth is that I felt great, and looked great.
Using Cardarine For Fat Loss
As I’ve already covered, using Cardarine for fat loss is certainly one of its main benefits. It achieves these fat loss benefits through the combination of the following:
- It allows you to increase your endurance overall, and especially in the stress and duration of muscle exercise, both of which allows you to burn more fat.
- Because it alters how you react to the food you eat, it can also lower fat levels. It does this because of the way it interacts with glucose levels. So even if you eat poorly, you can still lose body fat, but not a lot. The better your diet, the better the results.
- Its positive effect on blood vessels and the heart will allow the body to work at peak efficiency, and this in combination with better sleep and mood, will also encourage better diet and body maintenance.
Side Effects
I want to address the big negative side effect that is claimed to arise from using Cardarine head-on. Some people claim that it can cause cancer. Now let me say up front, that in terms of bodybuilding, and it’s been used now for nearly 20 years, there’s no anecdotal evidence that people using it are suffering out of proportion to anyone else.
But all the claims basically come from a couple of studies. Those studies are the reason why the big pharmaceuticals, including Glaxo SmithKline, pulled out of investigating Cardarine further as a candidate for helping with heart and metabolic conditions.
But that doesn’t mean it causes cancer, it just means that alongside other problems with it, that the big pharmaceuticals moved on to easier, more advanced drugs.
Looking at the study that is most often cited as evidence. What you will see is that mice were given huge doses of Cardarine for two years straight. Now bearing in mind that a mouse lives for a maximum of three years, then that’s like giving a human Cardarine for 50 years straight, at a dose of over 100 mg per day, which is at least five times the dose that most people are actually maxing out on.
On top of that, you’ll find studies, lots more studies, telling you that aspirin and other anti-inflammatories can cause cancer. But that doesn’t stop people taking them, and there is certainly very little real-world evidence that people are dropping dead through taking them. So there is a risk potentially, but as with everything, it’s much smaller than the hyped media panic makes out.
In terms of the side-effects you could encounter, they are very few, and I haven’t experienced any myself in two years. You might experience nausea, at higher doses especially, but there really is nothing to worry about. You don’t even need a PCT supplement, as it doesn’t mess around with testosterone or estrogen levels.
Proper Dosage For First Time Users
The problem with trying to talk to you about the correct dosage level is that there isn’t one. This is because it’s an experimental drug that never passed testing for any purpose. So there’s just no way of tying down a specific dose to healthy people using it to strip fat and build muscle.
So all we have to go on is anecdotal evidence from people who are using it. Now obviously the people you look at are the people who have been using for a long time, and bodybuilders have been using it in increasing numbers over a decade or more.
If you go by the studies, which some people do, then you’ll see doses of 50 mg and higher. But that was on rats, mice, and monkeys, and that was at levels designed to test what happened at a high dose.
So you have to ignore the studies that have been done, and just look at the people who have experimented on themselves. A lot of people see results with as little as 10 mg per day, with the sensible maximum appearing to be 30 mg. Above this level, I’ve seen no evidence that the results get significantly better.
Therefore, I would recommend that you start with 10 mg in your first cycle, then up it by 5 mg per cycle. That way you can see how each cycle is in terms of results before you decide to up it, or not.
Because it’s only got a half-life of 12-24 hours, a lot of people dose it twice per day. I’d actually advocate you start with 10 mg in the morning, and do that for your first cycle.
Cycle Length
So in terms of the most efficient and effective Cardarine cycle length, I’d talk about a length of cycle of around six weeks. That’s what I did, and that was based on recommendations online I did during some extensive research before I used it.
Six weeks using Cardarine, followed by six weeks of recovery. I started with 10 mg and upped the dose by 5 mg until I was using 20 mg, and that’s the maximum I use.
As I said, I stack it now with SARMs, but I keep the doses low, well below those recommended maximums that you read about online. I prefer to go slow and steady, but obviously, in terms of the path you take, your own Cardarine cycle length will be dictated by your mindset and goals.
Where To Buy Cardarine
SARMs are getting harder and harder to buy. There are several key reasons for this:
- The pandemic shut many labs
- The Chinese banned SARMs manufacture and export at the end of 2021
- Eastern European labs have shut due to the war
- India has shut labs
- Inflation is on the rise
- Shipping costs have gone nuts
- There is regulatory pressure on USA SARMs sellers
- The FDA has sent a ton of cease-and-desist letters in the past year
What does that all mean for you? Quite simply, it means that if you can find SARMs that are high quality right now you should be buying as many as you can afford for the long term. Things aren’t going to change anytime soon, and could get worse.
I now routinely ensure I have my next three stacks at home. So basically, the next 12 months of SARMs use is already planned and paid for. I urge you to do the same.
So where can you actually buy SARMs like Cardarine right now?
- Chemyo – Best for powder and liquid
Chemyo is now the only place I by my SARMs powder and liquid form. They are one of the few reputable sellers left in the USA. They sell larger doses the money as well. Most companies are selling 30 mL dropper bottles, whereas these guys sell 50 mL bottles.
Don’t think it’s just the same dose in more liquid. The dose as per milliliter, and therefore total dose, is also higher. Simply get more SARMs for your money.
In terms of Cardarine, a 50 mL dropper bottle dosed at 10 mg/mL costs just $54.99 right now.
The powder is even cheaper at $44.99 for a full 1 g bag of Cardarine powder. They sell the suspension liquid (two different types) for $10 per 50 mL as well, so you can mix up SARMs liquid at around a 30% discount on buying the premixed stuff.
Chemyo also offers paired SARMs a 10% discount. Not quite stacks, but SARMs that work in synergy at a discount.
You can get Cardarine and Ostarine, Cardarine and Testolone, or Cardarine and Andarine paired SARMs.
To get 10%OFF use this code: ihcc10
- Swiss Chems – Best for SARMs capsules
I used Swiss Chems are quite a few years when they sell liquid and affordable capsules. Then they ditch selling liquid completely, and put the prices of their capsules up to stupid prices when compared to liquid other companies were selling.
Now they exclusively sell SARMs capsules. Prices of also come down by about 30%, to the level where they are only around 10% higher than liquid.
This brings the convenience of SARMs capsules (exact dosing, discreetness, ease-of-use) back into being an affordable reality for everyone SARMs.
In terms of Cardarine, 60 capsules (each dosed at 10 mg) are currently retailing at $69.99.
- Brutal Force – SARMS Natural Alternative Supplements
I want to mention these guys because I now use their completely natural supplements to increase the potency of my SARMs.
On their own, they can be used to greater effect than natural bodybuilding. You will definitely gain a significant edge in terms of muscle growth, energy availability, strength, and fat cutting. But nothing like the potency of SARMs.
But why I love using them is that they can be used alongside SARMs because they don’t deplete testosterone or have any other side effects.
When I do a bulking SARMs stack, I use the Brutal Force Goliath bulking stack alongside it. When I cut, I use their cutting stack.
I will also continue to run this natural SARMs alternative stack post cycle. That way, I can derive benefits and offset some of the problems with post cycle drop.
Buy two months of capsules and you’ll get an additional month free. That’s the same for the stacks which are also put together at a 30% discount. The company also offers free global shipping.
The supplement that mimics Cardarine is called CARDALEAN. On its own, it’s $60 per month, but you get the third month free.