What Are the Benefits of Cardarine?

1. Fat Loss
2. Muscle hypertrophy
3. Muscle endurance
4. Glycogen storage
5. Improved cholesterol
6. Testosterone suppression
7. No virilization in women

1. Fat Loss

Cardarine enhances lipolysis by improving:

• Insulin sensitivity
• Lipid balance
• Glucose tolerance

Cardarine stimulates fatty acid oxidation by reducing the utilization of glucose, thus shifting energy metabolism. Consequently, the body uses fat stores as a primary energy source.

This causes a decrease in both subcutaneous and visceral fat mass in users, producing a leaner and more defined appearance. Decreases in visceral fat enable individuals to maintain a small waist, with high levels causing a protruding look to the stomach.

Dr. Anthony Hughes has cycled cardarine for over 15 years and describes it as a “miracle compound,” claiming it increased his caloric burn by 30% per hour. However, it is important to recognize that individual responses to Cardarine can vary significantly, and not everyone may experience the same benefits.

Cardarine’s lipolytic effects are similar to SARMs used for cutting, such as ostarine. Anecdotally, we have found that cardarine’s fat-burning properties surpass its ability to build lean muscle tissue.

2. Muscle Hypertrophy

There is evidence of cardarine having mild anabolic effects, with a phase 2 study observing a 1.3 kg lean mass increase in users (1), following a dosage of 10 mg/day for 12 weeks. This modest increase in muscularity is similar to SARMs, although with less potency.

3. Muscle Endurance

We have seen cardarine positively affect muscular endurance due to the remodeling of muscle tissue via mitochondrial biogenesis. Research indicates that cardarine facilitates the conversion of fast-twitch muscle fibers into slow-twitch fibers (2), thereby reducing a user’s susceptibility to fatigue during exercise.

Slow-twitch fibers are more efficient at utilizing oxygen due to the presence of mitochondria, enabling increased levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production inside the muscle cells. A study on mice found cardarine to increase endurance by 68% in just 3 weeks (3).

To translate these results in human terms, if a person usually engages in 30 minutes of cardio activity before tiring, they may sustain 50 minutes before reaching the same degree of fatigue on cardarine. However, each individual’s results may vary.

Cardarine’s effects on muscular endurance are potent. Increased endurance may indirectly aid fat burning when combined with regular cardiovascular training due to increased calorie burn.

In our experience, users have reported cardarine’s endurance-boosting results diminishing following cycle cessation. More research is needed to understand the extent and duration of its effects on physical performance. The level of endurance retained from a cardarine cycle may depend on whether the user continues cardiovascular training post-cycle.

4. Glycogen Storage

Cardarine increases intracellular glycogen storage; thus, users can experience fuller muscles on-cycle.

Increases in vascularity may also occur on cardarine due to decreased levels of extracellular fluid.

5. Improved Cholesterol

• Based on our lipid profile tests, cardarine has cardioprotective properties, significantly increasing HDL cholesterol. This is a unique trait compared to SARMs and anabolic steroids, which can cause negative cholesterol fluctuations.
• In the previous phase 2-cited study, HDL levels increased by 17% and LDL cholesterol decreased by 7% from a 10 mg/day dosage.

6. No Testosterone Suppression

Anabolic steroids and SARMs decrease endogenous testosterone levels, which is caused by overstimulation of the androgen receptor. However, PPARD agonists do not affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA); thus, testosterone levels will remain stable on cardarine with no post-cycle therapy (PCT) required.