WADA 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 2026-05-16. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Cardarine has no approved therapeutic indication and is not marketed as a medicine. The World Anti-Doping Agency lists GW501516 as a prohibited substance at all times, covering both in-competition and out-of-competition periods. National laws vary: some countries treat it as an unapproved drug subject to import controls, while others have specific restrictions on sale for human consumption. It is often sold as a research chemical, a label that does not imply safety or legality. Enforcement actions have targeted online vendors and shipments.
Anti-doping laboratories identify GW501516 and related metabolites using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is the most common matrix, though blood and dried blood spots may also be analyzed. The method targets the parent compound and phase I and phase II metabolites, which extend the detection window. Because the substance is prohibited at all times, athletes can be tested outside competition. Detection limits and windows depend on the assay, sample type, and individual metabolism.
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.
Published studies have examined GW501516 in animal models of obesity, insulin resistance, and exercise endurance. Early human trials reportedly ended, and development was discontinued after preclinical findings raised concerns about cancer in some rodent studies. Regulatory agencies have not approved cardarine for any medical use. Its availability through non-pharmaceutical channels raises questions about identity, purity, and legal status that are separate from its laboratory pharmacology. Those questions are often addressed through analytical testing rather than assumptions about product labels.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Prohibited in sport; not approved as medicine | Listed by WADA at all times. |
| Common synonyms | GW501516, GW-501516, endurobol | Cardarine is a colloquial name. |
| Typical analytical method | LC-MS/MS | Detects parent compound and metabolites. |
| Common test matrix | Urine | Blood and dried blood spots also possible. |
| Legal classification | Varies by country | Often treated as unapproved drug or research chemical. |
Products sold as cardarine have been found to contain incorrect compounds, variable amounts, or no active ingredient at all. Independent testing is required to verify identity and purity. Common analytical approaches include high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance for structural confirmation. These methods can distinguish GW501516 from related PPAR agonists and from unrelated steroids. For regulators and researchers, such verification is central to interpreting both biological results and adverse event reports.
Cardarine is prohibited in competitive sport under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, where it is classified as a metabolic modulator. It is not approved as a prescription medicine in the United States, European Union, or other major markets. Regulatory action has focused on its presence in sports and in products marketed as research chemicals. Because it has no accepted medical indication, supply is often unregulated. This status creates legal and safety uncertainties for anyone who encounters the substance.
Anti-doping laboratories detect GW501516 and its metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Urine is the most common matrix, though blood and dried blood spots may also be used in some programs. Detection depends on factors such as dose, timing, metabolism, and the sensitivity of the assay. Published methods describe limits of detection in the low nanogram per milliliter range for related compounds. Exact detection windows are not fixed for all situations and remain an area of ongoing study.
Regulatory bodies treat GW501516 as a prohibited substance in competitive sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency added it to the prohibited list, and it falls under classes covering metabolic modulators and hormone-related agents. It is not approved by drug regulators for human use, and it is not a lawful dietary supplement. Products sold under the cardarine name may contain unlisted ingredients or different compounds. Because no approved product exists, quality and identity are not guaranteed by pharmaceutical manufacturing standards.
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.
The pharmacological interest in cardarine centers on PPARδ activation and its downstream effects on lipid handling and mitochondrial function. In animal studies, PPARδ agonists have been associated with changes in exercise endurance and fatty acid utilization, though results vary by model and protocol. Human data remain sparse, and the absence of large controlled trials limits conclusions about efficacy. Researchers often describe the compound as a tool for probing PPARδ biology rather than a proven therapeutic agent.
Safety discussions about cardarine frequently cite rodent carcinogenicity findings reported in the 2000s. In those studies, treated animals developed tumors at multiple sites, leading sponsors to discontinue clinical development. The relevance of these findings to humans has not been resolved, but they are a major reason the compound is not approved. Current literature emphasizes uncertainty about long-term effects and the risks of unregulated use. Regulators and health agencies have not established a safe human exposure level.
Cardarine is a synthetic compound also known as GW501516, GW-501516, and sometimes endurobol. It was developed as a selective agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta, a nuclear receptor involved in fatty acid oxidation and energy metabolism. The compound was studied in preclinical models for metabolic and cardiovascular conditions, but it did not become a marketed human medicine. In regulatory and anti-doping contexts, it is treated as a prohibited substance rather than a licensed medicine.
=== Other plants === Yohimbine has also been isolated from other plant genera in the family Apocynaceae including Lochnera (Catharanthus), Rauvolfia, Amsonia, Vallesia and Vinca; from the family Loganiaceae (genera Gelsemium and Strychnos); and from the family Euphorbiaceae (genus Alchornea).
Carboxynorspermidine synthase (EC 1.5.1.43, carboxynorspermidine dehydrogenase, carboxyspermidine dehydrogenase, CASDH, CANSDH) is an enzyme with systematic name carboxynorspermidine:NADP+ oxidoreductase. This enzyme catalyses chemical reactions classified as reductive aminations, using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as the reducing agent.
The East Central Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Originally founded in 1970, it was disbanded in 2001 and remained defunct until its reconstitution in 2015. It lasted for ten seasons before a second dissolution in 2025, and all members in both incarnations belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
=== Other uses in arts, entertainment, and media === Link (film), a 1986 horror movie featuring a super-intelligent, murderous orangutan WBT-FM, a radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, that used call sign WLNK 1997–2025
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Application == Due to the hemolytic toxicity of Guanacastepene A, it is not currently used directly in human clinical medicine. Its main potential, however, lies in its function as a "resistance breaker" against antibiotic-resistant pathogens, as various experiments have demonstrated its efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE). Furthermore, a more specific area of application arises in antifungal research, as newly isolated members of the guanacastane family, such as guanacastepene V, isolated from the marine fungus Coprinellus xanthothrix discovered on the surface of a barnacle off the coast of Japan (Kashima City), exhibit a selective effect against the yeast Candida auris. This species is considered an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast. Although guanacastepene V inhibits the growth of Candida auris with an MIC of 6.25 µg/ml, it also exhibits high selectivity, as it has virtually no effect on Candida albicans at an MIC of 100 µg/ml. Therefore, opportunities may arise to further develop other members of the guanacastane family to combat Candida albicans outbreaks in hospitals. Guanacastepene A also serves as a challenging target molecule for total chemical synthesis, making it useful for developing and testing novel synthetic methods; examples include the controlled fragmentation of cyclobutane rings or innovative variants of the Robinson annulation reaction for constructing complex seven-membered ring systems.
Mauritius is just one example of an island state which is used as a stopover by drug smugglers intending to continue their journey onwards, often to the coast of Africa. This has been particularly problematic for Mauritius, as it has had numerous social effects for the population. Facilitators in Mauritius, and other trans-shipment states, are often paid with product which means they sell it to locals. Therefore, consumer markets develop locally, thus increasing demand and drug-dependency. Drug abuse is a significant problem within Mauritius, which is regularly evidenced by the ‘World Drug Report’. In 2008, the report illustrated that 2% of the population of Mauritius were affected by the use of opioids, such as heroin. A significant proportion of these drugs enter the country through the coastline, which has been linked to a lack of surveillance in these places and the surrounding maritime areas. Many of the illicit substances enter on private yachts, which are not regularly checked. In 2012, a steward previously involved in drug trafficking, expressed that the conditions of the maritime environment made smuggling simple as the oceans are so vast and avoiding capture is easy. A 1986 report from the CIA expressed concern over the entry of illegal drugs to Mauritius, stating that these were both consumed locally and smuggled onwards to South Africa. Therefore, this has been a long-standing problem, which has become entrenched in Mauritian society. These drugs largely originate from Pakistan, India and South Africa, and are smuggled through the Indian Ocean.
Asheville: Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) and Mission Hospital. Central (including Chapel Hill, Greensboro, and Raleigh): UNC Health, UNC Rex, Wake Med, Piedmont Health, Central Regional Hospital, Cone Health, Regional UNC Physicians Network, and local independent practices. Charlotte: Novant Health Presbyterian, Huntersville, and Matthews medical centers. Wilmington: New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Southeastern Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC).
A further way of carrying out glycosylation is by using enzymes, known as chemo-enzymatic glycosylation. This method is used for complex chemical synthesis. Chemical and chemo-enzymatic methods can be used for the synthesis of glycopeptides and glycoproteins. Cyclization can also be used as a method to decrease proteolytic degradation and prolong half-life, to make the peptide conformation more rigid to hinder enzymatic cleavage. This method can however lead to loss of biological function due to the reduced flexibility making the peptide inactive. For example, side chain to side chain cyclization between asparagine (position 8) and lysine (position 12), of a growth regulating factor (GRF) analogue was found to increase the half-life from 17 minutes to more than 2 hours. Another way to extend half-life do is to bind serum albumin to the peptide. Human serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein with a molecular weight of 66.4 kDa, and it is involved in many essential bodily functions to maintain homoeostasis. As a result, albumin binding would significantly increase the molecular weight of the peptide, restricting it from being filtered into the urine by the GBM. Serum albumin has an extraordinary long half-life of 2–4 weeks which is much longer than other plasma proteins, due to it binding to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). Fc receptors are proteins found on the surface of certain cells that help to protect the functions of the immune system, by binding to the Fc region of antibodies, which attach to pathogens and destroy them.
=== Exercise === A controlled exercise program combats atherosclerosis by improving the circulation and blood vessel functionality. Exercise is also used to manage weight in patients who are obese, lower blood pressure, and decrease cholesterol. Often, lifestyle modification is combined with medication therapy. For example, statins help to lower cholesterol. Antiplatelet medications like aspirin help to prevent clots, and a variety of antihypertensive medications are routinely used to control blood pressure. If the combined efforts of risk factor modification and medication therapy are not sufficient to control symptoms or fight imminent threats of ischemic events, a physician may resort to interventional or surgical procedures to correct the obstruction.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Legal status varies by country. It is not approved as a medicine, and it is prohibited in sport. Some jurisdictions restrict import, sale, or possession.
Laboratories use liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to detect GW501516 and its metabolites. Urine is commonly tested, and testing can occur in and out of competition.
No, cardarine is not a SARM. It is a PPARδ agonist, which acts on a different receptor. The two classes are often confused in online discussions.
Cardarine is commonly known as GW501516 or GW-1516. These names refer to the same synthetic compound. It is not a brand-name approved medicine.