Head to head
Cardarine against AICAR
The two original exercise in a pill compounds, a PPAR-delta agonist and an AMPK activator, both banned by WADA. AICAR's human programmes in heart surgery and leukaemia produced no approved drug, and effective animal doses are impractically large.
Column A
CardarineGW501516 (cardarine)
A PPAR-delta agonist GSK stopped developing, reportedly after long-term rodent studies produced cancers in multiple organs; still sold widely for endurance and fat loss despite that report and a WADA ban.
Column B
AICARAICAR (acadesine)
The original 'exercise in a pill' from a 2008 Cell paper, an AMPK activator banned by WADA since 2009; human programs in heart surgery and leukemia failed to produce an approved drug, and effective animal doses are impractically large.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| Attribute | Cardarine | AICAR |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Metabolic | Muscle & Performance |
| FDA status | Never approved; development halted for carcinogenicity | Never approved |
| Half-life | ~24 hours (reported) | Short |
| Molecular weight | 453.5 Da | 258.2 Da (acadesine, the riboside; the intracellular ZMP metabolite is 338.2 Da) |
| Mechanism | PPAR-delta agonism that upregulates fatty-acid oxidation genes in skeletal muscle. | Intracellular conversion to ZMP, an AMP analog that activates AMPK and downstream PGC-1alpha and PPARdelta programs. |
| Human studies cited | 1 | 1 |
| Legal status, US | Not approved; sold 'for research use only' | Not approved; sold 'for research use only' |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Cardarine and AICAR?
Cardarine: A PPAR-delta agonist GSK stopped developing, reportedly after long-term rodent studies produced cancers in multiple organs; still sold widely for endurance and fat loss despite that report and a WADA ban. AICAR: The original 'exercise in a pill' from a 2008 Cell paper, an AMPK activator banned by WADA since 2009; human programs in heart surgery and leukemia failed to produce an approved drug, and effective animal doses are impractically large.
Which has stronger research evidence, Cardarine or AICAR?
This database does not grade compounds. It counts what was run in people: 1 of the 2 studies cited on the Cardarine profile were human work, against 1 of 2 for AICAR. Those counts are of our own citation lists and understate any larger literature, and neither is a recommendation.
Are Cardarine and AICAR FDA-approved?
Cardarine: Never approved; development halted for carcinogenicity. AICAR: Never approved.
Related posts
Blog articles that cover Cardarine or AICAR, newest first.
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page sets two published records side by side. It is educational, it is not medical advice, and it contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use.