LGD-4033 is allegedly the strongest SARM on the market. It’s among many other research chemicals that are illegally sold to bodybuilders and people seeking look enhancement. Keep reading to find out what the signs say about its side effects and dangers vs. what the manufacturers and users claim.
Disclaimer: By composing this post, we aren’t advocating this medication. Ligandrol is an unapproved research compound without a complete security profile, and we simply don’t know enough about its negative effects or efficacy. Some of our subscribers who were taking the medication requested that we commission a post on it, and we are just providing information that is available from the scientific and clinical literature.
We don’t advise taking Ligandrol for any reason.
Ligandrol (LGD-4033) Side Effects & Safety
LGD-4033 is a popular and fairly fresh oral selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). Some bodybuilders believe that SARMs are safer alternatives for steroids, but there are no data to indicate that unapproved SARMs are secure at all.
After our previous review of this research behind Ligandrol’s potential uses, this post will concentrate on its unwanted side effects and dangers. We will discuss up-to-date safety research on LGD-4033 and provide a summary of consumer experiences to give you a clearer image of what to expect from that compound.
Clinical Trials
Remember: these early studies aren’t designed to prove if a compound is safe — they’re just made to weed out quite dangerous materials from prospective testing. Much larger studies with a lot more participants have to determine the security of an experimental drug.
That having been said, no severe adverse events were reported in a small analysis of doses up to 22 mg/day. In the only proper clinical trial on 76 healthy men, low doses (0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/day) were well tolerated for more than 3 months. None of the participants reported significant adverse effects.
The most common side effects from the clinical trial were:
- Headaches
- Dry mouth
- Pain-related to muscular biopsy
- Upper respiratory tract infections
The frequency of adverse events was comparable in the treatment and placebo groups. Side effects were not influenced by the dose — 0.1 mg/day and one mg/day caused similar side effects.
But, this clinical research suggests that LGD-4033 may cause mild suppression even at 1 mg/day, which is 10 times greater than the normal bodybuilding doses. It modulates testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels weren’t affected. Hormone levels returned to normal after stopping treatment.
These findings seem to imply that, even if this chemical is afterward found to be effective, it will probably cause many of the very same problems as traditional testosterone treatment. Given that we often take Ligandrol in an effort to avoid these side effects, this research undermines the purported use of this medication.
LGD-4033 did prove tissue selectivity when it comes to vital organs within this trial. It didn’t alter hemoglobin amounts, prostate-specific antigens, liver enzymes (AST and ALT), or heartbeat (QT intervals).
LGD-4033 reduced HDL cholesterol and cholesterol levels, which returned to normal following the treatment. No impacts on fat mass were noted.
The simple fact that LGD-4033 appeared to be both safe and bioavailable and improved lean body mass over a brief length of time with low doses requires longer trials to completely evaluate its efficacy and safety.
Reported side effects in clinical trials of Ligandrol contained headaches, dry skin, testosterone reduction, and respiratory ailments. As a result of the lack of proper safety data, other side effects can not be ruled out.
Limitations and Caveats
The only appropriate clinical study was supported by Ligand Pharmaceuticals, who developed LGD. The continuing studies are funded by Viking Therapeutics, a firm that purchased within the rights to LGD-4033 research. It’s hard to assess the quality of research funded by pharma businesses, their conflict of interest, and prejudice. The company-funded research was furthermore very limited, with no much of significance to say about if Ligandrol is safe or effective or what the appropriate dose might be.
Reviews
Some users reported the following:
- Moderate Development of breast tissue
- Mild testosterone suppression, especially with higher doses (normalized 3-4 months after stopping it)
- Some water retention
- Most profits were keepable but a Little reduction post-cycle was ordinary
We do not understand what the grade of the product was if users were carrying different drugs/supplements.
PCT
Users claim that LGD-4033 doesn’t bring about aromatization but that moderate testosterone reduction is not unusual. A subset of consumers advocates moderate PCT (Clomid or Nolvadex) cycles for 4 months to excite natural hormone production. Some feel no requirement for PCT after stopping LGD-4033, but some take just testosterone boosters.
Urine Screening
Since Ligandrol made the Florida quarterback Will Grier a suspension, professional athletes are becoming more aware that routine urine tests can easily pick up this SARM. Anti-doping agencies are well-aware that LGD-4033 is utilized by athletes despite the ban and are constantly developing new techniques to display for it. Precise screening tests make it challenging for any professional athlete to eliminate using LGD-4033.
How Long Does LGD Stay On Your System?
LGD-4033 has a very long half-life of 24–36 hours, which is the time it takes the medication levels in the body to become halved. This means your levels will be halved ~1 day after quitting it, quartered within ~two weeks, 1/8th the following day, and so forth until they get undetectable.
In 1 case study, a wholesome man received one 10 mg dose of LGD-4033. With more precise instruments, the unchanged drug was detected in the urine for up to 7 days. But, its metabolites could be detected for the whole length of this study lasting around 21 days. The detection window is most likely even longer with recurrent and higher doses.
Routine urine drug tests can select up Ligandrol. Its metabolites may be detected for 21 days or longer.
Ligandrol (LGD-4033) Anecdotes
Bodybuilding & High-performance Sports
The single clinical trial conducted healthy men tips at what individuals who choose Ligandrol for bodybuilding might experience.
We’re providing a few user experiences here, to discuss why some people take Ligandrol and also to explore anecdotes of potential adverse effects. None of this can replace appropriate clinical testing.
Note: All the information below is anecdotal and based only on personal experiences of LGD-4033 users. We can’t attest to its accuracy. We also can’t state to what extent those encounters are affected by additional SARMs or distinct drugs/supplements taken at precisely the same time. We cannot be sure about the true content and caliber of LGD-4033 in a lot of merchandise users bought online.
And most significantly: this is an unapproved drug. We do not know how secure it is, or even when it works. We highly recommend against taking Ligandrol for this particular reason.
Reviews
Many athletes and athletes that are seeking to build muscles and optimize body composition are turning into LGD-4033 as their SARM of choice. Its usage isn’t limited to weightlifters and bodybuilders however, also includes models, cross-fitters, and exercise enthusiasts.
For a lot of individuals that are willing to experiment with SARMs, LGD-4033 the first drug from this course to try. While most SARMS are stacked together, a lot of users take LGD-4033 alone and assert to experience amazing results. Other People stack it with Cardarine, Ostarine, and Testolone. Some compare it to Anavar with Dianabol.
Note that we don’t even understand how secure Ligandrol is, let alone Ligandrol in combination with other (often illegal, unapproved) drugs. Taking Ligandrol alone or in conjunction is a very risky practice, and we think you’re better off talking to your doctor about lifestyle changes and proven therapies that can attain the very same goals.
Users report:
- Lean muscle mass increases (5-10 lbs/month)
- Great keepable gains even with reduced doses (5 mg/day)
- Easier fat reduction
- Increased stamina and libido
- Quicker recovery
- Less pain
- The Very Best SARM for bulking
- Great results for body recomposition
- Combined with Cardarine for cutting cycles
- “Amazing pumps”
- Increased lifting and cardiovascular power (from the 3rd week)
- A heightened sense of wellbeing without mood swings or crashes
- Much stronger than Ostarine
- The nearest you can get to testosterone, especially for human body recomposition
- No bloating or just minor water retention
- No more male-pattern body hair growth or hair loss
- No liver damage
- No changes in cholesterol or blood pressure
Though gyno (gynecomastia or breastfeeding in men) was rare, guys that are more estrogen-sensitive and taking higher doses did report it.
Dosage & Cycle
Users reported taking the same dosage for cutting, bulking, and body recomposition cycles. However, there’s absolutely no secure, powerful dosage of Ligandrol since no high-quality clinical trials have determined you.
- As much as 10 mg/day for men
- As much as 5 mg/day for women
Some athletes reported using doses as large as 20 mg/day but most don’t recommend going above 10 mg/day. Cutting cycles were for 8-12 weeks. Users recommend shorter bulking cycles (3-6 weeks) and experiencing tolerance following 6 months. One user advocated limiting cycles to 4 months and then taking 4 months off to allow for the recovery of natural testosterone levels.
The half-life of LGD-4033 is 24–36 hours, so most consumers choose the entire daily dose at once. Something to keep in mind is that bloodstream LGD-4033 levels almost tripled in clinical trials after 3 weeks in comparison with day 1, indicating that its concentration accumulates in the body over time. However, this conclusion is speculative at best.
Bear in mind that this is just one limited study without external data to back up its claim. Even in this study, however, Ligandrol seemed to suppress testosterone.
Takeaway
Ligandrol is an unapproved drug that may boost muscle size and strength.
Although users have a tendency to feel that it has fewer side effects than steroids or TRT, information to support this idea is still lacking. In fact, Ligandrol created the same side effects as testosterone in the majority of the limited studies available.
We recommend talking to your doctor about lifestyle changes or alternative approaches that may meet the exact same goal, particularly given that we don’t know the correct dose or even whether Ligandrol is safe.