Cardarine vs SLU-PP-332: Evidence and Safety | Dose Track
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Cardarine vs SLU-PP-332: how do they differ?

Mechanism · Human data · Safety · WADA

Short answer: Both are small molecules called exercise mimetics, but they act on different receptors: cardarine (GW501516) on PPAR-delta, SLU-PP-332 on the ERR receptors.12 Cardarine had short human trials before its developer stopped it over serious toxicity in animal studies.3 SLU-PP-332 has been studied only in cells and mice. Neither is approved.

How do cardarine and SLU-PP-332 compare side by side?

From published studies, WADA and the 2026 WADA List. Neither has a label anywhere we found.
Cardarine (GW501516)SLU-PP-332
TargetPPAR-delta agonist1Agonist of ERRα, ERRβ and ERRγ, strongest at ERRα2
Human studiesYes: 2-week trials in healthy and overweight volunteers and a 12-week trial in 268 people with low HDL145None in living people. One study treated muscle cells taken from 10 women6
Doses in human trials2.5, 5 or 10 mg once daily51No human dosing data
Main findingsHDL up to +16.9% and triglycerides −16.9% at 12 weeks;5 triglycerides −30% and liver fat −20% in 2 weeks in overweight men4In mice: more endurance and oxidative muscle fibers; less fat mass and better insulin sensitivity in obese mice27
Why development stoppedWithdrawn by its developer after serious toxicities in preclinical studies; WADA says clinical approval will not be given3Still early research; no human trial published
SportWADA S4.4.1, named (GW1516, GW501516)8Not named on the 2026 List; doping labs are building tests for it89
Seen in products sold as SARMsYes, in a 2017 analysis of 44 online products10Not tested in that analysis

Reviewed . Half-life figures are shown only where the value Dose Track uses agrees with the cited source.

How do they work differently?

Cardarine switches on PPAR-delta, which raises fat burning in muscle. In GSK's first human study it raised HDL in healthy volunteers, and in human muscle cells in the lab it increased fat burning.1 SLU-PP-332 switches on the estrogen-related receptors, most strongly ERRα, and in mice it turned on a gene program like that seen after aerobic exercise.2 Both are called exercise mimetics, but by different routes.

What evidence exists for each?

  • Cardarine: healthy volunteers on 2.5 or 10 mg a day for 2 weeks had higher HDL than placebo.1 Six moderately overweight men on 10 mg a day for 2 weeks had triglycerides −30%, LDL −23%, insulin −11% and liver fat −20%.4 In 268 people with low HDL over 12 weeks, HDL rose up to 16.9% and triglycerides fell 16.9%.5
  • SLU-PP-332: in mice it increased endurance and type IIa oxidative muscle fibers, and in obese mice it raised energy use, lowered fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity.27 No study in living people has been published.

No study has compared the two directly. Mouse results often do not carry over to people. These are study protocols, not personalized advice; confirm any dosing with your prescriber.

What are the safety concerns?

In 2013 WADA took the rare step of warning athletes about GW501516, saying its developer withdrew it after serious toxicities were found in preclinical studies, and that clinical approval has not and will not be given.3 The human trials lasted 12 weeks at most, too short to show long-term harm.5

For SLU-PP-332 there are no human safety data at all. A 2026 doping-control study mapped its breakdown products in human liver fractions so labs can detect it.9 More detail: the Cardarine (GW501516) and SLU-PP-332 guides.

This page summarizes labels and published studies. It is not personalized medical advice; confirm any dose or change with your prescriber.
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Frequently asked questions

Is cardarine a SARM?+
No. It is a PPAR-delta agonist, a different drug class, though it has turned up in products sold as SARMs.110
Why was cardarine discontinued?+
WADA said in 2013 that its developer withdrew it after serious toxicities were found in preclinical studies.3
Has SLU-PP-332 been tested in people?+
No. Published work is in cells and mice; one study used muscle cells taken from 10 women, not the drug given to people.26
Are they banned in sport?+
GW501516 is named under WADA S4.4.1. SLU-PP-332 is not named on the 2026 List, but labs are developing tests for it.89
Can I track cardarine or SLU-PP-332 in Dose Track?+
Yes. Both are built in as oral compounds, with reminders and a log you can share with your doctor.

Sources

  1. Sprecher DL, et al. Triglyceride:high-density lipoprotein cholesterol effects in healthy subjects administered a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor delta agonist. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2007;27:359-65.
  2. Billon C, et al. Synthetic ERRα/β/γ agonist induces an ERRα-dependent acute aerobic exercise response and enhances exercise capacity. ACS Chem Biol. 2023;18:756-771.
  3. World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA issues alert on GW501516. March 21, 2013.
  4. Risérus U, et al. Activation of PPARdelta promotes reversal of multiple metabolic abnormalities, reduces oxidative stress, and increases fatty acid oxidation in moderately obese men. Diabetes. 2008;57:332-9.
  5. Olson EJ, et al. Lipid effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ agonist GW501516 in subjects with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2012;32:2289-94.
  6. Bonanni R, et al. Targeting ERRs to counteract age-related muscle atrophy associated with physical inactivity: a pilot study. Front Physiol. 2025;16:1616693.
  7. Billon C, et al. A synthetic ERR agonist alleviates metabolic syndrome. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2024;388:232-240.
  8. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, in force January 1, 2026 (English text as published in the Dutch Treaty Series, Tractatenblad 2026, 25).
  9. Avliyakulov NK, Sobolevsky T, Ahrens E. Analysis and identification of in vitro metabolites of exercise mimetic SLU-PP-332 ERRα/β/γ agonist for doping-control purposes. Drug Test Anal. 2026;18:439-450.
  10. Van Wagoner RM, et al. Chemical composition and labeling of substances marketed as selective androgen receptor modulators and sold via the internet. JAMA. 2017;318:2004-2010.

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