Ostarine vs Ligandrol (LGD-4033): Trials and Risks
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[SARMs · Comparison]

Ostarine vs ligandrol: what do the trials show?

Human trials · Hormone effects · FDA and WADA

Short answer: Ostarine (enobosarm) and ligandrol (LGD-4033) are both oral SARMs, and neither is FDA approved.1 Ostarine has more human data: phase 2 trials in older adults, people with cancer and women with breast cancer.234 Ligandrol has one published 21-day trial in healthy young men.5 Both raised lean mass in trials, and both have liver-injury case reports.67 No study compares them.

How do ostarine and ligandrol compare side by side?

From published human trials, case reports, FDA and the 2026 WADA List. Neither has a US label.
Ostarine (enobosarm, GTx-024)Ligandrol (LGD-4033)
Approval statusNot approved; FDA says SARMs cannot be legally sold as supplements1Not approved; same FDA position1
Published human trialsPhase 2 in 120 healthy older men and postmenopausal women (12 weeks); phase 2 in 159 people with cancer (up to 113 days); phase 2 in 136 women with advanced breast cancer234One placebo-controlled trial in 76 healthy men aged 21 to 50, for 21 days5
Doses studied1 and 3 mg daily (muscle-wasting trials); 9 and 18 mg daily (breast cancer trial)3240.1, 0.3 and 1.0 mg daily5
Lean massUp 1.5 kg (1 mg) and 1.0 kg (3 mg) median by day 113 in cancer patients; no change on placebo3Rose with dose over 21 days; fat mass did not change5
Hormones and lipidsNot reported in the abstracts cited hereDose-dependent drops in total testosterone, SHBG, HDL and triglycerides; back to baseline after stopping5
Half-lifeNot given in the trial abstracts cited hereLong elimination half-life, with build-up on daily dosing; the abstract gives no figure5
LiverGrade 3 or 4 liver enzyme rises in 4% (9 mg) and 3% (18 mg) in the breast cancer trial; case report of cholestatic liver injury46No change in liver enzymes in the 21-day trial; case report of severe liver injury with fibrosis on biopsy57
SportWADA S1.2 (enobosarm named)8WADA S1.2 (LGD-4033 named)8

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

What did the human trials find?

  • Ostarine in older adults: 12 weeks in 120 healthy men over 60 and postmenopausal women. Lean mass rose with dose, and the 3 mg group improved on physical function and insulin resistance vs placebo.2
  • Ostarine in cancer: 159 people with cancer-related weight loss took 1 mg, 3 mg or placebo daily for up to 113 days. Median lean mass rose 1.5 kg and 1.0 kg; placebo did not change.3
  • Ligandrol in healthy men: 76 men aged 21 to 50 took 0.1, 0.3 or 1.0 mg or placebo for 21 days. Lean mass rose with dose; testosterone, SHBG and HDL fell with dose and returned to baseline after stopping.5

No study has compared the two directly. The trials used different people, doses and lengths, so their numbers cannot be lined up as a contest. These are study protocols, not personalized advice; confirm any dosing with your prescriber.

What safety concerns have been reported?

FDA warns that SARMs have been linked to serious problems, including liver injury and acute liver failure, raised risk of heart attack or stroke, psychosis, infertility and testicular shrinkage.1 Case reports describe cholestatic liver injury after ostarine and severe liver injury after ligandrol.67

What is sold may not match the label. Of 44 products sold online as SARMs, only 52% contained a SARM, and 25% held substances not listed on the label.9

What is their legal and sport status?

Neither is approved. FDA says SARMs are unapproved drugs that cannot legally be sold as dietary supplements, even when labeled for research use only.1 The 2026 WADA List bans both at all times under S1.2, naming enobosarm (ostarine) and LGD-4033 (ligandrol).8

More detail: the Ostarine (Enobosarm) and Ligandrol (LGD-4033) 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 ostarine or ligandrol FDA approved?+
No. FDA says SARMs are not approved and cannot legally be sold as dietary supplements.1
Which has more human research?+
Ostarine. It has several phase 2 trials in older adults and people with cancer; ligandrol has one 21-day trial in 76 healthy men.235
Do SARMs lower testosterone?+
In the ligandrol trial, total testosterone fell with dose over 21 days and returned to baseline after stopping.5
Can SARMs hurt the liver?+
FDA lists liver injury and acute liver failure among reported harms, and there are published cases for both ostarine and ligandrol.167
Can I track ostarine or ligandrol in Dose Track?+
Yes. Both are built in as oral compounds, with reminders and a log you can share with your doctor.

Sources

  1. FDA Consumer Update. FDA warns of use of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) among teens, young adults.
  2. Dalton JT, et al. The selective androgen receptor modulator GTx-024 (enobosarm) improves lean body mass and physical function in healthy elderly men and postmenopausal women: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2011;2:153-161.
  3. Dobs AS, et al. Effects of enobosarm on muscle wasting and physical function in patients with cancer: a double-blind, randomised controlled phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14:335-45.
  4. Palmieri C, et al. Activity and safety of enobosarm in androgen receptor-positive, oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (Study G200802): a randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2024;25:317-325.
  5. Basaria S, et al. The safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects of LGD-4033, a novel nonsteroidal oral, selective androgen receptor modulator, in healthy young men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013;68:87-95.
  6. Bedi H, et al. Drug-induced liver injury from enobosarm (ostarine), a selective androgen receptor modulator. ACG Case Rep J. 2021;8:e00518.
  7. Barbara M, Dhingra S, Mindikoglu AL. Ligandrol (LGD-4033)-induced liver injury. ACG Case Rep J. 2020;7:e00370.
  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. 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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