Ligandrol, often referred to as LGD-4033 is a popular selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), delivering similar effects to anabolic steroids.
However, like many other selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), LGD4033 wasn’t actually initially designed for the bodybuilding community. In fact, LGD-4033 and other SARMs were developed to treat medical conditions like osteoporosis.
If this has you wondering how they ended up in a bodybuilder’s toolkit, being utilized to increase lean muscle mass and improve body composition? Well, read on to find out everything you need to know about LGD4033 and its effects.
What are selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs)?
SARMs are often marketed in a way similar to anabolic steroids, as a cutting edge performance enhancer that are used by athletes and bodybuilders across the globe. Despite their increase in popularity over the last decade or so, SARMs and anabolic steroids are actually banned in competitions. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited the use of SARMs and anabolic steroids back in 2008.
So, if you’re looking to compete in a bodybuilding or other athletic setting, the use of LGD 4033 and other SARMs is prohibited. This is because SARMs, like LGD 4033, have anabolic cellular activity. Of course, this anabolic activity is what makes them so appealing to healthy young men getting into weight training, as well as those looking to gain muscle mass and improve their body fat composition.
Is LGD 4033 and SARMs safe? Well, we wouldn’t recommend using them, let’s put it that way.
Want to know what SARMs and LGD 4033 really does, and if they’re all they’re cracked up to be? Keep reading.
What does LGD4033 really do?
Ligandrol or LGD 4033 is a particularly potent SARM, and it’s commonly used by weightlifters and bodybuilders looking to build up, gain muscle mass and reduce fat. LGD 4033 works by binding with androgen receptors, just like anabolic steroids, which means that gaining muscle mass is a lot easier when taking LGD 4033.
Unlike anabolic steroids, LGD 4033 is considered to be a milder drug and has a weaker impact on the prostate, which obviously only increases the appeal. By having less of an impact on the prostate, the androgenic impact of testosterone will not happen with LGD 4033, which helps to prevent prostate hyperplasia.
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Currently, LGD 4033 is considered a ‘research compound’, and very little research has been carried out on Ligandrol. It currently does not have FDA approval for human use for improving muscle mass and strength.
LGD 4033 is prescribed for patients with muscle wasting conditions. And of course, when the results on increasing muscle mass was revealed, it was unsurprisingly very popular with bodybuilders and weightlifters.
Protein synthesis – Building muscle mass
When building muscle mass, protein synthesis needs to happen. Breaking down muscle protein is the opposite process to breaking down muscle tissue. When muscle protein synthesis outweighs muscle protein breakdown, there will be muscle growth.
What are the benefits of LGD-4033?
Are there any benefits to LGD 4033? Well, according to clinical research, Ligandrol LGD 4033 has been shown to be one of the most effective SARMs for stimulating muscle growth, plus, at a moderate dosage, it is relatively well-tolerated.
So, how did SARMs like LGD 4033 get so popular? Well, many bodybuilders and weightlifters believe that LGD 4033 and selective androgen receptor modulators in general, are much safer than anabolic steroids. However, because of the lack of clinical research, we don’t actually know if these claims of gaining muscle mass safely are accurate.
LGD 4033 results
Based on limited clinical research and user findings, it is possible that LGD 4033 may offer the following benefits and results.
Increased lean body mass
What we do know is that LGD 4033 is effective when it comes to increasing lean muscle mass and strength. Even at a reduced or low LGD 4033 dosage, research has shown that it is responsible for accelerated muscle gains. In fact, some users have reported results after just one week, and even a low LGD 4033 dosage can be effective.
However, remember that all SARMs, including LGD 4033, need to be paired with a workout routine and balanced nutrition.
Enhanced recovery
When it comes to building lean body mass, your recovery time will play a crucial role in building muscle, as well as how quickly you can get back to getting sweaty in the gym again.
Research suggests that SARMs, such as LGD 4033, accelerate recovery time, reduce soreness, and repair muscle fibers quicker to stimulate muscle growth.
Intensified workout performance
In addition to its power to boost lean body mass, push muscle strength and improve lean mass, LGD 4033 can also boost your workout performance. Therefore, not only will your training be more intense, you’ll be able to lift heavier and squeeze in those extra reps too.
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Overall, it’s no surprise that LGD 4033 is considered one of the best SARMs when it comes to muscle building, muscle strength, and your bulking cycle.
What’s the correct LGD 4033 dosage?
LGD 4033 is taken orally, and when it comes to Ligandrol, it’s important to understand the perfect dose of LGD 4033 as this SARM needs to be taken seriously and responsibly.
Like we said, clinical studies are slim but according to what research there is, the best dosage of LGD 4033 is between 5-10mg daily. And even at just 1mg a day, there is some research to show that LGD 4033 has an impact on body fat and lean muscle.
Regardless of what LGD 4033 dosage you opt for, it’s important to always be consistent. Even in healthy men, the dosage needs to be correct to establish safety. By being consistent with the amount taken, you’ll be able to maintain stable levels.
LGD 4033 half life
We’ve previously talked about half life, but in case you’re not clear on what it means, half life refers to the time that a specific compound or medication will stay active in your system.
LGD 4033’s half life is between 24 and 36 hours.
However, let’s not get carried away talking about anabolic activity and the potential anabolic effects of LGD 4033, let’s move onto the potential side effects.
If you’re competing in professional sports, it’s probably for the best to avoid LGD 4033 altogether. With higher doses and the repeated use of Ligandrol, the window of detectability will be a lot longer than its half life, and as The World Anti-Doping Agency has LGD 4033 on its list of prohibited substances, why risk it?
LGD 4033 side effects – Is it worth it?
It seems like there are many benefits to LGD 4033, right? Stimulating muscle growth, and increasing lean muscle mass. However, just like anabolic steroids, Ligandrol can cause side effects. Such as:
Negative effects on HDL (Good) cholesterol
High density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, is often referred to as the “good” cholesterol in our bodies. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol in your system can help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
However, LGD 4033 can potentially negatively impact HDL cholesterol levels, and some research has shown a reduction of 40% in just three weeks when using 1mg per day. Increased dosages of LGD 4033 could lead to more detrimental decreases in HDL cholesterol.
Testosterone suppression
While SARMs and your typical bodybuilding steroids aren’t the same, in a similar way, LGD 4033 does have the ability to suppress your natural ability to lead to testosterone suppression. This is because LGD 4033 aggressively binds with androgen receptors, and as one of the most potent selective androgen receptor modulators available, it can also be the worst for testosterone suppression.
This means that after your cycle, you have to go into post cycle therapy to be able to effectively reinstate your testosterone production. Sometimes, you’ll find that without post cycle therapy, you’ll struggle to produce testosterone once more. This is because SARMs encourage the production of testosterone, stopping your natural production, so during your cycle of LGD 4033 your body would let LGD 4033 take over and once it stops, your body can struggle to get it going again.
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Those gains might seem worthwhile, however, free testosterone suppression is ideally avoided.
Liver toxicity
One of the scariest side effects if you ask us is the damage to your liver. Both SARMs and steroids can be toxic to your liver, and as they damage the liver, leading to slower cleansing of the liver, it results in them being even more hepatotoxic.
Hair loss
But it doesn’t stop there, as well as causing damage to your liver, free testosterone and HDL cholesterol, LGD 4033 and other SARMs can cause hair loss and hair recession. Are the gains really worth it for all these side effects? We’re not sure…
By increasing your DHT levels (dihydrotestosterone), the follicle-stimulating hormone, can lead to hair loss and androgenic alopecia.
Water retention and gynecomastia (dreaded man boobs)
The dreaded man boobs. Isn’t this what you’re trying to avoid?
In theory, LGD 4033 shouldn’t have any estrogen side effects as it doesn’t stimulate estrogen levels directly, however, SARMs compete with your body’s natural testosterone production and bind to the androgen receptors.
So, LGD 4033’s higher affinity results in your body’s natural testosterone production losing the fight and resulting in increased estrogen levels. Thereby leading to water retention, gynecomastia (man boobs), and bloating.
Other side effects of LGD-4033
The possible side effects don’t end there, unfortunately, here are some more common side effects of SARMs:
- Dry mouth
- Headaches
- Respiratory tract infections
- Muscle pain
Common side effects of steroids and SARMs
- Acne
- Insomnia
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Liver damage
- Short term aggression
- Kidney damage
The importance of post cycle therapy
As LGD 4033 is so potent, it’s important to follow your bulking cycle with PCT to encourage your natural testosterone levels to return to normal.
If you’re asking us, the positive impact of LGD 4033 on your lean muscle mass and gaining muscle mass isn’t really worth the adverse effects to us. Especially when there’s very few clinical studies and hardly any clinical research in this area.
Is LGD-4033 safe?
Really, is any SARM or anabolic steroid safe? Yes, it may help you when it comes to increasing muscle growth and reducing body fat, but LGD 4033 and other SARMs come with risks and side effects.
It’s no surprise that the kinds of adverse effects, from impacting your free testosterone to reducing your HDL cholesterol, have led to SARMs such as LGD 4033 to being banned in professional sports.
Even at a lower dosage, you can expect to see an increase in muscle size, but the benefits are quickly outweighed by some serious side effects and the impact on your testosterone levels.
Our conclusion of LGD 4033
LGD 4033 is well known for increased muscle mass and seen as some sort of wonder compound that helps users to gain muscle, even at a lower dose, in a relatively short time. However, just because it has this benefit, that doesn’t mean that it’s safe or that you should use it.
In particular, it may be tempting during a bulking cycle for bodybuilders and weightlifters to use Ligandrol LGD 4033 to pack on those gains. However, it’s such a largely untested substance, and illegal in many cases, that there may also be a huge amount of longer term health effects that we don’t know about yet.
Why not choose a safer alternative to LGD-4033?
Stop wasting time with poisonous, untested drugs that will wreak havoc on your body. Instead, if you’re looking to build muscle, lose body fat, and maintain normal levels of testosterone, why not experience the many benefits and positive effects of Ligandrol (LGD 4033) the SAFE way.
We have carefully developed a safe and natural alternative to LGD 4033 – MUSCLE UPP – which supports your goals of muscle mass gains, enhanced strength and reduced recovery time. Why would you want to build muscle any other way? And if you really want to go all out and demolish that wall, go for the ultimate BULKING STACK on the market. No poisons, no false promises. Just an insanely powerful natural alternative that will get you into proper beast mode!
