LGD-4033 Reference

Plain English

What it is

LGD-4033 (also called Ligandrol) is a SARM, which is a lab-made drug built to switch on the body's muscle-building hormone signals without being a steroid. It is sold only as a research chemical, not as an approved medicine, and no health agency has cleared it for people to take.

What people use it for

In the bodybuilding and fitness community it is one of the most popular 'mild bulk' compounds, and people talk about using it to add muscle, gain strength, and reshape their body. These are personal stories, not a proven or approved use.

What the science shows

It did reach small, early human safety studies in healthy men, where lean muscle went up but the body's own testosterone got pushed down. There is no long-term safety data and no completed study proving it works for changing body shape, and it was never approved as a drug.

The catch

The FDA has warned the public that SARMs are not approved, are sold illegally, and are often mislabeled, and SARMs have been tied to serious liver injury. Other commonly reported risks include lowered natural testosterone and unhealthy shifts in cholesterol and blood fats. WADA bans it in sport at all times as an S1.2 anabolic agent, and a few US states have placed it under state-level Schedule III, though it is not on the federal controlled-substances list.

Reference summary

Phase 1/2 healthy-men trials reported lean-mass increase and HPTA suppression. Long-term outcome data, body-composition-trial efficacy data in healthy adults, and any FDA-approval program are absent.

Regulatory and posture

Categories

SARM, Recovery

Aliases

Ligandrol, Anabolicum, VK5211, Non-steroidal SARM

Evidence posture

human - FDA enforcement attention. Sold only as a research chemical, not for human consumption per legal seller terms. WADA-prohibited under category S1.2 anabolic agents at all times, in and out of competition. No FDA-approved drug label and no human clinical efficacy program for body-composition use. Some US states have placed LGD-4033 under Schedule III; possession without a prescription may be a state-level controlled-substance offense.

Regulatory status

No FDA-approved LGD-4033 drug label. FDA has issued explicit consumer warnings against SARMs sold in bodybuilding products. WADA prohibits LGD-4033 under category S1.2 anabolic agents at all times. Several US states have placed LGD-4033 under state-level Schedule III provisions; federal scheduling status varies, and possession outside an approved indication may be a state-level controlled-substance offense.

Content review status

research reference

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