Ostarine and Cardarine Stack (Typical Results)

Dr George TouliatosDisclaimer: SARMs are only to be used for research purposes, as they are non-FDA-approved compounds and thus may cause adverse effects. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultation.


Ostarine is a SARM (selective androgen modulator receptor), and Cardarine is a PPARD (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor delta). Both are used by weightlifters to stimulate fat loss and preserve or gain muscle tissue.

For men, an Ostarine and Cardarine stack would be considered a cutting stack, as Ostarine only produces mild increases in muscle hypertrophy (up to 10 lbs).

Women may also use this stack for maximum fat-burning; however, Ostarine is a potent muscle-builder in females, with beginners commonly gaining up to 20 pounds of lean muscle from a cycle.

Ostarine and Cardarine Stack Dosages

For Men

Moderate Cycle:

  • Weeks 1–8: Ostarine 15mg/day, Cardarine 10mg/day

Aggressive Cycle:

  • Weeks 1–8: Ostarine 20mg/day, Cardarine 20mg/day
  • Weeks 9–12: Cardarine 20mg/day

For Women

Moderate Cycle:

  • Weeks 1–8: Ostarine 10mg/day, Cardarine 10mg/day
  • Weeks 9–12: Cardarine 10mg/day

Note: In our experience, Ostarine does not cause virilization side effects in women when taking moderate dosages (10 mg/day or less).

Disclosure: We do not accept any form of advertising on Inside Bodybuilding. We monetize our practice via doctor consultations and carefully chosen supplement recommendations, which have given our patients excellent results.

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Typical Results

Below are some before and after pictures from the Ostarine-only and Cardarine-only cycles, so users can estimate roughly how their bodies will transform from combining the two.

Ostarine Results

The results from an Ostarine and Cardarine stack will be more impressive compared to standalone cycles. Thus, users can expect additional fat loss compared to the pictures below (but not further muscle gains as Cardarine isn’t anabolic).

When Ostarine is combined with a small calorie deficit, fat loss can be very noticeable, as the below user demonstrates after taking 20 mg/day for 45 days.

ostarine before and after

Ostarine-Only Cycle Results

This user actually lost 3 kg (7 lbs) in weight, despite evidently gaining notable amounts of muscle mass. Thus, when Ostarine is combined with regular weight training and a disciplined diet, results can be excellent.

Cardarine Results

The before and after picture below details a Cardarine user’s results after a 12-week cycle.

cardarine before and after

This user lost 40 pounds after taking Cardarine for 12 weeks. In the first week, he took 10 mg/day, and then 20 mg/day for the next 11 weeks.

Thus, stacking Ostarine and Cardarine together is going to inevitably produce exceptional levels of subcutaneous and visceral fat loss and some lean muscle gains.

For women, the muscle gains from this stack will rival the level of fat loss, resulting in dramatically bigger muscles and a significantly lower body fat percentage.

We have found Ostarine and Cardarine to be among the most powerful PED stacks for rapidly transforming a woman’s body composition.

Cardarine also has a profound effect on muscular endurance. Therefore, athletes or those performing regular cardiovascular exercise who see us often notice vast improvements in their VO2 max.

Side Effects

Our tests show that Ostarine and Cardarine are generally well-tolerated compounds and thus do not typically cause excessive side effects in men or women. However, users should be cautious of the following:

Testosterone Suppression

Our SHBG tests show that Ostarine does lower endogenous testosterone levels as a consequence of stimulating the AR (androgen receptor).

Some Ostarine-users do not notice any low testosterone symptoms in regards to mood, sex drive, energy, etc. But these same individuals can report significant drops in total testosterone (60–70%) after receiving their bloodwork.

This may be due to free testosterone levels staying within a normal range and total testosterone levels dropping. This is not necessarily problematic, as free testosterone is the crucial score for being active and unbound.

We find testosterone levels typically recover several weeks after cycle cessation. For users who experience harsh suppression from Ostarine, they can administer a PCT, such as Nolvadex or Clomid, to accelerate HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis) recovery.

Liver Toxicity

We have anecdotal evidence of Ostarine causing ALT levels to rise 30% over the maximum average range. This signifies moderate amounts of hepatotoxicity; thus, supplements such as TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid) or milk thistle can be taken to inhibit excess stress on the liver.

In Dr. Thomas O’Connor’s experience with patients on Cardarine, he concludes that it is hepatotoxic, and more so than some anabolic steroids. Dr. O’Connor likens a standard Cardarine dose to causing the same hepatic stress as a high dose (50 mg) of Anavar.

Thus, men and women should be careful when stacking Cardarine and Ostarine together, as this duo will certainly cause stress on the liver. By measuring ALT/AST levels during a cycle, users will know what dosages they can tolerate and for how long.

The liver is a very tough and resilient organ, and thus most users should have no issue with this stack. However, users with poor liver health should avoid running this cycle.

Blood Pressure

Although Ostarine has a reputation of being a mild SARM, it is capable of causing moderate spikes in blood pressure.

We have seen Ostarine decrease HDL cholesterol (the good type) by 30% on dosages as low as 3 mg/day for 12 weeks. Research is also indicating that blood lipids are being negatively affected by Ostarine in the short term (1).

Carcinogenic

In a 2009 study, Cardarine caused cancer in rodents after taking megadoses for excessive periods of time (2). The rodents were given 5 mg/kg per day for 3 years (which translates to 65 mg/day for an 80-kg human).

Such a protocol is incomparable to the typical dose of 10–20 mg/day for 3 months commonly cycled by humans.

More research needs to be conducted on humans in order to make a better assessment regarding the potential risks of cancer proliferation.

How to Take Ostarine and Cardarine

Ostarine typically comes as an oral solution, dosed at 25 mg/mL, and is taken by mouth.

Users can let the liquid sit under the tongue for 15 seconds for maximum absorption. This sublingual route of delivery increases bioavailability by creating a more direct route into the bloodstream.

Ostarine has a half-life of 24 hours; thus, one dose per day is required.

Due to its fast-acting nature, Ostarine can be taken 1 hour before a workout for enhanced strength, aggression, energy, and motivation.

Cardarine is commonly purchased in liquid solution form (20 mg/mL) and taken orally and sublingually (like Ostarine). However, Cardarine is stimulative to the CNS (central nervous system), so users may want to take doses earlier in the day to prevent insomnia.

1 dose per day is also fine with Cardarine, with it possessing a half-life of 16 hours.

Conclusion

cardarine ostarine
An Ostarine and Cardarine stack is a potent fat-burning combination. Men are unlikely to build significant amounts of muscle on this stack, especially if they are in a calorie deficit. However, we have seen women build large amounts of lean muscle with this duo, coupled with dramatic fat loss (3).

The risks of Ostarine and Cardarine appear to be mild in the short term; however, both of these drugs remain relatively unknown, and thus more human research is needed before final judgements can be made on their safety.

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