LGD-4033 (Ligandrol)
Also known as: LGD-4033, Ligandrol, LGD4033, LGD 4033, VK5211, Anabolicum
Sits between ostarine and RAD-140 in potency — and the phase 1 data shows suppression at one milligram, a fraction of what is actually used.
Substance family
Non-steroidal compounds binding the same androgen receptor as testosterone, but favouring muscle and bone over prostate and hair. The selectivity is real; the suppression of the body's own production is not avoided by it. None is approved anywhere.
Effects on
Which outcomes this substance acts on — descriptive, not a recommendation.
Strain profile
Where this substance is most likely to hit — a rough orientation, individually dependent on dose, duration and predisposition.
This substance causes
Dosing & protocols by goal
Rough orientation ranges as reported in harm-reduction literature — not an individual treatment plan. Doses are individual and open-ended; frequency depends on the ester or half-life.
Clinical trials (dose range studied)
MedicalDose
0.1–1 mg / day
Frequency
1× daily
Cycle length
21 days in the phase 1 trial
Even at 1 mg over three weeks, total testosterone and SHBGSHBGThe transport protein that binds testosterone in the blood and makes it inactive while bound. fell significantly and had not fully recovered at day 56. That is the highest dose the trial used.
Muscle gain (grey market practice)
AdvancedDose
5–10 mg / day
Frequency
1× daily
Cycle length
8 weeks
Five to ten times the highest trial dose, over more than twice the duration. SuppressionSuppressionThe body shutting down its own testosterone production because an external source is present. scales accordingly.
Higher doses
AdvancedDose
> 10 mg / day
Frequency
1× daily
Cycle length
—
No data of any kind exists here. Liver injury case reports involving LGD-4033 cluster at higher doses.
Side effect & countermeasure
Typical problems and what you can do to reduce harm — at a glance. Does not replace medical monitoring.
Problem
Suppression documented at a fraction of the used dose
Countermeasure
This is the most instructive data point in the whole SARMSARMA non-steroidal compound that binds the androgen receptor with claimed tissue selectivity. discussion. In the phase 1 trial, 1 mg daily for 21 days significantly lowered total testosterone and SHBGSHBGThe transport protein that binds testosterone in the blood and makes it inactive while bound. — and levels had not fully returned to baseline 56 days after the last dose. People use five to ten times that, for two to three times as long. A recovery plan is not optional, and it starts later than most expect.
Problem
Lowered SHBG distorts testosterone readings
Countermeasure
LGD-4033 suppresses SHBGSHBGThe transport protein that binds testosterone in the blood and makes it inactive while bound. strongly. Total testosterone can look less catastrophic than the situation is, because the binding protein has dropped too. Measure free testosteronefree testosteroneThe fraction of testosterone not bound to a transport protein — the part that actually works. and LH alongside it, not total testosterone alone.
Problem
Elevated liver values and case reports of liver injury
Countermeasure
Published cases of drug-induced liver injury exist for LGD-4033. Check ALT, AST, GGT and bilirubin before, during and after. Jaundice or dark urine means stop and see a doctor.
Problem
Lowered HDL
Countermeasure
Documented in the trials. Cardio, omega-3, possibly citrus bergamot; measure a lipid baseline first.
Problem
Contaminated and mislabelled product
Countermeasure
LGD-4033 is among the substances most frequently found in products not declaring it — a common cause of positive doping tests. Only sources with an independent HPLC/MS analysis.
Overview
LGD-4033, sold as Ligandrol, sits between ostarine and RAD-140 in potency. It completed phase 1 and phase 2 trials before development was discontinued, which makes it one of the better-documented SARMs.
That documentation is precisely what makes it useful here — because the trial data contradicts the way the compound is actually used more clearly than for any other SARM.
Mechanism of Action
Like all SARMs, LGD-4033 binds the androgen receptor with tissue preference for muscle and bone. Its binding affinity is high, which produces reliable lean mass gains — the phase 1 trial found measurable increases in three weeks at doses under one milligram.
The same trial measured what the marketing does not mention. At one milligram daily over twenty-one days, total testosterone dropped significantly, SHBG dropped significantly, and neither had fully recovered when the trial finished measuring at day fifty-six.
One milligram was the highest dose tested. Common practice is five to ten milligrams for eight weeks.
There is a second effect worth understanding because it distorts self-monitoring. LGD-4033 strongly suppresses SHBG, the protein that binds testosterone in the blood. When SHBG falls, total testosterone readings look less alarming than the underlying situation, because a larger share of what remains is unbound. Anyone tracking only total testosterone will underestimate the suppression — free testosterone and LH tell the real story.
Typical Context
Five to ten milligrams daily over eight weeks, usually chosen by people who found ostarine too mild and RAD-140 too harsh.
The trial data makes the recovery question straightforward rather than debatable. Suppression is documented at a tenth of the common dose, and recovery in that trial took longer than eight weeks from a three-week exposure. A structured recovery plan with tamoxifen or enclomiphene belongs in the plan from the start, and it begins after the substance has cleared — not the day the last capsule is taken.
The contamination problem applies here as much as with ostarine. LGD-4033 turns up regularly in products that do not declare it, which is why it appears in doping cases involving athletes who took what they believed was a legal supplement.
Side Effects & Risks
- Strong suppression of testosterone and LH, documented at 1 mg
- Suppressed SHBG, which distorts total testosterone readings
- Elevated liver values; case reports of liver injury
- Lowered HDL
- Headache, fatigue during suppression
- Frequently found in undeclared products
- Long detection window in doping tests
Blood Work & Monitoring
- Free testosterone, LH and FSH — the values that show the real degree of suppression
- SHBG — falls under LGD-4033 and explains why total testosterone misleads
- Liver values (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin) — before, during and after
- Lipid profile (LDL, HDL, triglycerides)
Harm-Reduction Notes
- Suppression is documented at 1 mg — at 5–10 mg it is not a question of whether but how much
- Measure free testosterone and LH, not total testosterone alone; SHBG suppression distorts the latter
- Recovery in the trial took more than 8 weeks after a 3-week exposure — plan accordingly
- Check liver values; case reports exist
- Only sources with an independent analysis
- Unsuitable for anyone subject to doping controls, including through contaminated products
Legal status by region
Regulation differs considerably between jurisdictions and changes over time. This is a rough orientation, not legal advice — check the rules that apply where you are.
| Region | Regulatory status |
|---|---|
| United States | Not approved; FDA warning issued |
| EU / UK | No marketing authorisation |
| Most other jurisdictions | Unregulated grey area |
| Competitive sport | Prohibited at all timesListed by WADA under S1.2; a frequent finding in contaminated supplements. |