SARMs
Ligandrol (LGD-4033)
Also called LGD-4033 · LGD · Anabolicum
Ligandrol attracts lifters looking for fuller muscles, size and strength without injections. The question that keeps coming up is how much of that fuller look remains after stopping. Human research found a lean-mass increase, alongside hormone and cholesterol changes; individual transformation reports cannot predict the result for another person.
Dosage & duration
One individual nonmedical report · oral LGD-4033
One eight-week experience report
Reported use · unapproved regimen- Dose
- 10 mg per day
- How often
- One oral capsule daily in the report
- How long
- 8 weeks in that report
This is ten times the highest daily amount in the cited 21-day trial, with a longer course. Not a validated safe regimen.
The gains-retention question
A fuller look is not a measure of lasting muscle
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What people notice
Some users report fuller muscles and more strength; others notice little.
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What the trial measured
A 21-day study in healthy men found more lean mass, which is not a direct measure of new muscle.
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What remains uncertain
No reliable percentage of retained gains can be promised after stopping.
Why LGD gets compared with bulking drugs
People seek LGD for size, stronger pumps and more gym strength. Some users compare the full look with oral steroids; others barely notice an effect. These are subjective comparisons, not evidence that LGD is equivalent to Dianabol or another drug.
How much of the gain stays?
This is a practical concern for people considering it. Some people report keeping useful strength and size; others lose much of the visible fullness. Food intake or use of testosterone and other compounds may change at the same time. A scale change or photo cannot establish the amount of new muscle, and there is no reliable percentage of gains this page can promise you will keep.
What is actually established in people?
A 21-day trial in 76 healthy men found a dose-related increase in lean mass, without a significant fat-mass change. Lean mass is not the same as a measured amount of new muscle, so it does not settle the muscle-versus-water question for an individual lifter. The trial was much shorter and used smaller amounts than many online reports.
The trade-off behind the fuller look
The trial found reductions in total testosterone and HDL cholesterol; free testosterone was also suppressed at its highest dose. Recovery in that study’s follow-up does not guarantee recovery after a different course. Claims of no liver risk or guaranteed recovery are not established by this research. LGD remains an unapproved SARM.
Model details: Ligandrol (LGD-4033) · estimated
How to read this estimate
Estimated from study endpoints; the curve between measurements is reconstructed. Compare amounts and timing in mg.
A concentration estimate reconstructed from the stated source dose and timing.
Assumptions, calculation and sources
LGD-4033 trial oral preparation, fasted. Oral. healthy men age 21–50;1 mg PKcohortn 14 onday 1.
LGD-4033 parent: estimated concentration in plasma (ng/mL).
30 his midpoint ofpublished 24–36 h;3 happroximate first-dose peak fromoriginal Figure 1.
- Calibration dose
- 1 mg
- Reported calibration peak
- 5 ng/mL
- Peak timing used
- 3 hours
- Terminal half-life used
- 30 hours
- Reconstructed absorption rate
- 1.38839 /hour
- Already embodied in observed exposure; do not multiply by an extra F.
- Dose scaling and repeated-dose superposition use fixed parameters; the example dose does not calibrate the curve.
- One-compartment AUC~232 is close to repeated-dose 238 under linear steady-state identity, but predicted peak accumulation~2.4 is below observed~3.
- Day 1 shows secondary 24–48 h peaks; single Bateman cannot reproduce them.
- Human repeated-dose range maxed 1 mg/day;5 mg and above is extrapolation.
- No extra 60% bioavailability; mass unit conversion 100 ng/dL=1 ng/mL.
- The first-dose peak is read approximately from the source figure, and 30 h is the midpoint of its 24–36 h terminal range.
- The model predicts a day-21 peak about 11.9 ng/mL versus about 16 in the source figure and misses secondary peaks, despite AUC being within about 2.6%.
- Basaria et al 2013 LGD-4033 phase 1
0.1/0.3/1 mg,20 dosesover 21 days; day 2 omitted; h 24–36, AUCday 21=19/85/238 ng·h/m L; near 3×accumulation.
- Basaria Figure 1
Top 1 mgbluecurve peaksabout 5 ng/mL at 3 h; late 24–48 h secondary plateau; bottomday 21 peakabout 16 ng/mL.
Estimate ligandrol-source-estimate-2026-10 · version 1
Safety and interaction notes Read the limitations and discuss clinical questions with a professional
- Aromatizes
- No
A short human study found dose-dependent reductions in total testosterone and HDL cholesterol. Its follow-up does not establish safety or guaranteed recovery with other exposures.
Common questions
Are LGD gains all water?
Neither a photo nor a scale can settle that. A short human trial found increased lean mass, while people report both fullness that fades and gains that remain. No reliable split between muscle and temporary weight can be assigned to an individual report.
Is LGD better than RAD-140 or Dianabol for size?
These comparisons reflect personal experiences, usually with different diets, training and other drugs. They are not controlled head-to-head bodybuilding evidence and cannot establish which is safer or better for a particular lifter.
Does the human trial prove an online LGD cycle is safe?
No. The cited study lasted 21 days, with smaller amounts than many reports. Its hormone recovery and short-term safety observations cannot be extended to longer or higher-exposure use.
Sources Labels, studies and notes behind this guide
Catalog evidence: Human clinical trials. This describes the type of evidence, not a clinical review of every claim.
Summary and fact source checks: 2026-10-10, 2026-10-07. This records source checking, not medical review of the whole page.
Notes on the quick facts
- Why people seek it
- A gain in lean mass is not a promise of equal muscle or strength gain.
- Dose mismatch
- The published short trial tested up to 1 mg/day.
- Main trade-off
- Free testosterone was suppressed at the highest study dose.
- 1. Basaria et al. — LGD-4033 study
Primary abstract via Europe PMC: 76 healthy men, 0.1/0.3/1 mg daily 21 days; lean mass increase, no significant fat-mass change; hormonal/lipid suppression with follow-up recovery in this study.
- 2. FDA — SARMs are unapproved drugs
Full FDA warning read 2026-10-10. Class warning includes liver injury, sexual dysfunction and infertility; it does not estimate the risk of each individual SARM.
- 3. FDA — SARMs warning
Current unapproved status; safety claims from commercial sellers not adopted.
- 4. Basaria et al 2013 LGD-4033 phase 1
0.1/0.3/1 mg,20 dosesover 21 days; day 2 omitted; h 24–36, AUCday 21=19/85/238 ng·h/m L; near 3×accumulation.
- 5. Basaria Figure 1
Top 1 mgbluecurve peaksabout 5 ng/mL at 3 h; late 24–48 h secondary plateau; bottomday 21 peakabout 16 ng/mL.
- 6. Basaria et al., LGD-4033 in healthy men
76 healthy men; 0.1–1 mg/day for 21 days, PK and short-term outcomes. Lean mass increased while total testosterone/SHBG/HDL decreased dose dependently; free T/FSH suppression at 1 mg.
Keep reading
Related compounds and examples
Related compounds
Ostarine (MK-2866 / Enobosarm)
Ostarine appeals to lifters who want to keep muscle while cutting or add modest size without injections. Reported experiences range from worthwhile strength and physique changes to disappointment. Its reputation as a mild SARM does not mean it avoids hormone, cholesterol or liver risks.
Andarine (S4)
Andarine is sought for a harder, more defined look and strength during a cut, rather than dramatic weight gain. Users compare it with Anavar or Ostarine, but those comparisons are anecdotal. Yellow or green vision and difficulty seeing in low light are a distinctive concern in reports, not a harmless sign that the product is working.
Testolone (RAD-140)
RAD-140 appeals to lifters chasing stronger lifts, noticeable pumps and a muscular look without injections. Experience reports also describe disrupted sleep, hair shedding and blood-pressure concerns. Testolone is not testosterone, and its human cancer research does not establish a safe bodybuilding substitute.