AICAR
Also known as AICAR · Acadesine · AMPK activator · 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide
New
Reconstitution & dosing guide
50 mg · 100 mg vial sizes — research phases, recon steps, and a live unit calculator.
Available sizes & price
Catalog only100mg x 10 vials
Aicar (AR100) · Not in current stock
$50 / vial
50mg x 10 vials
Aicar (AR50) · Not in current stock
$30 / vial
Prices per vial · Research use only · Not medical advice.
Cell-permeable AMPK-activating nucleoside analog famously studied as an exercise mimetic in sedentary mice; WADA-prohibited.
How to picture it
A research compound cells convert toward ZMP, which activates AMPK — the same master energy switch MOTS-c also ends up hitting. Picture directly pressing the "low energy mode / burn fuel efficiently" button: increased glucose uptake, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis signals in exercise-mimetic research.
Research focus & benefits
- Direct AMPK activation research
- Exercise-mimetic metabolic pathway studies
- Glucose uptake and fat-oxidation science
Benefits describe research interest and pathway rationale — not guaranteed outcomes or medical advice. Research use only.
Overview
AICAR activates AMP-activated protein kinase, a master energy sensor. Landmark rodent work showed endurance-gene programs without training. It is a small-molecule nucleotide analog (not a peptide) listed in research catalogs and banned in sport.
Mechanism
Converted to ZMP which mimics AMP, activating AMPK and PGC-1α metabolic gene programs favoring an oxidative phenotype.
Research uses
- Exercise-mimetic mouse endurance studies
- Ischemia-reperfusion and metabolic disease models
- AMPK pathway tool compound research
Research dosing notes
Research mg/kg in animals. Human performance use is banned and unsafe without medical context (historically studied in cardiac ischemia).
Half-life / kinetics
Hours
Common research routes
Reported considerations
- Lactic acidosis risk theoretical
- Uric acid changes
- Unknown chronic toxicity at performance doses
Contraindications / cautions
- Competitive athletes (WADA ban)
- Pregnancy
- Renal impairment
Common research stacks
- GW501516 context (also banned)
- Metformin (different AMPK angle)
Legal / access note
WADA prohibited. Not an approved exercise drug. Research chemical only.