Metabolic Longevity · 50mg × 10 vials
AICAR tricks the cell into believing it has burned through its energy reserves, even when it has not, and AMPK responds by switching the metabolism from storage mode to burn mode.
AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide, also called acadesine or AICA-riboside) is a small molecule, not a peptide. It is a cell-permeable nucleoside that, once inside the cell, is phosphorylated by adenosine kinase into ZMP (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-5'-monophosphate), a structural mimic of AMP. ZMP allosterically activates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), the cell's master fuel-sensing enzyme, without actually changing the cellular AMP/ATP ratio. In plain language: AICAR tricks the cell into believing it has burned through its energy reserves, even when it has not, and AMPK responds by switching the metabolism from storage mode to burn mode. Downstream of AMPK activation: ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) gets phosphorylated and shut down, which releases malonyl-CoA inhibition of CPT1 and unlocks fatty acid transport into mitochondria for oxidation; GLUT4 translocates to skeletal muscle membrane and pulls glucose out of the bloodstream insulin-independently; PGC-1α is induced and drives mitochondrial biogenesis; mTOR is suppressed and autophagy is upregulated. The signature finding came from Narkar, Downes, Evans et al. in Cell 2008 ("AMPK and PPARδ agonists are exercise mimetics"), where sedentary mice given AICAR for 4 weeks gained 44% endurance on a treadmill versus untreated controls without doing a single workout. That paper is what gave the compound its "exercise in a pill" tag and is also what got AICAR added to the WADA prohibited list in 2011. The compound has formal human clinical history as acadesine in cardiac and renal ischemia-reperfusion trials (RED-CABG, ACTT-CABG, Phase 3 in CABG surgery), where IV infusion reduced infarct size and improved post-op outcomes but did not hit the primary endpoint. Outside that surgical context, no formal weight-loss or performance trials in humans exist.
Typical dose ranges by experience level — educational reference. Message us and we tailor it to you.
AICAR has a short half-life so dose timing matters more than total weekly dose at the beginner level. Pre-workout pulse dosing produces the cleanest acute fat-oxidation and endurance read; non-training days can be skipped at this tier. Reconstitute 50 mg vial with 2 ml BAC = 25 mg/ml, so 50 mg = 2 ml = 200 IU on a U-100 syringe. Inject 30-60 min before training.
This is the community working range. Daily dosing produces a continuous AMPK signal versus the pulsed pre-workout-only approach at the beginner tier. Endurance gains become measurable by week 2-3 (longer time-to-exhaustion at the same heart rate), fat-composition shifts visible at week 4-6. Stack with SLU-PP-332 or MOTS-c is common at this tier. Watch resting HR and sleep; reduce dose or pull PM injection forward if either degrades.
Advanced protocols are stacked, not run solo. The Mito Stack (AICAR + MOTS-c + SLU-PP-332) is the most common community protocol at this tier. Cycling is non-negotiable at this dose range; AMPK desensitization signal is documented preclinically with chronic dosing. WADA testing detection window at these doses is several weeks; any customer subject to drug testing should not run AICAR at all.
Straight talk — what people actually report, and what the studies measured.
Peer-reviewed studies and clinical guidelines — tap any to read the source.
the original "exercise in a pill" paper, 44% endurance gain in sedentary mice on AICAR for 4 weeks
Read study ↗PubMedCorton JM et al. 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside: a specific method for activating AMP-activated protein kinase in intact cells, Eur J Biochem 1995foundational paper on AICAR as the canonical AMPK activator
Read study ↗PubMedSanders MJ et al. Investigating the mechanism for AMP activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase cascade, Biochem J 2007ZMP allosteric activation mechanism
Read study ↗PubMedCuthbertson DJ et al. 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-D-ribofuranoside acutely stimulates skeletal muscle glucose uptake in healthy men, Diabetes 2007one of the few human studies; IV AICAR raised glucose uptake in skeletal muscle
Read study ↗Clinical guidelinesNewman MF et al. Effect of adenosine-regulating agent acadesine on morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery bypass grafting: the RED-CABG randomized controlled trial, JAMA 2012Phase 3 IV acadesine in cardiac surgery, missed primary endpoint
Read study ↗Clinical guidelinesWADA Prohibited List — AICAR classified as a metabolic modulator banned in and out of competition since 2011Read study ↗Aggregated sentiment from public forums & socials — real-world reports, not individual endorsements.
Endurance improvement: most-reported positive effect, described as easier breathing during cardio, longer time-to-exhaustion, lower perceived effort at the same heart rate. Typically measurable by week 2-3.
Fat composition shifts: visible by week 4-6 at intermediate doses, more pronounced when stacked with MOTS-c or SLU-PP-332
Injection site reactions: redness, transient lump, occasional warmth; manageable with site rotation
Mild fatigue or "metabolic shift" feeling weeks 1-2: typically resolves by week 3, described as the body adjusting to higher fat oxidation
Hunger shifts: usually increased appetite (mitochondrial demand goes up) at intermediate-to-advanced doses; some users report no change
Sleep: usually neutral or improved, occasional reports of vivid dreams or lighter sleep early in cycle
Route: SubQ (community standard) or IV (clinical/research). Oral bioavailability is poor (~5%), so injection is the only route that produces a meaningful signal.
Injection site: abdomen or outer thigh, rotate sites. Some users split SubQ across two sites at higher doses to reduce local irritation.
Storage: refrigerated, ~28 days after reconstitution. Light-sensitive, store in original vial.
Notes: Plasma half-life is short (~1 hr), so pre-workout dosing (30-60 min before training) is the most common protocol. Some advanced users split daily dose into 2 injections (AM + pre-workout) to maintain a steadier ZMP signal across the day. Reconstitute with bac water, swirl gently, do not shake. Powder should dissolve fully within a minute. If running 100 mg/day, the cleanest path is a 50 mg/ml recon (1 ml BAC into 50 mg vial) so one injection covers the daily dose at 200 IU.