Despite both being SARMs, Ostarine and Ligandrol are vastly different in many aspects, including their anabolic to androgenic ration, potency, strength, dosages used, suppression experienced, etc.
It’s unlikely to see these two SARMs pitted up against each other, given their obvious dissimilarities, but in this article, I’ll be doing exactly that since it’s such a common request.
Ostarine (MK-2866)
Ostarine is generally seen as a mild SARM that is relatively safe to use as its safety profile has been evaluated in tons of studies both in vivo and in vitro.
It’s the most studied SARM up until this date and it’s well on its way to become an FDA approved drug, despite failing phase III clinical trials for the treatment of lung cancer.
Ostarine displayed very high bioavailability and tolerability in all human studies, with dosages ranging from 0,1mgs all the way up to 100mgs a day.
Ostarine is usually used for cutting and it’s a great aid in fat and weight loss while still showing increases in lean body mass.
Read my entire article on Ostarine here.
Ligandrol (LGD-4033)
Despite being less studied than Ostarine, Ligandrol still enjoys a high safety profile in humans even in dosages as high as 22mgs.
Not only that, but Ligandrol is so potent, that preclinical rat models have shown its anabolic to androgenic activity to be 500 to 1.
To give you an accurate measure of how strong that is, consider the fact that the SARM closest to Ligandrol in that respect is RAD 140, with a ratio of only 90 to 1.
Ligandrol, being a full agonist of the androgen receptor is quite suppressive and dosages as low as 5mgs a day have been known to cause heavy Testosterone suppression.
Ligandrol is usually taken while bulking, as it can easily help you gain muscle mass at a rate that is impossible to replicate naturally.
Take a peek at my entire guide on Ligandrol here.
Ostarine VS Ligandrol - Half-Life
A lot of people will logically claim that both Ostarine and Ligandrol have a similar half-life and that there isn’t much to talk about here.
These people fail to recognize the strength of Ligandrol and the fact that a study has shown that blood serum levels of Ligandrol increased by three times in just three weeks of daily usage.
This tells us that Ligandrol shouldn’t be used every day, despite having a purported half-life of just 24 hours, since it is so strong that it doesn’t leave the body at a fast-enough rate.
On the other hand, Ostarine can be used every day without problems as it doesn’t accumulate in the body.
Ostarine VS Ligandrol - Benefits
As previously mentioned, these two SARMs are used for different purposes, so it’s only natural that one will dominate in some respects, while failing to impress in others.
Muscle Mass
You will obviously gain a lot more muscle mass while on Ligandrol since you’ll be on a caloric surplus, not mentioning the fact that Ligandrol is a lot more potent than Ostarine when it comes to building muscle.
With Ligandrol, I gained around eight pounds of raw mass in just eight weeks, while Ostarine did manage to bestow me with two to three pounds of lean muscle mass in two months.
You have to get it clearly into your head that Ostarine is more likely to be used to prevent muscle wasting and muscle loss during a cut rather than as a muscle builder.
Strength
I definitely felt a whole lot more strength while on Ligandrol. The pumps were insane, and you feel like you could go on forever just lifting weights and minding your business.
Ostarine isn’t really a SARM that will bestow you with strength, so don’t expect much out of it.
Fat Loss
This one goes to Ostarine. It’s only natural that you will lose more fat and weight with Ostarine as you’re cutting with it.
In comparison to Ostarine, Ligandrol will not net you any fat loss. You might even gain fat as a result of your bulking regime.
Vascularity
This is a tricky one since Ostarine will naturally make you more vascular because of the fat loss you’ll experience while on it.
Conversely, Ligandrol will also cause vascularity on its own and it’s not surprising given its sheer power.
I’ll have to give this round to Ostarine. Your veins are going to be a lot more pronounced with it, as you lose more fat and weight.
You might not feel as strong and powerful as with Ligandrol, but your vascularity will speak for itself.
Energy Levels
Energy and stamina were way more pronounced while on Ligandrol. To be quite frank with you, I didn’t feel any difference in energy levels while taking Ostarine, which seemingly indicates that it doesn’t affect energy.
Ostarine VS Ligandrol - Side Effects
Some might have come this far in the article thinking that Ostarine is a definite loser in my book and that there is no reason not to jump straight to Ligandrol. I hope that this section will change your mind about that – what goes up, must come down.
Suppression
Measured on a mg to mg basis, Ligandrol is far more suppressive than any other SARM out there. Even 2,5mgs a day can get you suppressed and not to speak about the disastrous dosages used by some bodybuilders, such as 10 or 20mgs of Ligandrol per day. The latter dosages lead to a complete shutdown in users, ruining any progress made.
Overall, you can take more Ostarine without having to fear nearly as much suppression when compared to Ligandrol.
If you’re a beginner, definitely stick to Ostarine.
Water Retention
Even though Ligandrol is far more likely to cause water retention in comparison to Ostarine, personally speaking, I didn’t experience it with either compound. Make sure to drink a lot of water whilst taking Ligandrol, this will minimize the chances of you needing to worry about water retention.
Libido
My libido levels were seemingly unaffected during my Ostarine usage. I was taking 10mgs a day without seeing any changes in my sexual performance.
On the other hand, with Ligandrol, I was in for a surprise.
Not only was I having troubles down there, but I also felt a decrease in sexual motivation while on Ligandrol. It was especially pronounced during the last few weeks of my cycle.
Lethargy
I was way more lethargic while I was taking Ligandrol. I’m not sure if it was related to my hectic life at that point in time and the ensuing apathy that I felt about everything or if the Ligandrol I was taking had a finger in the pie.
What I do know is that my life was similar both during my Ostarine and Ligandrol usage, which leads me to believe that Ligandrol did affect my mood more than I wish to admit.
As you can see, the more a SARM gives, the more it takes as well.
That’s why I always recommend that beginners start with Ostarine, to get a feeling of how their bodies react to SARMs in general.
After doing a few cycles with the milder SARMs out there, like Ostarine or Andarine, you’re than ‘allowed’ to indulge yourself into more precarious territory.
Ostarine VS Ligandrol - Results
Ligandrol takes home the bacon on the results you can expect. As previously mentioned, it is far more powerful than Ostarine and it builds muscle like crazy. I have personally gained over eight pounds of muscle in just eight weeks of Ligandrol usage, while Ostarine only gave me a measly two pounds.
Conversely, Ostarine did help me lose fat and weight and I did end up looking shredded after finishing one of my cycles. Please note that the Ostarine itself didn’t make me shredded, it was only natural after years of training to attain such a physique – all I needed was to lose a bit of fat and weight, with which the Ostarine helped.
Ligandrol will also bestow you with more strength, power, stamina and motivation in comparison to Ostarine.
All in all, both of these compounds deserve their due respect for what they do, even though they are used for different purposes by bodybuilders.
Ostarine VS Ligandrol - Pricing
Strictly speaking, if you’re on a budget – which you shouldn’t be when buying SARMs – than Ostarine should be your choice, it is far cheaper than Ligandrol and most shops carry it as it is the most popular SARM out there.
What’s also very important to mention is that stocks of Ligandrol are quickly dwindling and that vendors selling SARMs are now forced to abandon the name ‘Ligandrol’ as they are facing lawsuits by the company currently holding the patent, Viking Therapeutics.
A few of my most trusted sources, including science.bio have already sent out emails stating that they will be discontinuing Ligandrol sales as it simply is no longer feasible.
We’ll see what vendors will come up in the future to sidestep this ban (maybe a simple name change would suffice?), it will be interesting to watch this cat and mouse game between the company and the vendors.
Conclusion
To sum up, both Ligandrol and Ostarine serve their particular purpose well and there is no point in proclaiming a winner amongst the two.
While Ligandrol might be stronger, Ostarine is the safer option and you should take that into account before deciding on which SARM to imbue.
