LGD 4033 (Ligandrol) is one of the most popular SARMs on the market. On the other hand, LGD 2226 is relatively unknown in comparison, and for good reasons: it’s not nearly as well-reasearched and very new to the market.
In this post I’ll break down both of these, how they work and why I’m strongly in favor of LGD 4033 compared to LGD 2226.
Let’s start…
What Is LGD 2226?
LGD 2226, just like LGD 4033, is a SARM (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators). I’ve already explained how SARMs work many times on my website so I won’t go into the details again here.
The research behind LGD 2226 is very limited because it’s still in very early stages. Like a lot of other SARMs, it’s being researched for its ability to preserve muscle mass and improve bone health.
Pharmaceutical companies hope to market it in the future for patients with muscle wasting disorders or perhaps people going through Chemotherapy that are losing a lot of muscle mass very rapidly.
My biggest issue with LGD 2226 is the very low amount of research data as well as the extremely low amount of anecdotal data, especially when compared to LGD 4033 (or any other SARM or that matter…).
What is LGD 4033 (Ligandrol)?
LGD 4033, also commonly known as Ligandrol, is one of the most popular SARMs on the market with a huge amount of research and anecdotal data behind it.
Unlike LGD 2226, LGD 4033 has been studied very extensively for decades now and there area huge amount of anecdotal reports backing up the research claims. It’s one of my favorite SARMs for these reseaons.
If you want to learn more about LGD 4033, I’ve written a big post on it where I go over the dosage, where to buy it, side effects, benefits, and much more. You can find my full Ligandrol review here.
LGD 2226 Vs LGD 4033 Comparisons
In this section, I’ll compare and go over the differences of LGD 2226 and LGD 4033. Everything from the differences in effectiveness, side effect profiles, dosages, etc.
Let’s start.
Effectiveness
LGD 4033 is without a doubt much more effective than LGD 2226 at building muscle and strength gains.
The most common use for LGD 2226 is during a cut for muscle maintenance.
Ligandrol, on the other hand, is most commonly used for a bulk or a lean bulk.
Side Effects
On paper, LGD 2226 has less side effects because it’s not as strong of a SARM as LGD 4033. As of right now, the main “side effect” that we have on LD 2226 is the Testosterone Suppression.
But because all SARMs are hormonal and thus suppress your natural Testosterone production, I can’t really consider that as a “side effect”.
But here’s the catch, because the data on LGD 2226 is so limited, there is still so much that we can’t be sure about it, including the potential side effects, especially long-term ones.
LGD 4033, on the other hand, is very well studied with a ton of anecdotal reports backing it. I get tons of emails from my readers about their experiences with it.
The side effects of LGD 4033 are Testosterone suppression, for which you will most likely need to run a PCT. You can read how to run a PCT for LGD 4033 in my LGD 4033 PCT guide.
Other side effects are water retention and fatigue. These are fairly common but are manageable if you follow correct dosing, cycle length and your product is high-quality.
Dosages and Cycle Lengths
As we said before, LGD 2226 is milder, which means the dosage range will naturally be higher compared to Ligandrol. Usually, around 15mg – 30mg per day.
The safe cycle length is between 8-12 week but as with all SARMs, I always recommend sticking to 8 weeks.
LGD 4033 is more potent, so the recommended dosage is lower – between 5-10mg per day. As for the cycle length, it’s the same as with all SARMs, stick to 8 weeks. Don’t exceed 8 weeks so your Testosterone doesn’t get too suppressed.
Which is Better?
Here’s my take: LGD 4033 is the clear winner for anyone serious about gains that also cares about their health.
There’s tons of studies behind it, you know exactly what you’re getting in terms of the results and side effects.
LGD 2226 is just too new to the market and has way too little data for me to recommend it, especially over a well-known SARM like Ligandrol.
Conclusion
LGD 4033 is more potent and a lot more of a safe bet due to the huge amount of research and data that we have on it.
LGD 2226, on the other hand, is still a bit of a mystery. It could be great for muscle maintenance in the future but for now, there’s not enough data on it for me to safely recommend it over Ligandrol in any situation.