How many units of AICAR (Acadesine) should I draw?

It depends on your vial size, BAC water, and dose. For a 50mg vial with 2mL BAC water, a beginner dose of 10mg is typically 0 units on a U-100 syringe. Use the calculator above for your exact numbers.

How much BAC water should I add to AICAR (Acadesine)?

The standard amount is 2mL of bacteriostatic water for a 50mg vial. More water gives a more dilute solution — easier to measure small doses. Less water means fewer injections per vial. Adjust the BAC water slider in the calculator to see how it changes your syringe units.

How long does a AICAR (Acadesine) vial last?

At a beginner dose of 10mg daily, a 50mg vial lasts about 5000 doses. The calculator shows exact doses per vial for your selected tier.

What syringe should I use for AICAR (Acadesine)?

Most people use a U-100 insulin syringe (1mL / 100 units). For very small doses, a U-50 or U-30 syringe gives better precision. The calculator adjusts units automatically for whichever syringe you pick.

AICAR (Acadesine) Dosage Calculator

MetabolicInjectionResearch~2-3 hours half-life

AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside), also known as acadesine, is a cell-permeable nucleoside analog that acts as a potent activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).

Activates AMPK — mimics exercise at the cellular levelIncreases fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake in muscleImproves insulin sensitivity in preclinical modelsPromotes mitochondrial biogenesis2 weeks on / 6 weeks off

Vial Size

BAC Water (mL)

Dosing Level

10mcg · Daily

Custom Dose (mcg) — optional

Syringe Type

0.0 units

100 units (1mL)

Concentration

25,000

mcg/mL

Draw Volume

< 0.001

Syringe Units

< 0.1

units

Doses / Vial

5000

doses

Very small draw (< 0.1 units) — difficult to measure accurately. Consider using less BAC water for a more concentrated solution.

Try 0.5mL BAC water for an easier-to-measure draw.

Summary: Add 2mL BAC water to your 50mg vial. Draw to < 0.1 units on a U-100 syringe for a 10mcg dose. This vial will last 5000 doses.

Cycle Planner

Cycle Length (weeks)

Price Per Vial ($) — optional

Subcutaneous. Typical beginner frequency: daily.

AICAR (Acadesine) Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics — Active Dose Over Time

t½ = ~2-3 hours (plasma)

After 1 half-life (3h): 50% remainsAfter 2 half-lives (5h): 25% remainsAfter 3 half-lives (8h): 12.5% remains

At a 25mcg dose: 50% = 13mcg remaining after 3h. Recommended frequency: Daily.

Disclaimer: This curve is a simplified first-order exponential decay model. Actual pharmacokinetics vary based on injection site, individual metabolism, body composition, and other factors. Half-life values are approximate and based on available preclinical and clinical literature. Many research peptides lack formal human pharmacokinetic studies. This is for educational purposes only — not medical advice.

AICAR (Acadesine) Dosing Protocol

Level	Dose / Injection	Frequency
Beginner	10mg	Daily
Moderate	25mg	Daily
Aggressive	50mg	EOD

Note: AMPK activator and exercise mimetic. Banned by WADA since 2009. Max 14-day cycles with 1-2 month washout. Start low due to potential renal stress at high doses. Not approved for human therapeutic use.

About AICAR (Acadesine)

AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside), also known as acadesine, is a cell-permeable nucleoside analog that acts as a potent activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Once inside the cell, it's phosphorylated by adenosine kinase into ZMP — a compound that mimics AMP and directly activates AMPK, the body's master metabolic energy sensor. This triggers many of the same metabolic pathways that exercise does, earning AICAR its reputation as an "exercise in a pill." AICAR first gained scientific attention in the early 1990s as a potential cardioprotective agent during bypass surgery. Researchers at PeriCor Therapeutics studied it in over 4,000 cardiac surgery patients to reduce ischemic injury. That research stalled after a phase III futility analysis in 2010, but interest in AICAR exploded in a different direction when a landmark 2008 study showed it could increase running endurance in sedentary mice by 44% without any actual exercise. The compound became infamous in professional cycling after reports surfaced during the 2013 and 2019 Tour de France that riders were allegedly using powdered AICAR as a performance enhancer. WADA added it to the Prohibited List in 2009 under the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators, and anti-doping laboratories developed specific detection methods for AICAR and its metabolite ZMP. Beyond exercise mimicry, AICAR shows promise in research on type 2 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction. A 2025 study demonstrated that AICAR administration could prevent and reverse diabetic polyneuropathy through mitophagy regulation (PMID 39766089). It also has documented AMPK-independent effects on tumor suppressor activation, adenosine signaling, and cellular stress responses.

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