Peplo · Reconstitution calculator

AICAR

metabolic

Reconstitution calculator

Vial Amount

The total peptide in the vial — the mg number on the label (e.g. 5 mg). This is your whole supply, not one dose.

Bacteriostatic Water

The sterile water you add to dissolve the powder (this is called reconstituting). More water makes small doses easier to measure.

Desired Dose

How much you take in one injection. 1 mg = 1000 mcg.

Syringe Size

Draw to 18 units

0.18 mL on a U-100 insulin syringe

A starting reference, not medical advice — see how we source this.

Half-life: Not established
Route: SubQ
Storage: Refrigerate 2–8°C, protected from light; use within ~4 weeks; avoid freeze–thaw cycles. (~28 days)
Citations: 2 referenced

US regulatory status

Not approved for human therapeutic use; prohibited in sport by WADA.

What is AICAR?

AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside) is a research compound that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). It has been studied as an 'exercise-mimetic' metabolic modulator.

How AICAR works

Enters cells and is metabolized to ZMP, an AMP analog that directly activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the master regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. AMPK activation stimulates glucose uptake and fatty-acid oxidation in muscle and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, mimicking an energy-depleted, exercise-like state. Not approved for human therapeutic use.

What the research says

Research describes AICAR being metabolized to ZMP, an AMP analog that activates AMPK to influence glucose uptake, fatty-acid oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis in a way described as mimicking an energy-depleted, exercise-like state. The cited literature includes a doping-control study of AICAR in post-race urine and plasma from horses, reflecting its status as a prohibited substance in sport. A separate phase I/II study examined acadesine in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Evidence limitations

Beyond these sources, the human clinical evidence in the provided sources is limited.

Safety & use boundary

AICAR is a research compound that is not approved for human therapeutic use and is banned in competitive sport. This page is educational information and is not medical advice; consult a qualified clinician before considering it.

Published protocols

Dosing figures reported in the cited research. Educational reference, not a recommendation.

fat-loss
1–3 mg, once daily
2017 study

How to reconstitute AICAR

New to this? Here's the whole process, start to finish. Educational only — not medical advice.

What you'll need

The AICAR vial — a small glass vial of white, freeze-dried powder
Bacteriostatic water — the liquid you mix in (not plain sterile or tap water)
U-100 insulin syringes — the small syringes marked in units
Alcohol swabs to wipe the vial tops before you touch them with a needle
A spot in the fridge to keep it once it's mixed

Step by step

Wipe everything down
Swab the rubber top of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water with an alcohol wipe. Clean tops are what keep the mixed solution good for weeks instead of days.
Draw the water
Use the calculator above to see how much bacteriostatic water to add for your vial size. Pull exactly that amount out of the water vial with a syringe.
Add it slowly
Push the needle into the peptide vial and let the water run gently down the inside glass wall — don't blast it straight onto the powder.
Let it dissolve
Swirl the vial gently or just let it sit. The powder goes into solution on its own in a minute or two. Never shake it hard.
Read your draw
Enter your vial size, the water you added, and your dose in the calculator. It shows the exact units to pull into your syringe — you never do the math yourself.
Store it cold
Cap it and keep it in the fridge. AICAR stays good for about 28 days once it's mixed.

Reading your dose

The calculator gives you a number like “Draw to 20 units.” Units are just the numbered marks on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units fill 1 mL). “20 units” means pull the plunger back to the 20 mark. You don't convert milligrams to micrograms in your head — that's the whole point of the calculator. If you're brand new to injecting, learn proper technique and site rotation from a qualified clinician or nurse before your first dose; this page covers the mixing and measuring, not the injection itself.

Storing it

Before mixing: Lyophilized — freeze at −20°C in dry, dark conditions; stable up to ~24 months. Once reconstituted: Refrigerate 2–8°C, protected from light; use within ~4 weeks; avoid freeze–thaw cycles. (about 28 days). Don't freeze a reconstituted vial.

What “cycling” means

Many peptides are used in “cycles” — a stretch of daily or weekly use (“on”), then a break (“off”), rather than continuously. Cycling gives the body a rest and is a common pattern in the research. Any specific on/off lengths for a compound live in its published protocols above, drawn from the cited studies — this site shows you what the research used, it doesn't recommend a schedule for you.

Common first-timer mistakes

Shaking the vial to mix it
Swirl it gently or just let it sit. Shaking can damage delicate peptides — you want the powder to dissolve, not foam.
Using tap water or plain sterile water
Use bacteriostatic water. Plain sterile water has no preservative, so a mixed vial spoils in a day or two instead of lasting weeks.
Leaving a mixed vial on the counter
Keep reconstituted vials in the fridge. Heat and light break the peptide down faster.
Eyeballing the dose instead of measuring
Use the calculator and draw to the exact unit mark on the syringe. Guessing a tiny volume is where most measuring errors happen.
Reusing needles
Use a fresh syringe each time. A used needle is duller, hurts more, and is no longer sterile.
Mixing up mg and mcg
1 mg = 1000 mcg. The calculator keeps them straight so you don't have to — just enter your dose in the unit it asks for.

Words you'll see

Reconstitution: Mixing a freeze-dried peptide powder with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
Bacteriostatic water: Sterile water with a tiny amount of benzyl alcohol that stops bacteria growing, so a mixed vial keeps for weeks. Not the same as plain sterile water.
U-100 insulin syringe: A small syringe marked in “units,” where 100 units = 1 mL. Peptide draws are measured in these units.
Subcutaneous (SubQ): An injection into the fatty layer just under the skin, rather than into muscle or a vein.
mcg vs mg: 1 mg = 1000 mcg. Doses are often written in micrograms (mcg); the calculator handles the conversion for you.
Lyophilized: Freeze-dried. The powder in the vial is the peptide with its water removed so it stays stable on the shelf.
Half-life: Roughly how long it takes your body to clear half of a dose — a rough sense of how long it stays active.

Common questions

What is AICAR?

Research compound (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside) that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); studied as an 'exercise-mimetic' metabolic modulator and prohibited in sport by WADA. Enters cells and is metabolized to ZMP, an AMP analog that directly activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the master regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. AMPK activation stimulates glucose uptake and fatty-acid oxidation in muscle and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, mimicking an energy-depleted, exercise-like state. Not approved for human therapeutic use.

How is AICAR reconstituted?

AICAR ships as a lyophilised powder and is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before use, then drawn on an insulin syringe. Use the calculator above to see the exact units to draw for your vial size and dose. This is a reference tool, not medical advice.

How should AICAR be stored?

Lyophilized — freeze at −20°C in dry, dark conditions; stable up to ~24 months. Once reconstituted: Refrigerate 2–8°C, protected from light; use within ~4 weeks; avoid freeze–thaw cycles. (about 28 days). This is general storage information, not medical advice.

Keep your protocol, doses, and vials in one place.

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