• Exercise In A Pill: Too Good To Be True?
Would you take a pill that promised improved endurance and no weight gain without an ounce of exercise?
Just in time for the Olympics, the Salk Institute in San Diego released the early results of a study that has been praised (presumably by couch potatoes worldwide) and denounced (by exercise fans and fanatics) in the same breath.
Researchers fed mice a daily dose of an experimental drug and after only 4 weeks the mice ran 44% longer than untreated controls.
The drug works by turning on a genetic switch that mimics the effects of exercise as far as muscular endurance is concerned. It tricks the cell into thinking that its energy stores are running low. This stimulates fat metabolism and remodels muscle fibers to produce more “Type 1” fibers. These carry a greater concentration of mitochondria (cellular powerhouses) compared to other types, accounting for improved endurance.
So what’s the fine print here?
When evaluating the implications of a study like this, the first observation to keep in mind is that these studies are still in the experimental phase. How these effects translate from an animal model to human clinical trials remain to be seen.
If the drug is successful in improving muscular endurance, it may prove to be a boon for those who are too frail to exercise or in those with muscle wasting. In the right circumstances, it may even jump start change for diabetics and obese individuals who would then be motivated to continue with real exercise.
What are the pitfalls?
Certainly, the most obvious is that we don’t know of any long term effects that the drug may have.
Beyond that, a lot will depend on how the drug is marketed, and if it is advertised as a replacement to exercise. Exercise is multi-faceted and has benefits that go beyond improving endurance – such as reducing inflammation, improving bone density, lowering blood pressure, and a positive effect on mood. It is also fun!
Diabetes and obesity are primarily lifestyle diseases and simply relying on a pill while ignoring crucial diet, sleep, and activity modifications may promote complacency and perpetuate the cycle that led to the conditions in the first place.
Lastly, the potential for abuse by elite athletes is tremendous. Here the concern is of the other extreme i.e. supremely fit individuals where every extra strand of Type 1 muscle fiber could make the difference between the Olympic podium or not. However, this is less likely given that the researchers are making drug detection tests available to the anti-doping agencies.
Scienta Health on August 14th 2008 in Weight Management
2 Responses to “• Exercise In A Pill: Too Good To Be True?”
Wellescent responded on 08 May 2009 at 5:19 pm #
It is amazing that so much research effort goes into trying to preventing our need to be physically active. While not all will agree that exercise is fun, our whole physical makeup is based on the premise of regular physical activity. Were we intended to be sedentary, we would probably not be so engineered for motion.
It seems as though some people are looking forward to our continued evolution to the stage of brains in glass jars with our only connection to the physical world being through wiring.
Wes Green responded on 27 Jan 2010 at 2:03 pm #
Are there any hopes that this might help people with physical disabilties to tone up muscles that cannot be exercised. Specfically I am wondring about those indiviuals with MS.
Like any other piece of research you will need dedicated workers who are there to help humanity in general and some how rewarded individually for their imput. I wonder what that reward might be.
As for the pitfalls of super humans, in whatever fascit that may be ‘m sure it wll all come ot in the wash. Doping, testing, drug use are good or bad depending where we sit in lfe. Cheaters shouldn’t be rewarded in any game.
Let us be optimistic about the work being doe out there and take it for what it is worth.