A pill that gives you a workout without moving an inch

It’s no secret that exercise is the cornerstone of good health. But what if you could enjoy the health benefits of a good workout without moving an inch? Scientists from the Aarhus University in Denmark have recently developed a pill that can mirror the metabolic effects a 10-km sprint has on the body, without having to break sweat.
“We’ve developed a molecule (called LaKe) that can mimic the body’s natural metabolic response to strenuous exercise and fasting. The molecule brings the body into a metabolic state corresponding to running 10 km at high speed on an empty stomach,” research lead and chemist at Aarhus University Dr Thomas Poulsen told the New York Post. The research was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. LaKe is still being tested on lab rats with no signs of toxicity. In fact, it has flushed out toxins and strengthened the rodents’ hearts.
What is the body’s response to exercise and how does LaKe mimic that? Strenuous workouts while fasting cause a rapid spike in the chemical lactate at the blood plasma level, followed by the gradual increase of another chemical, a ketone called beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Ketones are made in the liver when the body breaks down fat for energy in the absence of enough glucose. Both these chemicals are known to suppress appetite and reduce risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stimulate cognitive function and alleviate depression. Diet alone cannot achieve similar effects as the amounts of lactate and BHB needed would lead to unwanted byproducts like salt and acid. Synthetically produced as LaKe, these chemicals can be taken orally without harmful side effects.

But LaKe is not the only pill that promises workout benefits. A compound called SLU-PP-332 was developed last year by researchers at the University of Florida, which increased metabolism and endurance in mice, helping them run nearly 50% more than they could before. “This compound is basically telling skeletal muscle to make the same changes you see during endurance training,” said study lead and professor of pharmacy Thomas Burris.

The ‘

exercise pill

’ idea has been floating around for more than a decade, with several researchers experimenting with compounds that can match the biological effects of intense physical activity. According to The Guardian, San Diego’s Salk Institute introduced the world to a drug called GW501516 (516 for short) in 2008. This sent a signal to key genes to burn fat instead of sugar. However, a variant of the drug ended up as a doping drug for athletes, prompting a ban. In 2015, another drug called Compound 14 was created for therapeutics before it came to light that the drug could promote weight loss in obese mice by improving glucose tolerance.
All these innovations belong to a class of therapeutic drugs called ‘

exercise mimetics

’, which essentially activate different pathways in the body that are directly or indirectly affected by exercise. These drugs have the potential to delay Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia, apart from helping with diabetes and obesity. Once the human trials are done, some of these drugs can be paired with

weight loss drugs

like Ozempic to arrest muscle loss, especially among the elderly (known as sarcopenia).
Exercise in a pill, if perfected for humans, should work wonders for those unable to engage in physical activity — the elderly and infirm; those with muscular dystrophy; people who have undergone surgery that restricts movement; and others who are indisposed. But for others, it’s best not to be a couch potato and pop the pill. For, the happy high of exercise is still hard to mimic. TNN & agencies