Breakthrough new pill can mimic the health benefits of exercise without you ever setting foot in a gym
SCIENTISTS are on the cusp on developing a pill mimics the effects of exercise, without you ever having to set foot in a gym.
The American research team discovered a set of chemical compounds that appear to recreate the health boost you get from working out.
The benefits of exercise are well known and doctors have long prescribed physical activity as a way to bolster and buffer our health.
But what if you don’t have the time to exercise, feel ‘lazy’, or are physically incapable of doing so?
“We all know that exercise is super-beneficial for the body and mind, but not everyone can exercise,” study author Bahaa Elgendy, a professor of anaesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a video presentation the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
“Many people cannot exercise and that’s why having an exercise in a pill could be super-beneficial to mimic or enhance the effects of exercise for people who are ageing, for people with certain diseases or who are facing some muscle loss using some other drugs.”
Dr Elgendy emphasised: “We cannot replace exercise; exercise is important on all levels.
“If I can exercise, I should go ahead and get the physical activity. But there are so many cases in which a substitute is needed.”
Exercise can benefit both the mind and the body. Dr Elgendy’s team of researchers are hoping to replicate its physical effects after pinpointing a specific set of chemical compounds in the cells of rodents.
They said a drug that can mimic exercise’s ability to enhance muscle cells’ metabolism and growth and improve muscle performance, could offset the muscle atrophy and weakness that can occur as people age, are affected by cancer, or other conditions that make them unable to stay physically active.
According to Dr Elgendy, this kind of pill could also counteract the effects of fat loss jabs that often cause muscle loss.
How does exercise affect the body?
Exercise activates specialised proteins called oestrogen-related receptors (ERRs), which come in three forms: ERRα, ERRβ and ERRγ.
ERRα specifically regulates exercise-induced stress adaptation and other important physiological processes in muscle.
After about a decade of work, Dr Elgendy and his colleagues developed a compound named SLU-PP-332, which activates all three forms, including ERRα which is the most challenging to trigger.
In experiments with mice, the team found this compound increased a fatigue-resistant type of muscle fibre, while also improving the animals’ endurance when they ran on a rodent treadmill.
To identify SLU-PP-332, the researchers scrutinised the structure of the ERRs and how they bind to molecules that activate them.
Dr Elgendy and his team designed new molecules to strengthen the interaction with the receptors and provoke a stronger response than what SLU-PP-332 can provide.
When developing the new compounds, the team made sure the molecules had other desirable characteristics, such as stability and low potential for toxicity.
The team compared the potency of SLU-PP-332 with that of the new compounds by looking at RNA, a measure of gene expression, from about 15,000 genes in cells from rat heart muscle.
The new compounds prompted a greater increase in the presence of the RNA, suggesting they’re better at simulating the effects of exercise.
Who might benefit from the pill?
Dr Elgendy said: “These drug targets are undruggable and if we are successful to drug them, this could lead to development of therapeutics for some of the most challenging diseases we are facing nowadays, like neurodegenerative diseases and heart failure.
“So many people like myself are lazy and don’t like exercise or they’re busy all the time, so if we can solve this with a pill…
“Again, I’m not promoting replacing exercise or anything, but at least for people who are lazy like myself, they can benefit from these drugs.”
Children who can’t move from conditions like Duchenne muscle dystrophy might also stand to benefit from a pill that mimics the effects of exercise, he added.
Further implications
Research using SLU-PP-332 suggests targeting ERRs could be useful for combating specific diseases.
Studies in animals with this compound indicate that it could have a benefit against obesity, heart failure or a decline in kidney function with age.
The results of Dr Elgendy’s research suggest the new compounds could have similar effects, the team said.
ERR activity also appears to counter damaging processes that occur in the brain in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and those who have other neurodegenerative conditions.
While SLU-PP-332 cannot pass into the brain, some of the new compounds were developed to do so.
“In all of these conditions, ERRs play a major role,” Dr Elgendy said. “If you have a compound that can activate them effectively, you could generate so many beneficial effects.”
Elgendy and his colleagues hope to test the new compounds in animal models and are also looking into developing the compounds as potential treatments for neurodegenerative disorders.
How much exercise should you do and when?
There are guidelines issued by the NHS and the Government regarding how much exercise people should do each day.
People should be active daily, and avoid sitting for long periods.
The NHS recommends an adults – those aged 19 to 64 – should aim for 150 minutes of “moderate intensity activity” a week.
This works out to 21 minutes a day, or 30 minutes five days a week.
Or, they could do 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, which could be less than 11 minutes per day or 25 minutes three days a week.
Adults should also aim to do strength exercises twice a week, at least.
Examples of moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking, water aerobics, riding a bike, dancing, doubles tennis, pushing a lawn mower, hiking or rollerblading.
Examples of vigorous activities include running, swimming, riding a bike fast or on hills, walking up the stairs, sports, like football, rugby, netball and hockey, skipping, aerobics, gymnastics or martial arts.
Things like lifting heavy weights, sprinting up hills, spin classes or circuit training are considered very vigorous.
What time should you exercise?
Getting exercise into your day, no matter what time is a good idea.
But you may want to be more selective depending on your goal.
A 2023 US study on 5,285 middle-aged adults showed exercising between 7 and 9 am was the best time if you’re looking to lose weight.
Researchers found that early-bird gym goers had a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference than those working out later.
A 2022 study led by Prof Paul J Arciero, Skidmore College, New York, found that the optimal time of day to get your kit on might differ according to your gender.
Prof Arciero said women wanting to lose fat around their belly and hips would do better to hit the gym in the morning, but those seeking to gain upper body strength or simply improve their mood might see more results from evening exercise.
The results were the opposite for men.
If you struggle to get to sleep, it’s been found that exercise in the morning may help, but exercise in the evening may help you to stay asleep.
Exercise, generally, can improve sleep quality.