(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- We all know exercise is good for us, but finding
the time to do it can be a challenge. If only we could pop a pill instead...
Thanks to new research out of the Salk Institute, hope is on the horizon. In
studies conducted in mice, investigators there not only discovered a substance
that increased exercise endurance among mice that were exercised daily, but also
one that lead to greater endurance even without the daily exertion.
“It’s tricking the muscle into ‘believing’ it’s been exercised daily,” study
author Ronald Evans was quoted as saying. “It’s basically the couch potato
experiment, and it proves you can have a pharmacologic equivalent to exercise.”
Both of the substances are currently available. GW1516, which proved beneficial
in increasing exercise endurance in mice that exercised, is an experimental drug
being tested for the treatment of metabolic disease. Overall, mice who received
the drug along with four weeks of exercise training increased their running time
by 68 percent when compared to similar mice who trained but received a placebo
instead of the active drug. Running distance went up by 70 percent.
A chemical called AICAR was responsible for the boost in endurance seen in mice
who didn’t exercise. Those mice saw a 44 percent increase in running endurance.
The researchers believe these drugs might have a role to play in muscle wasting
diseases, or in frail elderly people. They might also help obese people slim
down. However, the authors also note the potential for abuse among elite
athletes who want to boost their exercise endurance, and are working with the
World Anti-Doping Agency to help to keep that from happening.
SOURCE: Cell, published online July 31, 2008
