New ‘exercise pill’ could replace physical benefits of working out: study

Tired of working out? There may soon be a pill for that.

A new “exercise pill” could potentially replace some — not all — of the benefits of working out, according to a new study.

Scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis spent 10 years creating new compounds that seem to be able to mimic the physical benefits of a workout — at least in rodent cells — that could become ingredients for a future supplement.

The team of researchers, who presented their findings at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), hope to replicate the physical effects of exercise, specifically the ability to enhance metabolism and growth, as well as improved muscle performance.

“We cannot replace exercise; exercise is important on all levels,” Bahaa Elgendy, a professor of anesthesiology and the project’s principal investigator, said in a media release. “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.”

However, the findings could result in a new way to treat muscle atrophy and other medical conditions, including heart failure and neurodegenerative disease.

If the drug could mimic the physical effects of exercise, it could help offset the weakness in a person’s muscles that occur naturally as people age or for those affected by cancer, certain genetic conditions or any other reason a person may be unable to do regular physical activity.

Elgendy added that the “exercise pill” could potentially counter the loss of both muscle and fat caused by other drugs, such as new weight-loss medications.

When the scientists tested on mice, they found that the compound increased a fatigue-resistant muscle fiber, which in turn improved the rodents’ endurance when running on a treadmill.

But more testing needs to be done before the pill can be available for human use. The scientists will be testing the compound in other animals as the next step in the research process.