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Everyone knows that exercise improves health, and ongoing research continues to uncover increasingly detailed information on its benefits for metabolism, circulation, and improved functioning of organs such as the heart, brain, and liver. With this knowledge in hand, scientists may be better equipped to develop "exercise pills" that could mimic at least some of the beneficial effects of physical exercise on the body. But a review of current development efforts, publishing October 2 in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, ponders whether such pills will achieve their potential therapeutic impact, at least in the near future.
"We have recognized the need for exercise pills for some time, and this is an achievable goal based on our improved understanding of the molecular targets of physical exercise," says coauthor Ismail Laher, of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Several laboratories are developing exercise pills, which at this early stage are being tested in animals to primarily target skeletal muscle performance and improve strength and energy use—essentially producing stronger and faster muscles. But of course the benefits of exercise are far greater than its effects on only muscles.
Couch potatoes would rejoice, of course, but exercise pills could also benefit the bed-ridden or astronauts who spend extended periods in microgravity.
(Score: 1) by Murdoc on Tuesday October 06 2015, @03:55AM
Cool! I tried the C25K thing and quickly found that I couldn't even do half what they are prescribing. And since I'm not obese or anything, being told that I am less than half as capable as a "couch potato" was pretty disheartening. So I tried just what I could do, and after a couple of weeks saw no improvement. My motivation pretty much died there. Now looking at yours, I'll probably give this a try again (although why did I have to learn about this in the autumn, dammit!), maybe it'll work better for me. I'm far more interested in endurance building than strength; too many things tire me out these days. Anyway thanks for sharing this!
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday October 06 2015, @11:50PM
The first week is the hardest since your body is not used to moving, even for two minutes jogging. If you want an easier start, you could try alternating 5w, 1j, 5w until you stop getting stitches in your sides before starting the exercise schedule, or even 10w or 5w depending on the exact potato-state of your body.
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