Our ‘exercise pill’ makes muscular mice at Deakin

A pill that tricks the body into thinking it has exercised could soon help treat heart disease, Geelong researchers have announced.
Deakin University Metabolic Research Unit (MRU) revealed on Wednesday that the drug had exercise-like effects on muscles and also improved metabolism.
The drug could help people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity said Associate Professor Sean McGee, deputy director of Waurn Ponds-based MRU.
“Heart disease is still the biggest killer of people with diabetes and obesity, with little in the way of treatment,” Assoc Prof McGee said.
“We’ve identified a drug that makes the body respond as if it has exercised, with all the fat-burning and cardiovascular benefits.”
The pill was not intended as a short cut to weight loss, Assoc Prof McGee said.
“What we really don’t see is this drug providing an alternative for those people who just can’t be bothered exercising.”
The drug works by “turning on” genes normally activated during exercise, which allows the body to burn more fat, Assoc Prof McGee explained.
The Deakin team tested the drug on mice, which ran longer on a treadmill, burned more fat and recorded less blood glucose, he said.
The treated mice failed to lose weight loss but tended to eat more.
“What we do know is that the mice that received the drug over extended periods were metabolically much healthier than those not taking the drug,” Assoc Prof McGee said.
The scientists now wanted to design a more-specific and potent drug before human trials.
“This could be for frail people who can’t exercise but are at risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or metabolic disease or patients with obesity who struggle to exercise,” Assoc Prof McGee said.
“The drug would allow them to find that initial exercise program easier to get into.”