Exercise in a Pill?
The media coverage of this has upped the hype with headlines like, "Rejoice, couch potatoes! It's exercise in a pill!" and quotes like, "It's basically the couch potato experiment, and it proves you can have a pharmacologic equivalent to exercise."
But, even if this pill does work, can it take the place of actual exercise? Can it offer all the benefits of moving your body? Perhaps for people with illnesses or conditions that keep them from being active, but what about healthy, yet sedentary people?
Perhaps a more realistic view is that of Dr. Linn Goldberg, who is head of the Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University who says, "[Exercise] not only involves skeletal muscle fibers, but the main muscle we depend on, the heart." He likens an exercise pill to being placed on third base and thinking you hit a triple.
And don't forget that exercise can lower blood pressure, strengthen bones, reduce stress and protect you from certain types of cancer. There's also the confidence you get by conquering physical challenges and the satisfaction you receive when you've reached your workout goals. Can a pill mimic that? Not likely, says Dr. Goldberg, who urges us not to be mislead by this story and believe a pill will ever take the place of exercise.
So, what do you think? Has this story been hyped a little too much? Will there really be an 'exercise pill' and, if so, is that the road many of us will take rather than going through the effort of actually exercising? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
Sources
Vihang A. Narkar, et al. AMPK and PPARδ Agonists Are Exercise Mimetics. Cell (2008), doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.06.051.
Comments
Well Yes, technology is making huge strides and we seem to be headed toward the Jetsen era but even George had to walk the dog on a conveyer belt. I, personally, don’t think a pill is going to help our obesity epidemic and people will still feel sluggish no matter how many pills they take if they don’t get moving. I don’t always like exercising but I wouldn’t want to take a pill. Imagine the side effects on that one.
there is no silver exercise bullet. it may have produce results but i would be doubtful to the actual health benefits and wary of the side effects. remember metabolife? it was the silver bullet of the late nineties and first half of this decade. it was essentially legalized speed. boosting the metabolism by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. it worked until the body adjusted to the pill and then thousand and thousand of people packed the weight back on. these same people hadn’t developed the discipline that comes with a healthy active lifestyle and in the end it was more of a detriment than an aid.
we live in an instant gratification society, but slow and steady will produce lasting results. the real magic bullet is a change in mentality. health and exercise needs to to be changed in your mind as something that has to be done, not something that needs to be done.
I think it could be good for really overweight people who need to loose some just to get started. If they drop 10 lbs, that might spark the enthusiasim to move more – they won’t feel as “bogged” down with the weight.
I whole heartly feel that they will have to move to achieve the best results. You can not put self satisfaction of achieving your goals in a pill. My hardest time was dropping the first 20 lbs because I was so heavy, but I did it and it inspired me to remove 130 more! And I didn’t use any pill. Results increase motivation and maybe it will work for some people who have the right mind set. Me – I like doing it myself. I LOVE the endorphins. Best high I EVER had!! I won’t be taking the pill!
Stand Strong!
Becky
I do not think this is a magic bullet. However, I can see its application in the long run. Not to help obese people or couch potatos, but for those who really can’t exercise. My father has parkinson’s, exercise and muscle building help with the desease, but there is a point where you just can’t do it.
My daughter’s friend has a mom who has serious hip and leg issues, exercise is just painful. However, exercise and weight loss would help with the pain, a pill would benefit her because she has trouble even walking. If the pain and discomfort could be helped by a pill that builds muscle to get her to a point she could exercise that would be great.
Exercise in a pill for a cancer patient who needs to keep muscle mass as they fight the desease and to help them heal in the long run could be a benefit.
Its obvious to me that the average person will most likely not benefit, but those who trully have debilitating desases that could be helped if they could exercise, well that would be an amazing application of this drug.
FYI, the drug company wants the everyday application because they would sell more of the drug, but seriously this as benefits for those who are ill.
I’m sure it would be nice for people with slow metabolisms (endomorphs) to have such a pill to help with their weight loss, which I do think would be good because endomorphs have a very hard time losing weight and gain it absurdly easily. The concerns are more along the lines of abuse by those who don’t need it and an excuse to not exercise for those who do need that. Then there is
Fine by me. Take your pill it just means more room at the gym for me.
IF ITS TRUE, GREAT! BUT I’D TRY TO BOTH EXCERCISE AND TAKE THE PILL…
SAY, WHATS A GOOD GYM IN ST LOUIS TO GO TO (IF ANY OF YOU ARE FROM ST LOUIS)?
i would have to call BULL on this one. i just don’t beleive anything can replace ALL the benefits of actual excercise.
Well, I clicked on the link and read the recap offered there. I think we should all wait until we understand things a bit better. From a brief look at what they indicate, I would think athletes would be quick to jump on the bandwagon, along with elderly and infirm folks who can no longer exercise as they used to, but need whatever help they can get with endurance.
Yeah, well I think something similar to this has existed – it’s called “speed”. And there were other amphetamines that raise the heart rate. Maybe it’s less in strength but I would imagine it could still cause heart damage like the others.
Everyone who hopes for these easy fixes needs to get off their posterior and MOVE! Including myself!
Hi fellow health information seekers my first thought reading this blog was why not most folks on this planet are pill addicts you just need to talk to anyone who has been in hospital care … some poor souls have to swallow up to 30 pills a day just to stay alive !!! so for these patients pharmacological equivalent to exercise simply just to swallow would or could be a blessing … for the rest of us exercises has to be fun … so that’s why even despite its price tag of almost £5,000, the Power Plate has already caught the imagination of celebrities and sporty types: Les Ferdinand, Gaby and Kenny Logan and Jonathan Ross all have a Power Plate at home, and Glasgow Celtic and the Dutch football club Ajax use the machines regularly. But for the rest of us, the much cheaper Flexi-Bar (which retails at £85) will be the equipment filling the space previously occupied by Swiss Balls and yoga mats and could be coming sooner than later a sugar coated box of pills … LOL.
All my best to you and your preferences
Phillip Skinner
Hey – if the pill can give you stamina and increase your get-up-and-go – then people would excercise without even knowing it because of having more ambition to just walk and keep moving. I would try it depending on the risks involved. If the risk factor is high then it isn’t worth it!
PK
I do not believe this pill will work.
Exercise along with a healthy diet is the only way to get healthy!
PK’s comment is most pertinent of all those posted. If the pill lessens resistance for people to get moving, it will be of great benefit, but it doesn’t replace exercise. The pill just changes the tone of the muscle, it gives none of the other benefits. Fat/weight will not ‘drop off’ unless you exercise it off. Athletes already have the muscle tone, whether this pill would increase their endurance hasn’t been stated. The misinformative media hype is badly suggestive and simply bad reporting.
The mice improved endurance only, not weight loss, heart health, etc. Keep going to the gym and don’t eat so much. That will work.
I liked what Linda said “And I don’t think this pill will work either. Last year I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis–first thing doctor said get the weight off those joints. I have lost 50 lbs. over a year’s time just using the low glycymic index chart (similar to the diabetic diet)but this isn’t a diet per say, it’s just eating healthy, smaller portions and more often during the day. I exercised every day and still do on a regular basis and love every minute of it. Who needs a pill for losing weight. EAT RIGHT AND EXERCISE!! (If you can) This pill would be for lazy people looking for an easy way out. Good luck to all.
Those of us with debilitating diseases would appreciate anything thar would help our bodies. I hope they would test for side effects before putting it on the market. Some times the side effects are worse than the disease! Just look at the 2 big meds out now for Restless Leg Syndrom. Terrible!!
For someone like me who suddenly found myself in need of several surgeries, all waiting on weightloss, yet the issues keep me from exercise – I would love exercise in a pill! I could actually start feeling better again and then go back to my walking 2-3 miles a day and ….who knows what else!
While technology makes wonderful advances they do not always work in the best interest of everyone. If a pill of this sort does come into being it should only be given to those who’s physical condition does not permit normal activity levels. Those people with the ability to engage in normal activities need to move their collective lathargic bottoms, otherwise they will need the pill once they have a heart attack or stroke. Then they will qualify for more than a pill.
While I love the advancements the industry has made, this is not one of them. It is just encouraging people to sit. There is no replacement for a healthy satisfying diet and even a moderate exercise program.
That said, it possibly might help people who are extremely overweight to get to a more ‘moveable’ weight faster. Then they can moderately exercise from a better place.
This so called research leaves more questions unanswered than answered. “natural compounds?”…”increased endurance?” compared to what. It’s very hard to increase endurance if there is no training to begin with. Sounds like a self defeating pill. I don’t think I’ll try it.
I like excersizing. I like the treadmill. I like bicycling. I like fresh air & sunshine. I like losing weight!!!
I think that the most we could expect from this exercise pill would be to get people jump started on the real deal of exercising. It would probably only be for really deconditioned people who need some oomph to help them. Sort of like the nicotine patches and gum help a lot of people to quit smoking when they are ready. I do not believe it will ever be used in place of exercise.
How about more research into exercise psychology, and the reasons why people feel unmotovated to exercise ? Yes, it is often so difficult for people who have never experienced the benefits of regular exercise, to get started with the effort and discipline that is required. And especially so when this is compounded by illness. What is the best way to kick-start an exercise habit ‘naturally’ ?
I think hydrotherapy – exercising in water – has a lot of potential. The water supports the body, taking weight off painful joints. It caters for poor balance. It provides gentle resistance for strength training, and endurance. Overheating – which is a sensation that new-comers to standard exercise usually dislike – is less likely in water. Generally being in water is a pleasant sensation. And water exercise can be done to music, increasing the entertainment and enjoyment of the experience.
Getting a massage has been another way that I’ve been able to stimulate the circulation and reinstate a feeling of body awareness and enjoyment, that has motivated me to get back to exercising.
What other ways do people find help them to kick-start exercise ?
…let me correct that – It’s all about exercise MOTIVATION.
WHERE IS IT, I WANT IT………. DO THEY NEED SOMEONE TO TEST IT.. IF SO CALL ME
So some people take viagra so they don’t have to have sex.? I guess it takes all kinds to support big pharmacology.
This would be a hard sell for me. I exercise to stay off of pills! High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetis and a host of other ailments run my family. At a young age 53, I have none of them and plan to keep it that way by good ole exercising. I love the outdoors and usually run/walk or bicycle but when I can’t get outside there’s the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, aerobics….
I wonder what happens when one stops taking the pill and doesn’t start regular exercise. When people stop taking diet pills, if they haven’t changed their eating habits they regain all the weight they lost plus a bit more. Why mimic the effects of exercise by taking a pill when you can have the actual effects by “just doing it”?
If this pill does what it claims and doesn’t have negative side effects, I can see how it could help increase the levels of actual exercise. It all depends on how it’s used. I have tried many times to start an exercise regime. I’ve bought aerobics videos etc. and found I get very disappointed and give up because I don’t have the endurance to complete the whole tape. If a pill would help me have the endurance to exercise for 30minutes instead of collapsing in a heap on the floor after only 10 minutes, I would try it. The article is right though that no pill can replace the benefits of actual exercise. Some of us might just need a jump start though.
way to go… there’ll maybe be a love pill next… and another one to re-adjust the effects of global warming
Dear DigitalVirtueSays,
The World Is Not Perfect As You Portray Yourself. Joke. Whatever Works . You Might Check Into What A Pill Has To Offer . For Being Narrow-Minded !!!!
Yikes!! Kristy!! Was it the name this person took? I think they were just kinda joking about quick-fixes. Responding that they are narrow-minded is surprising and a bit over-the-top, especially in light of the fact that it was opinions that were requested here.
My own opinion is….that I don’t know enough to have an opinion. If it comes on the market, I hope it helps more than it hurts.
The best use for healthy people I can see from this pill is to augment exercise…not replace it
The funny thing is – I think the pill will attract more moderate exercisers who want to supplement their workouts or try to enhance their abilities – then the couch potato.
I would like to know the exact chemical name of this pill.
This simply cannot work even for physiological reasons. First, your body burns fat through increased metabolic process stimulated by testosterone hormones coaxed from intense cardiovascular excercise and a complete, steady, diet. Second, your body builds muscle from the combination of resistance training and diet. The process here occurs during the day when insulin levels are low in your bloodstream and your pituitary gland releases growth hormone. Also, glycogen stores from carbohydrates (achieved from workouts + steady carbs) create increased endurance and muscle tissue. These are things that, barring a scientific miracle, cannot ever be duplicated by pills. Sorry to rain on anyone’s parade! Hit the gym, it’s fun!
No. Not until a year or so of data is available to support it. I am a personal trainer, and I know my way works, I don’t know anout this stuff yet. Adding out-of-body sources to facilitate strength and endurance should be viewed with a very sceptical eye. Some of these things that appear to be short-cuts turn out to short-cut our lives … take the gastrointestinal girdle – this is seriously changing the role of the body, I would never do it. Obese people should make this the last resort, next-to-dying before they consider this.
I am an Administrative Assistant and I sit at a computer desk for 10 hours of the day. When I get off I am so tired from the mental work I’ve done all day. If this pill can help someone like me at all by giving me the affect of exercise, aside from the exercise I try to work in my schedule each week, it would be like a dream come true because the other pills that are supposed to have that affect really don’t have it. I have tried them!
Where can I buy it in Orlando, FL?
Thank you!
I hope this pill will not work on humans. Exercise does call for more than increased intensity, like stronger bones, lower blood pressure, better heart rate, etc… A person’s WILL is what drives them to be more athletically sound and have a more mature mindset. If this pill does work, it would ruin the years that some of us had to use to get the body that we are happy about.
Aside from the physical benefits, there’s the mental benefit. My workouts are a great form of therapy. Yes, I’ve dropped a few pounds. And, yes, I’m generally more fit than before I began working out. But the relaxation and peacefulness I experience after a workout are just as important to me.
That is great!!! I have chronic Fibromyalgia and three herniated disc.. this is the best news I have heard of in a long time. If there is something that will help me just getting ’started’ that would be a blessing.. I think that maybe some people are thinking that this is also a pain killer.. don’t think so.. but if you can get those endorphines flowing that in itself would ease ‘alot’ of pain. “Everyday” it is a struggle to get out of bed.. being in bed isn’t a good thing either you are constantly in pain 24/7.. pain pills or not ..they just take the edge off. And then there are the herniated disc.. ouch.. and the weight just adds to it.. I was never ’skinny’ but I was looking pretty damn good and ‘feeling’ good.. now I am sooo overwieght and feeling miserable. I wish I could be as active as I used to be but that isn’t going to happen unless something like this ‘exercise pill’ can help get that metabolism going into high gear ‘and’ be legal..:)!! So that people who’s health is impaired can actually get some exercise and get at least a little bit more healthier.. and it will pay off tremendously. Just think about it..it will help deter heart disease, diabetes, back problems just to name a few, and along with all of that ‘depression’. So if people are going to take it to ‘jumpstart’ the metabolism so that we ‘can’ move some that will work ‘wonders’..but I don’t think it’s meant for people who ‘want’ to just sit around and still expect the benefits of exercise. Some of us dream of being able to do things with our kids.. shopping, taking a walk, play ball, simple things.. yes.. but things that require ‘energy’.. not to just sit on our asses with the remote. But you know that old saying “You don’t know what you have until you’ve lost it”.. and that goes for your health too! So I say.. “BRING IT ON” !!!!!!!!!!
As a personal trainer, I am constantly reminding my clients the benefits of physical exercise, emphasizing the heart as a muscle, diease prevention, and the pride in the accomplishments made. They chuckle but I get the last laugh when their head is held high walking out the door after a tough workout!
COME ON!!!? – IT’S JUST ANOTHER DRUG TO ADD TO THE BODY AND A DEFINITE CONTROVERSY FOR DOPING BEFORE EVENTS!
You all do realise that this pill only claims to increase endurance/stamina… nothing about metabolic rates, increased heart rates, increased muscle size, fat loss has been mentioned….
sure you might burn a couple of extra cals as your muscles strenghten… but your base fat will remain…. your body has a natural tendency to store fat and degenerate muscles to the point they’re being used…. so to increase muscle size you’ll still need to exercise them!
plus… as this has no increase in metabolic rates… i dont see it being a miracle fatloss/muscle building pill…. there’re tonnes of supposed pills out there anyhjows….
at best i see this as a supplement to exercise! it’ll prolly allow you to start running 3 miles in a week instead of a month… but that wont change the fact that you’ll need to run…..
Pus trust me…. the mental benefits of exercise are amazing… and there’s no ‘initial motivation’ requirement – this is coming from a guy who weighed in at 200lbs at 5′5 at the age of 15, and is now 190 lbs, 5′11.5 at the age of 20…..
There is a known method for improving fitness and losing weight: sensible diet and aerobic/anaerobic exercise. It requires discipline and commitment. It is a life-long daily activity. The motivation comes from within. Fitness is part put on the sweats and sweat, and part attitude.
The potential problems with synthetic drugs –
1) Undesirable side effects
2) Physiological/psychological dependency
3) Undesirable interaction with other prescription medications
It seems a no-brainer, why substitute a chemical substitute for something that can be accomplished naturally?
For the bedridden or wheel-chair bound, a pill might make sense. Personally, if I were in a wheel chair, I’d push myself around the park for exercise.
All medications have undesirable side effects, prescription or not. To you, and those around you. We now live in a Prozac Nation now. It is not only having an effect on our society, but it seems to be not very good for the fish as well. Dare I suggest a change from the Me Me Me to the We We We???
I do not think that it would be a good idea for an exercise pill like that. I think that there should be a pill that will help people to exercise consistently and longer without losing so much breath. I would rather take a pill that will help me to tone and build strength while I am exercising and to give me the energy to do instead of feeling fatigue all the time. To take an exercise in pill is actually creating more laziness in people. I’d rather have a pill to help actually tone, build muscle and help those with excessive lower body weight to rid that fat. I rather exercise myself than to take a pill. The pill should be utilize to help increase your workout not find a way out of working out.
If the side affect or minimal to none then I would take it. I’ve tried exercise, wight lifting, walking, diets in the past 69 years of my life; and none have worked for me. I use to be an athlete but I can’t go back to those days. Today I have bad knees and a bad back so I can’t do physical exercise very well anymore. Nor can my wife. We’re 68 and 69 years old. I’d take the pill if proven there is no risk to taking it.
Everybody is quickly to poopoo it which I think is rash to do. Basically that’s youth and I understand but longevity and quality of life isn’t always in the gym or in some guru’s plan that financially benefits them. As long as one can walk and do everyday required missions in life you will walk on average of 4 to 10 miles a day without even knowing you have done so. So you get exercise as long as you can use your legs and will. Quit following the rat pack and live your lives. Give the pill a chance. OK.
Great!!!!!!!!! Now a new excuse “Exercise Pill” has came into the hands of already lazy and inactive people.I wonder who were the people behind inventing these kind of pills.Science has already proved millions of benefits of exercises yet people get time to find its alternative.
I have been diagnosed and suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. I welcome anything that would help me get up off the couch and have enough energy to do actual exercise. It’s not a matter of being lazy, it’s a matter of being tired to exhaustion all the time for no apparent reason except that my immune system is working overtime and against me.
Hey I am for anything that would give the Health Clubs some competition. Just maybe the cost of using them would become more fugal
From what I reviewed on T.V. it seems like a very interesting discovery. I believe it could help people that dont exercise at all and those who exercize regularly. They tested it on rats. One rat did not take the pill and the other did. They put them both on a treadmill for the same amount of time. The rat that took the pilled burned more calories and exercized harder. I would love a pill that could help me do this.