Mice Get Fit With 'Exercise in a Pill'

A few weeks ago, researchers reported interesting results that showed that a new drug could help those that don’t exercise still reap the many health benefits of being active. Well, at least rodents can — this new pill has been tested only in mice. After four weeks of taking it, the pill-taking mice burned more calories and had less fat than other mice. They also could run 44% farther and 23% longer on a treadmill. Mice who also exercised regularly got even more benefit with a second drug that was tested. They could run 68% longer and 70% farther than mice that exercised but didn't get the drug.

Since getting exercise is so important for people with diabetes or at risk for it, I thought you’d be interested to read about this story. Unfortunately for those of you who don’t like to exercise, this “exercise in a pill” won’t be available for humans to use for quite some time, if it ever gets here.

Below, an article about my colleague, Dr. Howard LeWine, discusses this news:

After his usual exercise routine a few weeks ago, Dr. LeWine ran into a fellow he sees regularly at the gym. The gentleman had just finished a strenuous workout with free weights. With a big smile, he said, "Wouldn’t it be great if we could just take a pill instead of having to do this every day?"

Dr. LeWine was not sure if his friend at the gym already had some inside knowledge of a story that had hit the wire services recently. Researchers reported early findings that suggested a drug could do what now takes an hour of Dr. Lewine’s time most days of the week. The report came from Ronald Evans, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Salk Institute in San Diego.

The news story caused Dr. LeWine to wonder what he would do if such a pill should become available. Could he really give up his exercise habit? Probably not.

Dr. LeWine loves to spin. For him, spinning is more than just riding a stationary bike for about an hour. He enjoys being in a class led by an enthusiastic instructor, listening to songs organized for that day's spin routine. He describes the class like this: “Loud music fills the room. The buzz of the pedals churning begins. My heart rate starts to rise and my muscles feel that slight ache of exertion. I can't imagine a pill giving me that same sense of pleasure for that hour.”

“I don't suggest that everyone will take to Spinning as I have. In fact, most friends that I persuade to try it say ‘no thanks’ the next time I invite them,” states Dr. LeWine.

He does think, though, that most people can find an exercise that they enjoy. Walking at a brisk pace, water aerobics, and tai chi are just a few examples of activities that will improve your level of fitness and overall strength, and that you might enjoy doing.

If you are not exercising regularly now, you must first schedule it into your day just as you schedule everything else. Put it on your calendar, even if you have just 10 or 15 minutes. Once it becomes part of your daily routine, you can increase how long and how intensely you exercise. But first, you need to make it a priority.

This research and the work of others will lead to drugs that can increase our endurance without exercising. But before such a drug could be approved, researchers would need to prove it was safe when taken over many years, perhaps decades.

Just as importantly, the "exercise pill" must show that it has the same benefits of real exercise:

• Decreased risk of certain cancers and many long-term diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis
• Improved mood and symptom relief for mild depression
• Increased energy and stamina
• Better sleep quality (as long as you don't exercise close to bed time)

Julie K. Silver, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. She is also the Chief Editor of Books for Harvard Health Publications.

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