US scientists move one step closer to an EXERCISE PILL that gives all the benefits of working out without moving a muscle

A new pill could provide the same benefits as exercise, including muscle growth and performance, a study has found.

The drug can mimic the physical boost of a workout and potentially treat “couch potato” conditions such as obesity and muscle atrophy.

It can also prevent age-related conditions such as dementia, heart failure and declining kidney function.

After decades of work, scientists at Washington University have developed a compound called SLU-PP-332, which activates specialized proteins known as estrogen-related receptors (ERRs), which are activated by exercise.

Professor Bahaa Elgendy, professor of anesthesiology at the University of Washington and principal investigator of the project, said: ‘Everyone knows that exercise is super beneficial for the body and mind, but not everyone can exercise. A pill exercise can be useful to mimic or enhance the effects for people as they age, those with certain diseases, or who experience muscle loss due to other medications.

‘This could lead to the development of therapies for some of the most challenging diseases we face today, such as neurodegenerative diseases and heart failure.

‘I’m not promoting a replacement for exercise or anything, but so many people like me are lazy and don’t like exercise or they’re busy all the time, so they could benefit from these medications.

‘It has always been heartbreaking for me to see people, especially children, who cannot move and who suffer from muscular dystrophy and other terrible diseases. “I’m not 100 percent sure this could be a cure for these diseases, but it could at least help some people improve their quality of life.”

The researchers tested the pills on mice and found that they increased a fatigue-resistant type of muscle fiber while improving the animals’ endurance when they ran on a rodent treadmill.

The pills also appear to counteract harmful processes that take place in the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Exercise improves metabolism and growth of muscle cells and improves muscle performance.

A drug that mimics these effects could counter the muscle atrophy and weakness that can occur in people as they age or are affected by cancer.

Certain genetic conditions can also prevent people from engaging in physical activity.

The new pill could also potentially prevent the effects of other drugs, including the new weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic which cause both muscle loss and fat loss, Professor Elgendy said.

The metabolic changes associated with exercise cause the activation of specialized proteins known as ERRs, which come in three forms: ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ.

SLU-PP-332 activates all three forms, including the most difficult target, ERRα.

This ERR regulates the stress-related physiological responses induced by exercise and other important physiological processes in the muscles.

In studies in mice, the team found that this compound increased a fatigue-resistant type of muscle fiber while improving the animals’ endurance when they ran on a rodent treadmill.

The research will be presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society.