Condensing a workout into a single pill has long been a pipe dream of medical scientists.
But now researchers in Denmark say this vision has moved one step closer to reality, with the invention of a promising new drug.
It mimics the effect of exercising without the user moving a muscle, flushing toxins out of cells and strengthening the heart.
In a study on rats, researchers said the drug caused the same health benefits as running 10km at high speeds.
The new drug causes the same health benefits as running 10km at high speeds (stock)
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Dr Thomas Poulsen, a chemist at Aarhus University who led the research, said: added: ‘It can be difficult to maintain motivation to run many kilometers at high speed and go without food.
‘For people with physical ailments, such as a weak heart or general weakness, a nutritional supplement can be the key to better recovery.’
After exercise, normally the body enters a state of inflammation with increased levels of lactate and ketones.
When these substances are high, it releases hunger suppressing chemicals and clears fatty acids in the blood, which are linked to diabetes, cancer and dementia.
Lactate are released after exercise and keep the metabolism healthy, while ketones are produced by the liver when the body breaks down fat for energy, such as during fasting, long periods of exercise, or when there aren’t enough carbohydrates.
The researchers said the new drug, currently named LaKe, can ‘artificially control the amounts of lactate and ketones safely.’
The drug is now moving into human trials to test whether it is safe, before its effects on humans can also be evaluated.
If successful, the molecule could be developed into a supplement for human consumption.
But scientists warn it will likely take years before it becomes available.
Dr Poulsen added: ‘We’ve developed a molecule that can mimic the body’s natural metabolic response to strenuous exercise and fasting.
‘In practice, the molecule brings the body into a metabolic state corresponding to running 10 kilometers at high speed on an empty stomach.’
He added: ‘When lactate and ketone levels in the blood increase, the production of an appetite-suppressing hormone increases, and the level of free fatty acids in the blood decreases.
‘This has a number of health benefits, for example, reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome [a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes].’
This causes damage to cells, but also trigger’s the body’s repair systems — improving overall health.
Their study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
