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Exercise Pill for Couch Potatoes?

cravey writes "CNN is running a story about how scientists at Duke University have discovered ..."the chemical pathways that muscle cells use to build strength and endurance." which may lead to the development of an exercise pill."

40 comments

  1. ah yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the perfect thing for cowboyneal and rms!

    1. Re:ah yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      why do you all waste your time on /. i too wasted many an hour scrolling to the endless trash here. No more. I am free! Fuck you all! Long live the mighty midget squirrel king!

  2. It will be interesting to see... by mess31173 · · Score: 1

    how a lot of the new technology will pan out. I have been reading a lot about new drug developments and future cures to this that and the other thing (Aids, Cancer, Alzheimer's, etc etc...) but hardly ever see anything beyond just a preliminary story. I wonder if a pill like this or some other technology (nanotech?) will ever bring around cosmetic changes. I think probably more likely we will settle for quick fixes like plastic surgery and the like for many years to come. Comments?

    1. Re:It will be interesting to see... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I remember phen-phen, which destroyed the heart valves of the people taking it. And then there's that new anti-cholesterol pill that causes heart attacks if you stop taking it.

      All that aside, I'd imagine we'll see some neat stuff from time to time from pharmaceutical companies. But I'm not gonna be the first in line to try any of them.

  3. Just what we need... by Dimwit · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yet another thing that just encourages people not to exercise, and just get fatter and lazier. I mean, they're not building any strength or endurance sitting on their asses popping pills!

    Oh...wait...I guess they are...

    --
    ...but it's being eaten...by some...Linux or something...
    1. Re:Just what we need... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      This may be another step in our specie's evolution from physical to intellectual labor.

      As many people's jobs do not involve any physical work anymore, exercise becomes a deprecated necessity from the time we needed to be optimized for physical work. Now our bodies need to evolve, to function perfectly without needing exercise, and this may help.

  4. Watch how fast the diet industry... by teamhasnoi · · Score: 1
    starts putting out ads and hour long 'infomercials' for "the incredible diet solution everyone's been waiting for!"

    Then, rather than using the actual formula for the 'excercise pill', it'll have rat turds and ephedrine in them.

    Maybe they'll bundle a bottle of their 'miracle pills' with one of those electric gut jigglers.

  5. Welcome to the future by Rick+the+Red · · Score: 3, Interesting
    This may be just what we need to make extended stays in space reasonable. I know I wouldn't want to move to the Moon if it meant 6 months physical therapy when I wanted to return to Earth.

    On the other hand, we probably won't see these at Walgreen's (over-the-counter or prescription) until they can find it in athlete's pee.

    --
    If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
    1. Re:Welcome to the future by Linux_ho · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They still haven't found a solution for bone degradation in space, although exercise seems to help.

      For the average couch potato popping these, expect to see problems with tendons that can't handle the strength of the muscles they are connected to.

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      include $sig;
      1;
    2. Re:Welcome to the future by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow! I am impressed! You must be one hell of a microbiologist to know stuff like that for certain.
      Oh well, look at me, I only know stuff about computers and I wouldn't ever dare say something so absolute and final in a field I have little to no knowledge of. But then look at you, a means of building muscle tissue arrives and you can immediately tell that the microbiological process they've discovered does not also build stronger tendons. Looking at that and your nick, you're a Linux hacking Microbiologist!

  6. So let me get this straight... by Snowfox · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Scientists have just discovered steroids?

    1. Re:So let me get this straight... by Pinchy · · Score: 1

      Scientists have just discovered steroids?

      Not quite. You still have to lift weights to get huuuge with steriods. Steroids just help your muscles recover faster so that you can lift heavier and more frequently.

    2. Re:So let me get this straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Back when I used to be interested in this type of exercise, we spelled it "huuj". The 'G' is soft.

      Nowadays, I'm reluctant to reach over to grab the remote, much less lift a freaking barbell.

  7. Skepticism by 4of12 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I have to wonder if artificial "push" chemistry is sufficiently workable compared to the conventional exercise-induced "pull" chemistry?

    Biochemistry has loads of reactions and products going on in terms of everyday metabolism. It's hard to think that just flooding in a few key reactants is going to have exactly the same effect as real exercise in all possible ways.

    There's gotta be a catch.

    --
    "Provided by the management for your protection."
    1. Re:Skepticism by jsprat · · Score: 1

      Exactly. For every "miracle medicine" there are side effects that we didn't consider, if only because the human system is too complex to consider all the variables.

      The scary part of drugs like this is how long until the side effects show up (think thalidimide, for example)?

    2. Re:Skepticism by linzeal · · Score: 1
      The secret is out...

      If you take this drug your penius or clitrois starts singing.

    3. Re:Skepticism by linzeal · · Score: 1
      I can see clearly now the flab is gone
      I can see no obstacles in the way

      When was the last time you saw your penius? Is it MIA you fatass than do something about it even before this pill comes out, go to any > 60% poverty line white trash town, enter the waffle house/denny's next to any walmart and get some methaphetimine which is probably methcathinone from the skinny strung out white folk therin (you see if they actually ate the food there they would be fat) and start snorting piggy !!!

  8. Better Living Through Chemistry by Cade144 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Considering the history of diet pills (Fen Fen anyone?) I hope they test the long term effects of this drug before it goes public.
    I can just see years from now, after I've been taking thousands of doses of this miracle drug to keep my gut from rolling over my belt, finding out that my hair has turned a deep shade of purple, my liver has dissolved completely, and no matter what I eat, everything tastes like pickles.

    1. Re:Better Living Through Chemistry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      None of those three sound like such a bad thing...

  9. Power Up! by BrunoC · · Score: 3, Funny

    This thing kinda reminds me of that Power Up pill of that Altered Beast game. That tiny little carachter becomes huge after 3 pills or so...

  10. Re:Watch how fast the spam industry... by Lord+Sauron · · Score: 3, Funny

    starts bulk-emailing spams that say something like: "Make muscles fast !"

  11. Today is April 11th by bihoy · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Not April 1st. Are we sure this isn't 10 day old news? 'cause I'm having a hard time belevin' it ain't.

  12. Could be useful for space exploration, though. by Binky+The+Oracle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This kind of advance could be very helpful to deep space exploration or other long term, low gravity situations. Combine with some way to retard calcium loss and one more hurdle is gone. Additionally, as the article mentioned, this would be a great thing for bed-ridden patients who can't exercise, or people with some other ailment preventing muscle-building routines (bad joints, arthritis, etc.)

    I'm definitely not against a technology (chemical, nano or otherwise) that would give me the benefits of physical exercise like better muscle to fat ratio, strength, and endurance without actually having to engage in repetitive physical activities that I find boring. There are only so many hours in a day, and I'd prefer not to spend them paying the local gym or lugging rocks around my yard.

    We've developed plenty of technologies that allow us to more easily accomplish things we found tedious or difficult (hammers, cars and planes, forklifts, word processors, slashdot) so this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Like any advance, it has potential for abuse or misuse, but it sounds pretty darn cool to me.

    --

    Slashdot comments... splitting hairs since 1997.

  13. Slash Feature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's a little box that says "No Score +1 Bonus" which you can check whenever you post inane, worthless messages like the one I'm replying to. It saves a moderator the trouble of slapping a "-1, Overrated" on your comment. Usually I just post anonymously if I'm going to say something stupid.

    1. Re:Slash Feature by bihoy · · Score: 2

      So it's OK to say you don't beleive in something like Cold Fusion but not Excercise Pills. At least I put my name on my post.

  14. They already have this. by andaru · · Score: 2

    It's called speed.

    --

    Why is Grand Theft Auto a much more serious crime than Reckless Driving?

    1. Re:They already have this. by linzeal · · Score: 1

      Speed eats away mostly organ mass. See that stuff floating in the toilet after a 5 day bender that is your lungs, kidneys, and maybe maybe some fat.

  15. Anikin Explained by Lord_Of_The_Beer · · Score: 1

    "there was an increase in the number of mitochondria."

    It is the force pill......

    Take the pill Luke.

    --
    D.A.K.D.A.E.---- Deny all Knowledge, Destroy All Evidence
  16. startup dream come true by FeralWhippet · · Score: 1

    I can just see some computer startup using this as a way of squeezing a couple more hours a day out of their employees...

  17. I have a dream... by hotpotato · · Score: 1
    Ever since I saw The Matrix I wanted to see two things happen in my lifetime: The ability to become a Kung Foo master in under 30 seconds, and the ability to stay in shape while exerting little or no effort ("Why are my muscles so weak?", "You've never really used them, Neo.." (please excuse my prob. crappy transcription)).

    I'm thinking, one out of two ain't so bad...

    1. Re:I have a dream... by AragornSonOfArathorn · · Score: 1

      Actually, it's "Why do my eyes hurt?" "You've never used them before"

      But your point is well taken. I would also love to learn "Drunken Boxing" in 30 seconds as well as Kung Fu :-D

      --
      sudo eat my shorts
    2. Re:I have a dream... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      kung fu's a way of life knobulet

  18. Remeber steriods? by HanzoSan · · Score: 2

    what these people never look into is the long term side effects.

    Steriods if you take it long enough raises estrogen levels and when you stop taking it, your body turns to shit, literally.

    Theres a few legal steriods like andro on the market, but i wouldnt take any of that crap.

    Look, the best way to excercise, get yourself a membership to golds gym, buy some whey protien with brain chain amino acids from GNC, and lift weights 2-3 times a week.

    Thats all, its not hard, Lift on the weekends if you work long difficult hours.

    If you want to get ripped, Dont eat any sugars or junk foods, and spread your meals out, eat many small meals instead of big meals with your biggest meal for breakfast.

    The only time i'd recommend dangerous pills like this or steriods is for people who are over 300-400lbs, usually these people have some kinda genetic disorder where they CANT burn fat.

    Alot of these people excercise more than I do, so I'm thinking maybe genetics plays a role

    Dont modify your genes unless you know for a fact its your genes thats the problem, steriods modify your genes, this medicine may not, but it could still fuck you up.

    Eventually we will have a pill which can raise your metabolism, I say dont use pills unless the old fashioned method of training harder fails to work.

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  19. Diets never work by HanzoSan · · Score: 2



    Diets are for overweight people (meaning gover 300lbs) who can barely walk, who lack patience and want to lose 100lbs in a week.

    What they dont realize is that 100lbs they lose in a week is 100lbs of muscle, so they end up looking like a smaller blimp instead of a big one.

    Aerobics dont make you burn more fat, Richard simmons is an out of shape guy trying to tell people how to get in shape, I suppose someone whose 400lbs thinks hes in shape and will try his diet.

    But when you look at atheletes, body builders, etc, these are the real people who are in shape and the first rule to getting in shape is to never diet.

    Alot of them do modify their eating habit but consistancy is what works, not starvation diets.

    Example, of a diet, this diet you eat every day for the rest of your life

    Toast, Peanut butter (early morning when you first wake up)

    Oatmeal + Fruit (Breakfast time)

    Tuna, Toast, (Lunch)

    Noodles, Chunks of chicken or Turkey (Right before training, or use suppliment)

    Fish Sandwitch, Orange Juice (After Trainingg or use Suppliment)

    This is what bodybuilders and atheletes eat, the meats are interchangeable depending on the sport, the grains also are interchangeable depending on the sport.

    Track stars need more starches like noodles and rice, and football players need more high protien high fat foods like beef, but for someone whos neither and just wants to eat healthy, you should eat skinless chicken, turkey, and fish, no beef or pork ever, one thing all atheletes avoid is sugar, if you need something sweet, eat fruit, but no athelete eats sugar.

    When training its best to eat the biggest meal right after training, and a somewhat big meal early in the morning.

    Thats the formula to getting ripped, just eat the exact same thing every single day, and train 2-3 times a week via weight lifting, You'll get in shape. IF you get hungry in the middle of the night and need a snack, eat toast and peanut butter, do not eat a snack like candy, do not eat a wholee meal, all you need body wise is protein carbos and fat, no sugar.

    Yes fat, because if you eat no fat your body forgets how to burn it and your metabolism slows.

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    If you use Linux, please help development of Autopac
  20. No you dont have to lift by HanzoSan · · Score: 2

    Do you know what steriods are? They are hormones, they genetically improve you,

    Does a naturally big guy have to lift to gget big? hell no, its genes.

    Steriods modifies this. By having more testosterone, your muscles grow on their own.

    Usually muscles only grow after weight lifting because thats when testosterone spikes, also they grow when you are sleeping, steriods is a way of giving your body that illegal testosterone spike eso they grow all the time practically.

    To speed up recovery you dont need steriods, its called whey protien with glutamine, mixed with high carbs right after training.

    IF you take your suppliments (high quality suppliments) or eat right, you never get sore and recover in a day or so.

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    If you use Linux, please help development of Autopac
  21. A long way from a pill by nucal · · Score: 2
    This study looked at genetically modified mice, not the effects of a drug. Finding a drug to specifically upregulate CaM Kinase could be tricky, even if gene therapy approaches are considered.

    Even given this, one downside of too much mitochondrial activity is that you will generate higher levels of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) - which have been implicated in aging, since they can cause damage to membranes, proteins and DNA. In other words, the overactive metabolism might cause premature aging as a trade-off for muscle overdevelopment.

  22. Drugs... by sean23007 · · Score: 2

    Exercise pill? You mean like speed? Or angeldust? Sorry Duke, you've been beat to the punch...

    --

    Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
  23. Gross! by andaru · · Score: 2

    Well, I wasn't planning on trying it myself anytime soon, but if I do, I'll be sure to follow your advice and avoid looking in the toilet. :)

    --

    Why is Grand Theft Auto a much more serious crime than Reckless Driving?