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New Drug Mimics the Beneficial Effects of Exercise
Zothecula writes "A drug known as SR9009, which is currently under development at The Scripps Research Institute, increases the level of metabolic activity in skeletal muscles of mice. Treated mice become lean, develop larger muscles and can run much longer distances simply by taking SR9009, which mimics the effects of aerobic exercise. If similar effects can be obtained in people, the reversal of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and perhaps Type-II diabetes might be the very welcome result."
Or you know, people could just go outside for a walk.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
If it seems too good to be true...
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
I prefer a drug known as SR388, which allows me to latch onto people's faces and drain their energy.
Biology being what it is, it's reasonable to think that the health benefits of exercise are a multi-factor phenomenon and that any one chemical will deliver fewer benefits than the real thing.
Then the odds are that the drug won't be bio-equivalent to the chemical signals released by real exercise and will have side effects as a result.
Soon, there will be two kinds of nerds: Those on SR9009 and those they beat up.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
XtremeShred, Fatbusterone, Buffadrine2000. Additionally they should only market it using annoying popup ads and late night television.
So this is how the population explodes, eh? Well it was going to happen somehow.
Raters gon' rate.
I will probably work great... except for the anal leakage.
Proverbs 21:19
I'm just going to file this in the "Deeply suspicious" file, shall I?
But you all try it, let me know how it goes.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
I love the way the summary talks about the diseases this could help fix.
You know what the Scripps Ranch business types are really thinking: "OMG, we are going to *own* the diet industry!" cha-ching!
Steroids, contrary to the public perception, can be used responsibly and with few health consequences, especially by men, to more easily lose fat and gain muscle.
It's not quite a free lunch, you can't sit on your couch and become Ronnie Coleman, but it will accelerate things.
Oops, sorry. Because we must protect the "integrity" of sports (and the money they bring in) we decided Steroids should be scheduled drugs
They'd probably do the same thing if something like this actually worked.
What makes the fancy scientists think that this will be any different? I've given my wife 5,000 excuses for not going to the gym. They never work.
It must be comforting to "know" that a study must be false by virtue of the fact that you disagree with its conclusion.
I always thought exercise mimicked the beneficial effects of drugs.
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
I guess that money I shelled out for an exercise bike to slouch on while I watch Food Network shows was wasted, huh?
About 70 years late, still good :)
When one MUST commute 45 minutes one way, work a ten hour day, commute another 45 minutes - traffic permitting, eat, do chores, etc .. getting proper exercise is challenging to say the least.
I'm a real fitness nut and I have to plan my day pretty carefully and set some strict limits on other people's demands on my time.
It's extremely difficult in technology since the culture is to live to work and live at work - if you're not constantly in front of the computer, then something is wrong with you.
I don't think the curing of disease will be what interests people in such a pill
That way I can work on my 6-pack
A drug that tricks the body to respond as if it has been exercising will work on all muscles. Real exercise only works on the muscles that you use. Overuse of this drug would be expected to cause muscle growth where you don't want it. Bulk up those facial muscles.
Sure, in limited cases, this could be great. I'm thinking of cases where people can't exercise, using this in low doses to reduce the length of rehabilitation. Stuck in bed for a month or two due to a car accident? This is for you.
Of course, if it works, it will be abused. Need to get that extra edge for the Tour de France?
Hmmm....now if I can combine that with my viagra and rogain...
It would have the same beneficial effects of SR9009 plus the laundry would always be done.
Send me a free sample to ....
You do all realize that muscles are not the whole story? You need parallel development of capillaries, veins, ligaments, joints, lungs, and bones.
If it doesn't do those, you might end up with huge muscles that tear away from their connections the first time you exert them.
Do you want an exercise-pill with your supersized menu?
It must be comforting to "know" that a study must be false by virtue of the fact that you disagree with its conclusion.
Why not? It works for politics.
..And I hear ARod is already being investigated for it.
One of the problems facing astronauts: long periods of microgravity cause bone and muscle loss. I've read science fiction stories where people had to take pills to maintain their bones and muscles; they called them "gravity pills".
If this drug really works, I'm wondering if the astronauts in the space station, future Mars missions, etc. might wind up taking it drug routinely.
Probably a Mars mission will need to have some sort of rotating crew module to produce a gravity-like acceleration, as it will likely require at least seven months for the trip.
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
If this drug works and becomes socially accepted, maybe in a few years Lance Armstrong will get his Tour the France titles back. Gyms will be out of business unless they become libraries.
that said I can't wait to try it
Exercise doesn't make you healthy, it's your body's response to exercise that makes you healthy. Of course it can be simulated.
The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
WOOT my face is so muscular now! O yea bustin' walnuts with my nostrils and shit!
get back to your desk
From TFA:
Previous studies on mice lacking Rev-ErbA showed decreased skeletal muscles, metabolic rate, and running capacity. Such mice appeared fated by their genetics to live as couch potatoes.
When Burris' group administered SR9009 to these mice to activate the Rev-Erb protein, the results were remarkable. The metabolic rate in the skeletal muscles of the mice increased significantly. The treated mice were not allowed to exercise, but despite this they developed the ability to run about 50 percent further before being stopped by exhaustion.
So they created some broken mice and then treated them with a drug that reversed what they broke. And, what do you know? The effects were reversed too.
I'd like to see a followup on unmodified mice to see if they also benefit. If Rev-ErbA is already present and active at normal levels, the drug may not do anything.
All we need now is just a sex pill. Then we can sit on the sofa all day updating our facebook status, while having all our needs satisfied popping pills.
Go humans!
one MUST commute 45 minutes one way, work a ten hour day, commute another 45 minutes
No, just no.
Or you value your life very little.
I've been unemployed for several years now and I DEMAND that I have a 40 hour week - no more. Deadlines missed?!
Well, your deadline was obviously unreasonable. Missed deadlines are ALWAYS management's fault!
That's what I said in interviews when I used to get them.
Steve Rogers is over 9000.
Oh, right...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenfluramine/phentermine
How much you wanna bet it's more about having "cheaters" cutting into the supply of hot ladies he's exercised so hard to get?
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
ROFLMAO. Best. Post. Ever.
I swear this sounds just like a Marvel Comics hero origin story...
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Sounds like how I've heard meth described. I've also heard it's awesome for weight loss too.
Do the mice feel the need to take apart their exercise wheel?
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
It's great they've had promising tests in mice, but journalists always go on to make some fabulous claim for how the future wonder cure/thing is right around the corner.
Yes, this is interesting, and maybe there is some good science/medicine that will come out of it - but we're FAR down the road from an exercise pill. I know the article isn't saying it's right around the corner either but it just feels like a lot of speculation and hyperbole at this point.
I know, I know - total Debbie Downer - sorry.
The Digital Sorceress
Like anything else, you can just buy it over the internet:
http://www.millipore.com/catalogue/item/554726-25MG?cid=bios-C-epdf-1032-1302-RC
We are masses of blood and other fluids integrated with a machinery (bones, muscles, cartilage, and other tissues) that was designed to be moving.
Drugs like that may bring some of the benefits produced by exercise, but ultimately our bodies depend on movement for many functions. For example, bones that are not stressed by exercise become brittle. Cartilage in our spine and joints have no direct blood circulation, but depend on the blood flow of surrounding tissue. Lack of movement deprives cartilage of indirect blood flow.
I doubt that a single drug can replace all the benefits of moving our bodies.
Who's got time to pop a pill?
They're probably in a container in the Kitchen or the Bathroom and I just found my comfy spot on the sofa and now my favorite show is on...
In the first paragraph, it states the drug "increases exercise endurance in animal models". It goes on to say "activation of Rev-erbα with SR9009 led to increased metabolic activity in skeletal muscle in both culture and in mice. The treated mice had a 50 percent increase in running capacity, measured by both time and distance."
I doubt the implication is that you can sit around on your ass popping these pills and expect to get buff...
A single chemical that can have far-reaching benefits if only we consume it responsibly? No thanks! Salt, iodine, iron, calcium, vitamins, and acetaminophen are for wimps!
In all seriousness, if the benefits are better than the downsides, sign me up. I've been waiting for something like this, and it will prove invaluable to those interested in space travel.
How about my screwed up shoulder from weightlifting, that I'm currently undergoing physical therapy for?
The physical therapist explained that my issue is usually caused by too much repetitive motion with the arms raised.
So, yes, increased wear and tear.
You can dismiss my firsthand account as anecdotal if you like, but there's also the inference I make from what the PT told me: "your issue is caused, like in other cases, by too much repetitive motion with the arms raised."
--PM
--PeterM
You are looking at this all wrong: I have a 45 minute commute and get exercise too by cycling. Edmonton has a fantastic river valley park so not only is about half the cycle ride through parks but the climb out of the valley helps increase the exercise. Of course being in Canada you can only do this 6-7 months of the year but for the winter there are buses so still no need to drive unless I'm working late. Not only does this get you exercise without taking up a lot of time but it's also saves money (bike maintenance is a lot less than the cost of bus fares or petrol).
I would be interested to see, if the increased cell production has an effect on damaged tissues (healing), and what effect did the drug long term have on average longevity of the mice. Does it have deeper effects on the aging process.
U. Bolt - new world record - 100m running 5.19s - and he will be tested and found clean, but 2 years later .. ROLF..
Please, doping for all and not only the wicked !
I'd blame it more on the scientists (and their organizations). There are all kinds of self-serving reasons for a lab to convince people they're on the verge of some great breakthrough. I've been hearing about cancer cures 5 years down the road for about 20 years now.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
So when is SR9009 going to make its way into professional sports? What if one were to exercise + take this drug?
According to the Nature paper referenced, they think part of the way it works is increased creation of working mitochondria, and increased recycling of nonworking mitochondria.
That's a useful thing to be able to modify. There are a number of diseases that seem to involve increasing mitochondrial disfunction or decreased numbers of them.
In fact, one of the theories of aging is that the mitochondria stop working so well contributing to senescence because there's less energy for the cell to do routine things like take out the trash (buildup of nonworking protein and other remnants). That's certainly not the whole story on aging, but it's likely a part of it.
This may not work in humans, or even if it does might not lead to an exercise pill, but this is certainly interesting work.
Once the drug is socially accepted, he should get his Tour de France titles back
Exercise that only tones the muscles isn't the most productive. Exercises that do this and integrate body and mind (such as a skilled sport or a martial art) do much more, and I doubt these drugs would accomplish any of that.
John_Chalisque
The belief that thousands of people working for a dozen different companies all work together in secret to destroy our health. That no pharmaceutical company will try to make a fortune selling a cure because they like selling treatments.
You know I'll just drop this https://xkcd.com/808
But... the future refused to change.
I always wondered why there are so few fat people on Picard's Enterprise despite the fact that there are food replicators everywhere. Seems like this will be a popular medicine in the 24th century.
I remember when diet pills were the fad in the 90s, then we realized they caused psychological and physical damage to the brain. Do we really need to go down this road again?
This post is almost entirely inaccurate. From the article: "An international group of scientists has shown that a drug candidate designed by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) significantly increases exercise endurance in animal models..." So the article is actually stating that it will increase an individuals endurance in order to allow people who normally can not perform exercise, to exercise (i.e. someone with an injury or someone who is overweight.)
It's over 9000!
This might help astronauts who lose muscle tone with extended time being weightless
Greed is the root of all evil.
Considering the side effects that people are okay with these days, a whole lot of people will have to die pretty horribly to keep this from dominating the market.
They feared that it could be used to suppress protest or support unpopular rule.
develop larger muscles
What about the associated connective tissue? Building big muscles fast is just a recipe for tearing ligaments. These take a lot longer to develop than muscle. As many steroid users demonstrate by bulking up fast and then tearing themselves up pushing too hard.
Have gnu, will travel.
Will I have to pick it up at a pharmacy or store? I'll probably have to pay for it too, I suppose.
Yeah. That sounds like it's going to be a lot of work. I think I'll pass.
This is slashdot. There is no get, especially with "hot ladies". Your argument is invalid.
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
Would this be useful for people who need to spend prolonged periods in low-g environments? What about people in comas? It seems like this might have a lot of uses beyond just making lazy people look better. Although, I wholeheartedly endorse that plan too.
Thanks for sharing that, my brother is 4 years older than me too & in many ways leads a much more difficult life than I do, so it hit kinda close to home. He is actually a good example of someone who can't simply quit and move, even though he would surely be better off financially if he was to do so. He its the eldest and of the old school of this meaning he is responsible for caring for his elders & won't move until those he feels responsibility for have passed. There are so many different circumstances that it is naive to believe one person's experiences can be applied to another's.
"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
I have been heavy all my life, which means that the benefits of exercising don't seem as tangible as the pain and changing of habits required. (AKA: I'm lazy and don't have a goal that seems tangible enough to motivate me).
This would cut out the starter work, and even if it didn't give me rock hard abs as long as it get's me out of the certified obese range (which is bullshit I just have big bones), then it may make the goal of being toned tangible enough to motivate me to change my lifestyle.
Or I can just continue to pray that someday soon a magical fairly comes and takes away nearly all of my fat.
I hope they keep that drug under control until they are really (I mean REALLY) sure it doesn't make people shy of light and awakes a sudden desire for eating brains.
Come on, all of these posts and nobody mentions the Fatkins treatment from Cory Doctorow's Makers?
The human experience is essentially one of self improvement, spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional et al. We should have complete freedom to enhance ourselves. It should be a human right to do so. Bring on the meds if they work. also IF1 modification treatments and any other human enhancement tech out there.
Over time medical science has done miracles for mice health!
I can agree that this would have benefits to people who need physical therapy or some other area. But I don't think they should try to market this as a solution to obesity. You know if it was sold like that it would be only for money without any reason to really be helpful to people. I would be willing to bet that this drug would cause people to be even lazier. Why take care of yourself when there's pills that fix you? What's the long term effects of not working out but making your body think it actually worked out for years and years?
It might be useful for space travel: one of the problems of a zero gravity environment is muscle atrophy and this drug could maybe solve that.
Drink hot water whenever possible.
Casteism
C'mon, you know how this will play out. Not just anybody will be allowed access. What's the difference between a drug that increases your muscle mass without exercise (i.e., the andros & other steroids) and one that increases your aerobic capability? If it actually does work, it'll first be banned by all sports organizations, amateur and professional, and then, like steroids, legally classified as a controlled substance and regulated as tightly as methadone. A result of our Puritan background -- if you don't earn something, you don't deserve it. You know I'm right: Even here, what was the first /. response? "People should just go out and walk instead of taking a drug."
Coming from the Thalidomide Generation, I don't really trust any kind of compound that is created to ''mimic'' anything. I hate to exercise just the same as many people, and I love the outdoors and spend as much time in the field as I can. Nevertheless, any drug that claims to be a shortcut to anything at all will most likely end up killing you in the long run. There again, just about anything a person consumes these days is classified as a killer in one way or another.
My next door neighbor, who's pregnant, was told by her doctor that her pregnancy-induced diabetes required medication.
She went to another doctor, because, you know, second opinion and all that. He reluctantly agreed with her when she insisted on another alternative, you know, other than being a drugged pawn of the big pharmas.
So now she goes for a walk every day. She's not diabetic now.
So yeah, be snarky and get a +5, but the fact remains. You can buy into a line of BS, or you can just go for a walk.
But if you did THAT, you wouldn't be a big fat asshole getting +5's on /. You'd be a nobody. Oh, wait...
to do absolutely nothing in terms of physical exercise *rolls eyes*...... the other beneficial possibilities of this drug seem to be well worth the effort of further testing and sampling.
is organ size enhanced?
Sounds like a lot of the drugs that have been banned by various sports organizations. Maybe it's addictive....