Exercise in a pill? New compounds may mimic the effects of physical activity

How often has this been promised in the past? Healthy skepticism is advised!

This seems to be more of an obesity treatment, but who knows!

"Researchers have developed compounds that could mimic some of the health benefits of exercise. One day, these could result in new treatments for muscle atrophy, heart failure, and neurodegenerative diseases. Experiments on rodents have proven encouraging. In the not so distant future, these compounds could be as simple to use as popping a pill. ...

Exercise triggers changes in our metabolism through the activation of specific proteins called estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). These come in three forms: ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ. After nearly ten years of research, Elgendy and his team created a compound named SLU-PP-332. While it activates all three of these receptors, the main target was the difficult-to-activate ERRα. This receptor plays a crucial role in managing the body’s response to exercise stress and other vital muscle functions. ..."

From the abstract:

"Physical exercise induces physiologic adaptations and is effective at reducing the risk of premature death from all causes. Pharmacological exercise mimetics may be effective in the treatment of a range of diseases including obesity and metabolic syndrome. Previously, we described the development of SLU-PP-332, an agonist for the estrogen-related receptor (ERR)α, β, and γ nuclear receptors that activates an acute aerobic exercise program. Here we examine the effects of this exercise mimetic in mouse models of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Diet-induced obese or ob/ob mice were administered SLU-PP-332, and the effects on a range of metabolic parameters were assessed. SLU-PP-332 administration mimics exercise-induced benefits on whole-body metabolism in mice including increased energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation. These effects were accompanied by decreased fat mass accumulation. Additionally, the ERR agonist effectively reduced obesity and improved insulin sensitivity in models of metabolic syndrome. Pharmacological activation of ERR may be an effective method to treat metabolic syndrome and obesity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: An estrogen receptor-related orphan receptor agonist, SLU-PP-332, with exercise mimetic activity, holds promise as a therapeutic to treat metabolic diseases by decreasing fat mass in mouse models of obesity."

Exercise in a pill? New compounds may mimic the effects of physical activity These compounds could help those who are physically unable to exercise.

A Synthetic ERR Agonist Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome (no public access)