For all who have wondered if they could enjoy the benefits of exercise without the pain of exertion, the answer may one day be yes — just take a pill that tricks the muscles into thinking they have been working out furiously.
Researchers at the Salk Institute in San Diego reported that they had found two drugs that did wonders for the athletic endurance of couch potato mice. One drug, known as Aicar, increased the mice’s endurance on a treadmill by 44 percent after just four weeks of treatment.
I don't care if this is true -- I wouldn't take it. I like how actually exercising and moving make me feel. I don't want to 'trick' my muscles -- I have them and I want to use them! Besides, there is always a 'con' side to anything that sounds too good to be true. They just haven't released that info yet.
I don't care if this is true -- I wouldn't take it. I like how actually exercising and moving make me feel. I don't want to 'trick' my muscles -- I have them and I want to use them! Besides, there is always a 'con' side to anything that sounds too good to be true. They just haven't released that info yet.
I can see where something like this could be a great benefit for people who have debilitating injuries, or coma patients but I think it's kind of sad that this is making national news and the media is spinning it as a solution for obesity. I don't care what they say, I just don't think any artificial *trick* can give you the same sense of accomplishment and well being that eating good food and actually physically moving your butt can.
It's really weird - the article I read (a different one) actually says the drug was initially abandoned because of side effects - but then never mentions what they are and seems to forget they exist.
These people may as well sign up to be extras in Matrix - the ones hooked up like embryos.
It also made statements about it having the same long term advantages of exercise, weight loss, better lipids, etc. That is just gross ignorance of what studies like that do and don't prove. Lots of blood pressure or cholesterol medications may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, but they don't all have the same long term effects on mortality, heart attacks, etc. It makes a difference *how* you get there.
I think there's potential here for good use, as in maintaining function in coma patients, severely injured or incapacitated, etc. Even as an aid in obesity treatment, but not as a replacement for exercise, but perhaps as a jump start.
For someone who has absolutely no endurance, exercise of almost any kind can seem so incredibly daunting that it seems hopeless. A jump start could be incredibly motivating. I think of myself, and how difficult it was to do almost anything (yes, it was my own fault for much of my disability), but when I found out that NSAIDS were causing my asthma, and stopping them "cured" 99% of my asthma, sinus, and allergy symptoms almost instantly, suddenly and dramatically increasing my abilities and endurance for physical activity. I could have chosen to continue to be inactive, I suppose, but that's not what happened. Suddenly finding out I could do more, gave me a lot of confidence and excitement over being able to do more and
the motivation to do even more. Now a pill didn't do that for me, but ironically an absense of a pill did. Would I have been willing to take a pill in order to have the same experience? I'm not sure. I don't think I would have before knowing what an instant increase in ability would do for my motivation. But now, knowing what a sudden increase in ability did do for me, I can't say that I'd rule out the possibility.
I think the problem isn't that such a pill couldn't be immensely useful and even beneficial for some people. Even if there are substantial risks, in some cases the benefits could outweigh those risks, but if it has any "quick fix" potential (or seems to), it's likely to be abused. Given to athletes to boost performance, taken by already "fit" individuals to give them an "edge," taken by people who think it's "just as good" as exercise and basically seeking instant and effortless weight loss...
I just hope it's researched thoroughly before it's marketed, and once marketed it's prescribed responsibly (but I rather doubt it).
No thanks...I choose life! I heard on the news that it was only tested on mice so far. What I want to know is...where do they find all these fat mice to test all these "miracle pills" on?? LOL
WHOA! Exercise in Pill Form!
Besides, there is always a 'con' side to anything that sounds too good to be true. They just haven't released that info yet.
