Workout in a pill: Scientists move one step closer to an exercise-mimicking drug

Could popping a pill bring someone similar benefits to running on a treadmill or doing resistance training? In new research, scientists moved one step closer to making this a reality and developing a drug that can mimic some of the cellular effects of exercise.

The goal is to make a drug that flips switches in human cells that would normally be activated by exercise. These switches help maintain and regenerate muscle mass and boost the activity of cells' power houses, for example, said principal investigator Bahaa Elgendy, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry and anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Being able to trigger these cellular changes without exercise would be useful for older people, people with muscle-wasting disorders and those who might lose muscle mass while taking weight-loss-inducing drugs, such as Ozempic, he told Live Science.

Broadly, it's intended for those who face major physical barriers to exercising. "We're hoping that this can help all of these cases," said Elgendy, who's also the co-founder of Pelagos Pharmaceuticals, a startup aimed at developing these exercise-mimicking drugs, or so-called exercise mimetics. 

In a video interview, Elgendy added that the medicines would also be useful for those too busy to get enough exercise or who are "lazy, like myself."

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In previous research, Elgendy and colleagues found a molecule that turns on these exercise switches in cells in lab dishes and in animals. More recently, they've used that molecule as a starting point to develop new compounds that are more potent at mimicking the cellular effects of exercise. They presented these findings Monday (March 18) at the American Chemical Society's (ACS) spring meeting. The work represents a small step toward bringing these drugs to patients.