Announcement of a drug 'eating the equivalent of running 10km'

Danish researchers have just announced a drug that can replace running 10km at high speed.

Jogging brings many physical and mental health benefits - Photo: istockphoto

According to the Guardian, a research team from Aarhus University (Denmark) introduced a drug called LaKe, which has the effect of "putting the body into a metabolic state equivalent to running 10km at high speed on an empty stomach".

First of all, the most common term used to refer to drugs like LaKe is “exercise mimetics” because in principle, they mimic the biological effects of exercise without the need to sweat.

This idea has been around for a long time. In 2008, the Salk Institute (USA) introduced the drug GW 501516 (abbreviated as 516). 516 signals the genes needed to burn fat instead of sugar, helping rodent test subjects run for long periods without getting tired.

In the 516 experiment, Couch Potato and Lance Armstrong rats were fed the same diet of high-fat, high-sugar pellets. They got the same amount of daily physical activity, but the Lance Armstrong rat that was given 516 increased its endurance significantly while remaining much leaner than the Couch Potato rat.

A variant of 516 called Endurabol quickly appeared on the black market. The World Anti-Doping Agency warned athletes about Endurabol's poor safety, but many similar drugs were developed.

Meanwhile, LaKe is in the experimental stage in mice. The drug works by promoting a rapid increase in lactate in the body – mimicking the kind of effect seen after a bout of intense exercise – followed by a gradual increase in the chemical beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB).

BHB is a chemical synthesized in the liver from fatty acids to provide energy to the body when there is not enough glucose - the origin of the concept of "running on an empty stomach".

Increased lactate and BHB reduce blood levels of free fatty acids and suppress appetite, while also helping to reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes over the long term.

LaKe also showed no signs of harming mice, unlike early versions of 516, which promoted the growth of cancer cells in test subjects. Sounds promising, but is it really that simple?

Exercise affects almost every part of the body in complex ways that are not yet fully understood. The exercise alternatives mentioned above can promote a wide range of benefits for the body, but they also have limitations.

Exercise is a total body workout, with movements that can impact everything from improving bone density, helping you sleep better, improving your mood, relieving stress, and even helping to fight dementia.

Even if science could replicate these benefits with drugs, it would be difficult to replicate the psychological advantages of running a 5K with friends or achieving a personal best in an exercise routine.

We are still a long way from finding safe drugs that can replicate the most beneficial effects of exercise in humans. But if they exist, they could be useful for people who are elderly, frail, unable to exercise on their own, or recovering from surgery.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cong-bo-loai-thuoc-uong-vao-bang-chay-bo-10-cay-so-20241108114248608.htm