Scientists moving toward a pill packed with benefits of exercising
Science has gifted humanity with several unbelievable things, and now it seems it is closer to packing the benefits of exercise in a pill. A report published in the journal Nature by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, and collaborating institutions says that a blood molecule, Lac-Phe, produced during exercise can effectively reduce obesity and food intake in mouse models.
Co-corresponding author Dr. Yong Xu, professor of pediatrics- nutrition, molecular and cellular biology at Baylor said, "Regular exercise has been proven to help weight loss, regulate appetite and improve metabolic profile, especially for people who are overweight and obese." "If we can understand the mechanism by which exercise triggers these benefits, then we are closer to helping people improve their health," he added.
- Exercise in a pill is a very enticing idea for most of us, and research published last week by authors from Stanford, Baylor, and Berkley has brought us closer to it.
- The study identified a molecule called Lac-Phe (nicknamed "anti-hunger molecule") in mice, racehorses, and humans that is formed after exercise.
- Its effect has been correlated with an almost a 30% reduction in appetite.
Zu and Long conducted several comprehensive examinations of blood plasma compounds from mice followed by intense running on the treadmill. A modified amino acid called Lac-Phe was the most significantly induced molecule. Lac-Phe is synthesized from phenylalanine and lactate. A high dose of Lac-Phe reduced food intake by 50% in mice with diet-induced obesity without affecting their energy expenditure and movements.
"We want to be able to capture some of its (exercise) benefits," said co-corresponding author Jonathan Long. "Older or frail people who cannot exercise enough, may one day benefit from taking a medication that can help slow down osteoporosis, heart disease, or other conditions."
According to researchers, Lac-Phe also improved glucose tolerance and reduced body weight and cumulative food intake in mice when offered for 10 days. Another enzyme called CNPD2 was also discovered during Lac-Phe production which revealed that mice who didn't have the enzyme failed to lose body weight on an exercise routine as a control group on a similar exercise regime.
While studying the physical activity in humans and racehorses, the researchers found some strong advancement in plasma Lac-Phe levels. According to data from a human exercise unit, plasma Lac-Phe increased dramatically after sprint exercise, resistance training, and endurance training. "This suggests that Lac-Phe is an ancient and conserved system that regulates feeding and is associated with physical activity in many animal species," Long said.
"Our next steps include finding more details about how Lac-Phe mediates its effects in the body, including the brain," Xu said. "Our goal is to learn to modulate this exercise pathway for therapeutic interventions," he added.
