By Lynn Difley
So here’s the latest insanity. Buck Rogers stand back. Headlines: “Exercise in a Pill – Researchers Find Two.” Double insanity. So the scientists have found a drug that seems to boost biological benefits of exercise by helping cells burn fat better and boosting endurance. Just as Alice in Wonderland found, “One pill makes you larger, one makes you small”; so one of these pills may help people enhance their exercise and training–look out world-class athletes! With this one, scientists were quick to determine markers, so that those who abuse this magic pill can be detected, as in the case of competitive athletes. The second pill is designed for couch potatoes.
The first pill produced a super mouse who could run twice as far as his fellow mice, and stayed lean even when tempted with a high fat diet–sounds like the answer to all our prayers, folks. I think I’ll get in line. The second is designed to produce the effects of exercise without the sweat. The mice that received this drug, behaved as if they’d been exercised, running 44 % longer than their un-drugged mice brothers. Now how in the world did they measure their running capacity if they didn’t exercise? The study didn’t say.
The only bad news is that this drug does not help those who have muscle-wasting diseases, fatigue, or who are too overweight to exercise. So those who need it the most are not going to benefit from it. Scientists are quick to find a way to be sure that those who use this drug boost are detected, which means that all those who undergo drug testing–the elite athletes–will not be able to use it. So who does that leave? Mice who like to hang out on the couch and watch TV.
Shall we look forward to taking a daily pill rather than a walk? Would you rather swallow your coated capsule, or jump on your bike and pedal off down the road? I don’t know about you, but I relish my morning walk, jog, or exercise and I’m not sure that adding a drug to my body chemistry is desirable. Why would I want to run 44% longer than my neighbor, if I am lying on the couch rather than smelling the pine forest and eucalyptus tang of my morning run? I don’t want to pass up the sight of dolphins leaping and pelicans diving into the ocean for a gel cap and glass of water. No, call me old fashioned, but I think I’d rather the scientists focus on a cure for the common cold or a vaccine to protect people from AIDS. Leave me to my joy of movement; I want to get there under my own power.
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lynn difley
HI Marc, thank so much for telling me your story, it is a fantastic one! I am very proud of you for losing the weight you need to against such difficult odds. I commend you for water ex, as you probably know it is my favorite form of exercise. If you have been taking water exercise for some time you may be ready to try a great form of calorie burning, water running. Does your pool have a deep section? If so, you can strap on a flotation belt- to help you focus on your core, and start to walk. Once you are comfortable with a good strong stride, move your legs a little faster. Naturally, you would want to check with your dr and get the ok, but if you are able to this is a fantastic way to burn tons of calories without any stress to joints. In addition, you get all the other benefit, improved cardiovacular system, stronger muscles, and an all over positive feeling that comes with endorphins being stirred up as your heart thumps. If you have any question, please ask, I have seen lots of people go from walker (as in device) to dancer (as in agile on the dance floor) thank to a regular program of water running. Hang in there, I hope to meet you, Lynn
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lynn difley
HI Marc, I’m so glad you wrote again, because somehow I lost your original comments before I had time to answer them. I hope you know that this article was written tongue in cheek, it was a spoof on the way we depend on science to answer all our problems. On a more serious note, this pill may have answers for those who are unable to exercise, although, according to the studies, the benefits are not the whole answer. An article in Science Blog, “exercise pill no replacement..” lists the 26 questions that the study does not address, all of these being health risks or benefits that are found in exercise. Thanks for your comments, I’m going to go take a walk in the sun. Yours, Lynn
Marc
“The only bad news is that this drug does not help those who have muscle-wasting diseases, fatigue, or who are too overweight to exercise.”
All the reports I have heard and read said nothing about those listed above will not be helped by this pill. Quite the contrary this pill has been mentioned as a possible assist to those with medical problems. Just curious as where you heard such facts
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August 11th……Can you please direct me to the report so I can read it for myself.
Thank you in advance.
lynn difley
HI Lisa, you are so right, and keep on trucking. It is a big part of our society and growing bigger (yes pun intended) the overabundance of food and labor saving devices and the lack of enthusiasm for movement, be it exercise, physical games or pursuits, or such practical ways of moving the body, such as gardening, birdwatching, picking up trash or clearing trails etc. It would be great if we had a pill to give us a kick in the rear, but we have each other and that may be just the pill we need. How about a walk? I’ve got a beautiful day here in Santa Cruz, we had an early morning walk on the beach, watching the pelicans dive and fly in their fantastic formation, and smelling the salty air, what a great start to the day. hope you are able to enjoy your garden this morning, and thanks for your positive comments. Lynn
Lisa Roth
Thank you Lynn, for the kind words and encouragement. I always enjoyed swimming, but for the past few years have been in rural or desert areas where swimming hasn’t been an option. Perhaps one day I’ll be in a place for an extended period of time where I could take advantage of a water aerobics class.
I certainly feel that I am not alone in my dilemna. People in my position are easy marks for that ‘quick fix.’ I remind myself of that and whenever I read of something that sounds ‘too good to be true’, I do all the research on it before giving it a try. I have not yet done any research on these pills; I mostly reacted to the tone of the article, and felt I should respond with the reasons someone might feel the need to take pills to assist in returning to a healthier body/shape. Key word being “assist”.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda’s aren’t going to get me, or people like me, back into shape and time machines are science fiction. Pills that aid in restoring muscle tone, reducing weight gain, etc. might be legitimate stepping stones in the right direction. And let’s not forget the added benefit of improved overall health (heart/lungs/joints/etc) that comes with weight loss. That’s got to count at least as heavily as the cure for the common cold!
*stepping off my soapbox now*
and thanks again 🙂
lynn difley
HI Lisa, I agree with you, it would be nice if this pill would just help us get a jump start on the exercise so we could go on our own to enjoy whatever it is we do. however the study shows that the effect of the pill is on muscular strength, not on cardiovascular or lung capacity or on weight loss, calorie burning. I do not think everyone should run, I think walking is the ideal form of exercise, and as a matter of fact i am deeply involved in teaching water aerobics, which is an exercise form tailor made for those who cannot run due to joint or other physical limitations. I support you in your struggle to attain an ideal weight and sympathize with the annual winter hibernation weight gain. Keep up the good work, you are making the world a more beautiful place while burning off the calories.
Lisa Roth
“Why would I want to run 44% longer than my neighbor, if I am lying on the couch rather than smelling the pine forest and eucalyptus tang of my morning run? ”
You’re making an assumption here. You appear to be assuming that those who would take this pill would rather take a pill than exercise. What if the best way for people to start exercising is losing the weight first, so that they are actually *able* to walk/run/exercise.
Personally, I despise running. I didn’t like it when I was in the service 30 years ago and I don’t like it now. I do enjoy walking and always did, but I’m simply not in shape to walk as much as I would like. And riding a bike killed my knees back when I was a size 10, so you can bet I won’t be doing that at my current weight!
The lure of a pill like this for a person like me would be that if it would help me to attain a healthy weight, I could then go for walks like I used to enjoy. I don’t see this as a long term medication; I see it as an aid to improving one’s health, until they could do the activities they presently only wish they could.
My lifestyle is very different from most folks. For six months out of the year, I work my tail off outside doing landscape gardening for an RV park. The remainder of the year, I travel with my disabled husband. Every winter, I gain about 20 lbs and every summer I lose about 10. I’ve jumped four dress sizes in five years. I’d love to take a pill that would help me to go back down to a weight where the walking doesn’t damage my knees due to my excess weight.
I’m not saying I’m going to run to the drugstore and buy this pill today – I’d do my research, ask the questions, weigh the pros and cons. But something like this could turn things around for a lot of people out there. I don’t think it should be arbitrarily dismissed.
“Leave me to my joy of movement; I want to get there under my own power. ” So would I. But maybe I, and others like me, could use a little help getting there.
thanks,
Lisa
Marc
“The only bad news is that this drug does not help those who have muscle-wasting diseases, fatigue, or who are too overweight to exercise.”
All the reports I have heard and read said nothing about those listed above will not be helped by this pill. Quite the contrary this pill has been mentioned as a possible assist to those with medical problems. Just curious as where you heard such facts.