Sep 22, 2022Maintaining Bone & Muscle Strength Through a Pill?
When we are physically active our bones and muscles work together to make them stronger. To maintain bone health, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a combination of weight-bearing activities 3–5 times per week and resistance exercise 2–3 times a week.
Research has shown lifelong exercise to be beneficial for preserving bone health, and a reduction in physical exercise results in bone loss.
But what if there was a pill to help mimic exercise and promote similar changes in muscle and bone?
A recent story from Medical News Today expanded on the research being done to build stronger muscles and bones with a pill.
Below is an excerpt from the Medical News Today article.
New research undertaken at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) has identified a new drug that can mimic exercise, and promote similar changes in muscle and bone.
The work, led by Professor Tomoki Nakashima, has been published in Bone Research.
In the study, the research team identified a new compound called Locamidazole (LAMZ) as a potential therapeutic drug that can cause similar effects to exercise.
To test the new compound, the researchers administered either 10mg/kg of LAMZ orally once daily, 6mg/kg LAMZ by injection twice daily, or a control solution for 14 days to male mice.
Administration of LAMZ orally and by injection showed changes in both muscle and bone. Researchers noted that the treated mice had wider muscle fibers and increased muscle strength when compared to the non-LAMZ-treated mice.
Endurance was studied using a treadmill device, the LAMZ-treated mice were less fatigued and traveled a longer distance than the non-treated mice.
In an interview with Medical News Today, Dr. Joseph Watso, assistant professor at Florida State University, who was not involved in the study, explained:
“It is thought-provoking that while the changes in distance traveled by the animals were small (around 2%), the increases in adjusted maximal muscle strength and muscle fiber width were quite substantial after 14 days of LAMZ administration.”
The study has shown that LAMZ can reinforce bone and muscle with no negative effects on surrounding tissues, and can function as a therapeutic drug by reinvigorating muscle and bone via PGC- 1α, mimicking physical exercise.
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Dr. Watso summarized the findings:
“The article provides convincing evidence in animals for an agent with a high potential to improve bone and muscle health. Like most agents evaluated in animals, the key next question is whether those findings will translate to humans. Of course, without any harmful side effects that may not have been observed in the animal studies.”
He cautioned that “it will be an arduous task to develop one elixir of health to replace the innumerable benefits of regular physical activity and exercise. That said, continued efforts are needed to reduce the incidence of, and burden associated with, preventable diseases.”
To read the full article from Medical News Today about the pill research, click here.
