Are “exercise pills” the answer to the growing problem of physical inactivity?
Physical inactivity is an important and growing major health concern and is defined as not engaging in any regular pattern of physical activity beyond that associated with daily functioning.1 The many consequences of inactivity include reductions in insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle and expansion of fat storage, factors associated with the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.2 Exercise is often performed with the goal of counteracting these changes and enhancing health and life expectancy. Imagine if the health benefits of exercise could be produced simply by taking a so-called “exercise pill”. This would be every couch potato’s dream and may be a reality if a paper recently published in the prestigious journal Cell is any indication.
Physical inactivity is an important and growing major health concern and is defined as not engaging in any regular pattern of physical activity beyond that associated with daily functioning. 1 The many consequences of inactivity include reductions in insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle and expansion of fat storage, factors associated with the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. 2 Exercise is often performed with the goal of counteracting these changes and enhancing health and life expectancy. Imagine if the health benefits of exercise could be produced simply by taking a so-called “exercise pill”. This would be every couch potato’s dream and may be a reality if a paper recently published in the prestigious journal Cell is any indication.
