Some people are happiest when they’re in the gym. If it were physically and financially possible, they’d spend every waking moment pumping iron. But let’s be honest: That’s not the case for most of us. Working out can suck, and sometimes you just have to do it out of necessity.
Everybody doesn’t need to walk around looking like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but keeping your muscles active is a key component of living a healthy lifestyle. This is a bit troubling for people who are unable to work out or have extreme difficulties doing so due to mental or physical disabilities or busy schedules. Researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University may have discovered a solution to all of the above.
In a new study published in the Bone Research journal, researchers at TMDU say they’ve developed a drug that mimics the muscle and bone cell growth that our bodies see as a result of exercise. The researchers found that when administered to mice, the drug locamidazole (LAMZ) reversed the effects of bones and muscles breaking down due to inactivity. Now, we’re likely some ways off before this is deemed safe and effective for humans. But if things move forward successfully, the availability of this drug could be a game changer for those whose quality of life and health deteriorate because they have to lead a sedentary lifestyle. The study remarks that the aim is for the drug to be used as a therapeutic measure to treat locomotor diseases like sarcopenia and osteoporosis.
If approved for human use, it’s likely the drug will first and foremost be prescribed to the people who need it. But if LAMZ ever hits shelves at, say, a Target, the number of gym memberships would precipitously decline. Why go to the gym when you can pop a pill that will make you feel great, get a little healthier, and, who knows, maybe make you look like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Eh, there’s no way the gym lobbyists would let that happen. Wait, is there even a gym lobby? Is there a Big Gym?
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