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‘Exercise’ pills to keep you fit a reality soon

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Sydney: What if you can pop an “exercise” pill daily which mimics the health benefits of running, weight training or endurance exercise to keep you fit and disease-free?

It does not seem a far-fetched idea as researchers from the University of Sydney have provided the world’s first comprehensive exercise blueprint that may pave the way for drugs that mimic the benefits of exercise in the near future.

They exposed 1,000 molecular changes that occur in our muscles when we exercise, opening the door for drug treatments to mirror the health benefits of exercise.

“Exercise is the most powerful therapy for many human diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders,” said professor David James from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre.

However, for many people, exercise is not a viable treatment option.

“This means it is essential we find ways of developing drugs that mimic the benefits of exercise,” he added.

The team, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, analysed human skeletal muscle biopsies from four untrained, healthy males following 10 minutes of high intensity exercise.

Using a technique known as mass spectrometry to study a process called protein phosphorylation, they discovered that short, intensive exercise triggers more than 1,000 changes.

Most traditional drugs target individual molecules.

“With this exercise blueprint we have proven that any drug that mimics exercise will need to target multiple molecules and possibly even pathways,” the authors pointed out.

The majority of changes they discovered have not previously been associated with exercise, with existing research focusing on just a small number of changes.

“Exercise produces an extremely complex, cascading set of responses within human muscle. It plays an essential role in controlling energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity,” noted co-author Dr Nolan Hoffman from the Charles Perkins Centre.

The researchers have narrowed down the therapeutic possibilities within the blueprint using mathematical and engineering-based analysis.

“This is a major breakthrough, as it allows scientists to use this information to design a drug that mimics the true beneficial changes caused by exercise,” the team concluded.

The research was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

 

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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