Workout pill to fight ageing

ONE of the secret ways exercise slows the ageing process has been uncovered, raising the prospect of developing drugs to mimic a workout and hold off conditions such as diabetes.

Monash University scientists revealed they had discovered levels of an enzyme were increased during exercise, triggering a mechanism that rewarded the body by promoting metabolic health and enhancing its responsiveness to insulin.

The newly discovered exercise enzyme process has so far been fully studied only in animals, however, the team led by Tony Tiganis hopes to confirm the process in larger human studies next year.

Because the key enzyme – NOX4 – could be targeted by existing compounds, Professor Tiganis said the discovery may open up the potential for drugs to protect against consequences of ageing, such as muscle wasting and diabetes for the aged or those who could not exercise sufficiently, if the animal studies could be replicated.

One of the compounds needed to trigger the exercise chain reaction can even be found naturally in vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower – though the study leader said the amount needed to produce the antiageing effects would be more than most people were willing to consume.

“In mice it prevents a decline in frailty,” Prof Tiganis said.

“By maintaining muscle function and preventing the decline in insulin sensitivity we are maintaining metabolic health and health overall.

“A lack of activity as we age in particular can accelerate the decline in health and promote the development of insulin resistance and thereby increase the risk for type two diabetes ... so it’s a major problem as the population ages.

“We now know that we can overcome the decline in NOX4 by activating pathways downstream of NOX4.”