Posted on 10/08/2024 11:28:33 AM PDT by Red Badger
Researchers at Aarhus University have synthesized a molecule called LaKe that replicates the metabolic effects of exercise and fasting.
This advancement allows the body to mimic the beneficial states of high lactate and ketone levels, which could transform into an innovative nutritional supplement aiding those unable to maintain rigorous exercise and diet routines, and potentially assist in treating brain-related conditions like Parkinson’s and dementia.
Exercise and Fasting Benefits Mimicked by New Molecule
Regular exercise and periodic fasting are widely recognized for their numerous health benefits. These activities strengthen the heart and lower blood fat levels due to the body’s natural response, which involves rising levels of lactate (the salt of lactic acid) and ketones that serve as efficient cellular fuels and benefit organ function.
Researchers in chemistry, metabolism, and diabetes at Aarhus University have developed a molecule that replicates these metabolic effects without the need for physical exertion or dietary restrictions.
Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Same Effect as a 10 km Run on an Empty Stomach
“We’ve developed a molecule that can mimic the body’s natural metabolic response to strenuous exercise and fasting. In practice, the molecule brings the body into a metabolic state corresponding to running 10 kilometers at high speed on an empty stomach,” explains Professor Thomas Poulsen from the Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University. He is one of the leading researchers behind the study.
“When lactate and ketone levels in the blood increase, the production of an appetite-suppressing hormone increases, and the level of free fatty acids in the blood decreases. This has a number of health benefits, for example reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.”
According to the professor, it is not possible to achieve the same effect through diet alone, since lactate and ketones, although they occur naturally, cannot be consumed in the necessary quantities without undesirable by-products such as acid and salt. This is where the new molecule, called LaKe, comes in.
The illustration to the left shows the chemical structure of LaKe. The graphs to the right show how the blood concentrations of lactate and ketones (BHB) change over time in rats that have ingested either LaKe (blue curves) or a control substance (black curves). Both lactate and BHB can be seen to increase significantly in the rats that have been given LaKe. Credit: Aarhus University/Thomas Poulsen
LaKe Molecule > Dietary Supplements
The development of LaKe is the result of several years of research collaboration between Thomas Poulsen, Professor Mogens Johannsen from the Department of Forensic Medicine, and Chief physician and Professor Niels Møller, at the Department of Clinical Medicine and Steno Diabetes Center, Aarhus.
All three have researched metabolism from different angles, and they all already knew from their own and others’ studies that lactate and ketones have beneficial effects. It took them three years to make the chemical fusion of lactate and ketones, without the harmful ‘fellow passengers’ in the form of salt and acid.
“In a way, we’re not surprised by the effect, because we are combining well-known substances. The innovation is that we have now created a molecule which allows us to artificially control the amounts of lactate and ketones safely,” says Thomas Poulsen.
Clinical Trials and Future Potential
So far, the molecule has only been tested on rats, but the first clinical trials in humans are now underway at Aarhus University Hospital. According to Thomas Poulsen, the trials are expected to pave the way for the molecule to become an advanced nutritional supplement. It will especially help people who cannot follow a strict exercise and diet plan.
“It can be difficult to maintain motivation to run many kilometers at high speed and go without food. For people with physical ailments such as a weak heart or general weakness, a nutritional supplement can be the key to better recovery,” explains Thomas Poulsen.
Perspectives for Treatment of Brain Trauma
The molecule also has the potential to alleviate concentration difficulties and may be used in the treatment of serious diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia. These diseases are often characterized by low energy levels in the brain, which inhibit its optimal functioning.
“Because lactate can take over the role of glucose in the brain under stressful or traumatic conditions, there have been experiments to increase lactate levels in people with concussion. Patients who cannot perform strenuous exercise will benefit greatly from a drug that can boost these levels,” explains Thomas Poulsen.
Reference:
“Preparation and Preclinical Characterization of a Simple Ester for Dual Exogenous Supply of Lactate and Beta-hydroxybutyrate” by Rasmus N. Ottosen, Jacob M. Seefeldt, Jakob Hansen, Roni Nielsen, Niels Møller, Mogens Johannsen and Thomas B. Poulsen, 30 August 2024, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c04849
i have been waiting for this.
I want two of those on top of my next banana split.
Workout in a pill?
I’d like to see a 25 year study of health and longevity between the people to took the people and the people who actually worked out.
I’ll keep it a secret which one I’d put my money on.
New!
Pretty certain this would be a disaster long term. You can fool Mother Nature, but that makes her mad and payback is a bee-otch.
i sure hope those nice big lab rats lose all their blubber and gain tons of nice ripping muscles SOON!
so we can get these magic pills FAST!
I’m sick and tired of fasting and gaining weight
come on, rats, do your thing!
/s
Finally! I’ll get a good workout while I’m eating the Doritos.
I’m waiting for the one that is most effective when washed down with beer.
Sure it will.
And the side effects include........
Me, too.
But how about a tech device that can keep track of the time to take the pill, set up some water in a cup and hand the pill up to our mouths?
Young woman I knew said her girlfriend would go out to eat and like her friends have burgers and large fries and Coke. Maybe a shake or a cone.
The girlfriend would lose a pound or stay the same while the others fought off a couple of pounds newly gained.
“She’s one of those who loses weight from the arm exercise of moving the food up to her mouth.”
The pill I may need soon due to political ads and “Harris gains in polls again” would be the existing illegal one that inspired the shirt slogan:
I used to care
but now I take a
pill for that.
This sounds like the beginning of a Twilight Zone episode.
For how long, and will there be a ‘boomerang effect’ after prolonged use, where one gains all the excess cargo back, plus some? Look deeply into the mouth of this potential
Gift Horse, and his unpredictable companion; Side Effects.
I imagine the first caveman that discovered fermented fruit juice probably peddled it much they same way. “Drink this and it will make you handsome, stronger and smarter, all at the same time!”
Could someone go over there to the medicine cabinet and bring me my exercise pill.
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