Scientists Seek Way to Get Muscle Gain Without Exercise Pain
Posted on: Thursday, 28 July 2005, 09:00 CDT
BODYBUILDING may soon take much less effort, if Scottish research succeeds in finding a way to build muscle without strenuous exercise.
Scientists at the University of Dundee are investigating a gene that tells the muscle to grow as if the body had just been lifting weights or doing some other form of exercise.
This might pave the way for a drug that would remove the need for a punishing workout to achieve the body beautiful. It could also be a major benefit for the elderly and sufferers of chronic diseases.
Dr Keith Baar, the principal investigator in molecular physiology at the School of Life Sciences, has received a GBP 247,000 grant from the Wellcome Trust to identify muscle-building genes.
He will focus on a number of proteins believed to play a role in the ability of muscle to respond to exercise. He is also looking at ways that these proteins can be activated naturally, such as by eating at a certain time after working out.
Dr Baar said: "If we can find a way to build or maintain muscle without the need for exercise, it could obviously make a major difference for people suffering from these kind of chronic diseases which not only can cause the loss of muscle mass and function, but also severely affect quality of life.
"There is always the potential for using it for other purposes. For people working out, it could definitely be used in that vein and also for other people, such as those with type 2 diabetes. If you increase your muscle mass, then that will increase your metabolism."
Once Dr Baar has identified the molecule, he will work towards a way to introduce it to the body through a drug or gene therapy.
It is hoped a formula will be found within ten or 15 years that could be given to the elderly or those suffering other conditions, such as AIDS or cancer.
"Those people with more muscle not only live longer, but can have more active lives," said Dr Baar.
Discovery of the gene might also help athletes to identify the best exercises to stimulate muscle growth and, therefore, increase certain muscles without resorting to drugs.
Source: Scotsman, The
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