If there was a pill that mimicked the effects of exercise – without you having to go to the gym – would you take it? Given the potential of skyrocketing stock prices bestowed on any company that could achieve this feat, it should come as no surprise that this has been a goal of big pharma for decades. So is it really possible? A new drug called SLU-PP-332 promises to bring us one step closer to the holy grail of medical research – exercise in a pill, if the initial reports are true.
What Does SLU-PP-32 Stand For?
The letters and numbers refer to the name of the drug which helps researchers identify it from other, similar compounds, but SLU and PP don't refer to anything specifically. In science, it's common to give a seemingly strange combination of letters and numbers to an experimental drug. For example, a meaningless combination of letters and numbers is also used for the Limitless memory pill too.
How Does SLU-PP-332 Work?
SLU PP 332 belongs to a class of drugs called exercise mimetics. In other words it mimics or simulates the effects of physical activity.
It is thought that SLU-PP-332 tricks the body into thinking that the it is exercising, when it is not. This causes the body to increase metabolism and burn more fat. More specifically, SLU-PP-332 works by targeting a group of proteins in in skeletal muscles called estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). These receptors are scattered throughout the body and their concentration is increased in metabolically active tissues including muscle but also in the heart and liver too.
This exercise simulating drug ramps up the activity of alpha, beta and gamma estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). These ERRs help regulate metabolic rate throughout the body, and while they are always active, they are more active during physical activity. So by making the body “think” its exercising, ERR proteins become more active.
Additionally these estrogen related receptors also ramp up the production of cellular powerhouses called mitochondria (mitochondrial biogenesis) and improve the efficiency of the Krebs cycle, the cascade of cellular processes which burns fat and turns it into energy.
SLU-PP-332 Weight Loss Proof
In a study where researchers purposely fed mice a high-fat diet, they gained weight. This makes sense as they were eating more calories. However, when treated with SLU PP 332 for 28 days, mice lost about 12% of their body weight. Additionally, the exercise mimetic drug also seemed to result in mice gaining less fat when they were fed a high-fat diet. Untreated mice gained about 5 grams of fat mass, while those treated with the drug gained only 0.5 grams.
Does SLU PP 332 Improve Type II Diabetes?
When researchers administered this physical activity-simulating drug to overweight mice, it increased their resting metabolic rate, which is a positive outcome. However, the drug did not lower fasting blood sugar or insulin levels. SLU-PP-332 also failed to reduce spikes in blood glucose levels after eating. Likewise, there was no improvement in glucose tolerance either.
Something else that may come as a surprise is that even though the drug raised metabolism, it did not do so by increasing brown adipose tissue (brown fat).
Does SLU-PP-332 Suppress Appetite?
So far, the drug doesn't appear to impact appetite. When researchers administered it to laboratory animals, the animals did not eat less food.
SLU-PP-332 Exercise Proof
Given the potential of this experimental drug, it's likely to pique the interest of athletes. In one paper, researchers at the University of Florida reported that SLU-PP-332 improved both the speed and aerobic ability of mice by helping them run almost 50% farther and 70% longer than mice not receiving the drug.
In a separate experiment, the exercise drug demonstrated a 25% increase in fat burning and a reduction in carbohydrate consumption. In theory, these findings offer significant potential for various athletes, including marathon runners, cyclists, and triathletes. In another investigation, the drug was noted to enhance the ejection fraction of the heart in mice induced to experience heart failure.
Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood pumped from the heart with each heartbeat. Greater ejection fractions can benefit not only those with heart disease but also healthy athletes as well.
Given the potential incentives for misuse by pro and amateur athletes, supplement makers will no doubt be working hard to find a natural version of SLU PP 332 for exercisers who look for anything that might give them an unnatural advantage over the competition.
Effect On Muscle Mass
In one study, mice given SLU PP 332 for 28 days did not demonstrate increases in skeletal muscle mass. This lack of lean mass promotion may indicate the drug offers no exercise performance benefits to weight lifters. However, if the promise of reduced body fat percentages holds true for humans, there may be motivations for bodybuilders to experiment with this drug.
Does SLU-PP-332 Raise Estrogen Levels
Because this drug activates estrogen-related receptors, it's logical for men to ask the question if SLU PP 332 elevates female hormones, including estrogen, which is usually the bane of the existence of bodybuilders. Studies so far have not shown estrogen binds to these types of estrogen receptors. So, good news here.
SLU-PP-332 Side Effects & Concerns
So far, no one has reported negative side effects; however, bear in mind that much more clinical research is necessary to determine the benefits that this exercise-simulating drug may have for humans and to identify its potential adverse effects. Based on animal research, the drug does not appear to:
- raise liver enzymes
- alter pancreas function
- raise blood glucose levels
- lower insulin
- increase appetite
Additionally, while researchers demonstrated that SLU PP 332 lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides, it appears to have no clinically meaningful effect on reducing bad, LDL cholesterol. Oddly however, the drug also appears to reduce good HDL cholesterol.
How Much SLU-PP-332 Should You Take?
As was the case with myostatin inhibitors several years ago, eventually, supplement companies will probably be advertising natural versions of SLU-PP-332. While researchers need to prove the effectiveness of those supplements, if health-food stores had them on the shelves today, how much should you be considering in an oral product?
While we still need to zero in on the optimal human dosage, we can estimate it by examining the amounts used in animal studies. In one clinical trial, researchers administered 50 mg per kg of body weight to mice twice per day. In other words, they based the amount on the mice's weight.
Based on that amount, here is a summary of some approximate dosages for humans:
- 140 lbs (63 kg): 504 mg
- 150 lbs (68 kg): 544 mg
- 160 lbs (72 kg): 576 mg
- 170 lbs (77 kg): 616 mg
- 180 lbs (82 kg): 656 mg
- 190 lbs (86 kg): 680 mg
- 200 lbs (91 kg): 728 mg
Use these amounts as a rough guide to evaluate supplements rather than taking them as gospel. They are based on the drug itself- not natural ingredients. However, remember that laboratory animal research involved injections of SLU-PP-332, which may work differently than orally taken supplements. For those who think pill versions are far-fetched, remember Ozempic started out as injections, and now researchers are working on orally taken pill forms of the drug.
What Do I Think?
Initial reports reveal potentially impressive results; however, we must remember that SLU-PP-332 is still an experimental drug. You cannot obtain this from a doctor, and researchers have not yet confirmed the effective results seen in animals in humans. Skepticism is warranted until companies claiming the effectiveness of natural dietary supplement versions of SLU PP 332 can prove they work as advertised.