Remember the enthusiasm around the couch-to-5k movement? In the future, we might witness a trend called couch-on-10k.
This is due to a groundbreaking drug developed that simulates the experience of running a 10k without any actual effort.
As fascinating as it seems, it reminds us of the creators of WALL-E, who portrayed humanity in 2805 as extremely lazy, attached to screens, and lying on floating sun beds with no need to walk.
In Denmark, researchers have introduced a drug named LaKe, which may lower the risk of health issues like type 2 diabetes, strokes, and heart disease.
This innovation is the work of scientists Rasmus N. Ottosen, Jacob M. Seefeldt, Jakob Hansen, Roni Nielsen, Niels Møller, Mogens Johannsen, and Thomas B. Poulsen from Aarhus University in Central Denmark.
Their study was featured in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published by the ACS (American Chemical Society).
Dr. Thomas Poulsen, a leading chemist on the project, explained to the New York Post: “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.”
To date, this drug has been tested on laboratory rats, and researchers have observed that toxins were eliminated from the rats’ bodies, while their heart health improved.
Returning to the hypothetical scenario described by Poulsen, the drug induces a metabolic state akin to running a 10k at high speed without food.
Post-exercise, our bodies typically undergo a phase of inflammation where lactate and ketone levels, which serve as alternative energy sources for the brain and conserve glucose for essential metabolic functions, increase.
The drug doesn’t stop there; it also suppresses hunger by triggering the release of appetite-suppressing hormones in the body.
This, in turn, helps clear fatty acids from the bloodstream, which is why LaKe might be effective in reducing the mentioned health conditions.
Poulsen remarked: “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.”
Human trials are expected to commence soon.
With scientific advancements occurring regularly, what will the world truly look like in 2805? Or will climate change have taken its toll on the planet?