I’ve been asked LOTS of questions lately about an interesting Malaysian herb called “Eurycoma” (aka Malaysian Ginseng and by its Latin botanical name, Eurycoma longifolia). Since I have conducted a range of research trials on eurycoma over the past 5 years, I thought I would provide an outline of some of the important factors to consider if you decide to give eurycoma a try…
The information below is a synopsis of eurycoma – but please feel free to delve into the details of eurycoma and some of its complementary balancing compounds at these links:
Eurycoma (more detailed) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2008/10/2_Eurycoma_longifolia_%28Professional_version%29.html
Citrus PMFs (for intracellular cortisol balance) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2008/10/2_PMFs_%28Poly-Methoxylated-Flavones%29%28Professional_version%29.html
Catechins (from green tea for norepinephrine balance) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2009/2/20_Green_Tea_-_Professional_Version.html
Theanine (for stress relief and dopamine balance) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2009/5/13_Theanine_-_Consumer_Version.html
Eurycoma (Eurycoma longifolia)
Introduction
Eurycoma is a tree root, often called Malaysian ginseng (to suggest its benefits as an “energy tonic”), and also known by its local name “Tongkat Ali” in Malaysia. In Vietnam, eurycoma root is called “Cay Ba Binh” meaning the “tree that cures 1,000 diseases” to denote its widespread use in traditional remedies.
Don’t waste your time “Googling” eurycoma on the Internet, because you’ll be confronted with thousands of outlandish claims for the root to cure cancer, “boost” testosterone levels, improve sexual potency, and pretty much cure whatever ailment you can think of.
That said, there is actually some very solid research (in humans) on the health benefits of eurycoma – BUT you need to be sure you are getting “true” eurycoma root that has been harvested properly, extracted properly, and remains pure (there are many examples of fake eurycoma, improperly extracted (toxic) formulas, and contaminated (heavy metals) products on the market – so Buyer Beware).
What CAN Eurycoma Do?
So, if you can wade through all the disreputable claims and inferior products to find legitimate eurycoma root extract, what can you expect? The best and most appropriate use of eurycoma root extract is to help support hormone balance. Why should you care about “hormone balance”? Because hormone imbalance is the biochemical root of a long list of “modern” stress-related conditions, including fatigue, depression, mental confusion, weight gain, low sex drive, immune suppression, and many others. By restoring hormone balance, eurycoma can help to reverse each and every one of these symptoms that many of us associate with “aging” and with our too-busy frantic lives.
The research evidence for eurycoma’s health benefits in humans is focused primarily on maintaining hormone balance (cortisol and testosterone), which results in measurable improvements in psychological parameters such as reduced stress levels, improved mood state, and enhanced vigor (a term from psychology research that indicates “mental and physical energy”).
There are a large number of animal studies that show eurycoma root can restore normal testosterone levels (from low back “up” to normal) – but there is no good research to suggest that eurycoma increases testosterone levels above normal (bad news for the bodybuilding crowd that is always looking for a testosterone booster). This unique “balancing” effect of eurycoma is due to its mechanism of action to help “release” free testosterone from its binding/transport protein (SHBG – sex hormone binding globulin) rather than stimulating production of new testosterone. Most middle-aged adults do not need to produce more testosterone, they simply need to release the testosterone that they’ve already produced and that is floating around in their blood “locked up” by SHBG.
The people who can most benefit from restoring normal hormone balance are obviously those who are suffering from an imbalance – which includes those individuals with chronic stress, sleep deprivation (less than 8 hours nightly), athletes (exercise stress), and dieters (psychological stress from what we call “dietary restraint”). If that weren’t bad enough, the simple process of aging means that anyone past the age of 30 is at risk for hormone imbalance (cortisol rises and testosterone falls with age) – unless you follow an impeccable diet, activity, and sleep regimen –and especially if you’re also exposed to any of the modern stressors listed above.
What To Look For in a Eurycoma Root Extract?
As with any dietary supplement, you want to be sure to purchase eurycoma from a reputable source – one that employs stringent quality control in terms of harvesting, sourcing, manufacturing, and packaging.
Perhaps the most important consideration with selecting a eurycoma root extract is that it be extracted in hot water – not alcohol – and that the water extract is standardized to the proper level of active constituents. The alcohol extracts will result in a high content of toxic compounds (useful for treating infections with certain jungle parasites, but counterproductive to the main use of water-extracted eurycoma for hormone balance). There are a lot of unsupported claims for different extract “ratios” for eurycoma – so you’ll be led to believe that one manufacturer’s “100:1” extract is more potent than another’s “50:1” extract or another’s “20:1” extract. What really matters in terms of potency of the extract is that it is standardized to contain a known and research-proven level of the active compounds – and the only eurycoma extract validated for hormone balance in humans delivers 22% eurypeptides (small protein chains) from a hot-water-extract.
Also important in your choice of eurycoma supplements is whether or not the root has been sustainably harvested. Eurycoma trees are both rare and slow-growing (taking about 5 years to reach maturity for harvesting at the optimal content of active compounds). Disreputable harvesters of eurycoma trees may “clear cut” old growth jungle forests – while reputable harvesters have instituted seedling replanting programs within the Malaysian jungle as well as established eurycoma plantations with the Malaysian government to support the ongoing sustainable harvesting of eurycoma for generations to come.
Finally, you want to be sure to select a source of eurycoma that is formulated to support hormone balance holistically – not just focus on the testosterone side of the equation. In Malysian traditional medicine, and in other traditional medicine systems from around the world, certain “base” herbs such as eurycoma often play the “starring role” in a given formula – but they are balanced with other ingredients to maximize the desired benefits. A properly balanced formula will help to restore “biochemical balance” within the body (hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters), which will result in “physiological balance” (optimal organ function – brain, muscles, heart, lungs, etc), and will be perceived as “psychological balance” by the individual (improved feelings of well-being). In the case of hormone balance and mood/energy benefits, ingredients such as citrus PMFs (polymethoxylated flavones), green tea catechins, and the amino acid theanine are good matches for eurycoma due to their complementary effects in balancing cortisol, norepinephrine, and dopamine (each of which addresses different aspects of hormone balance and mood/vigor).
Bottom Line
I have been studying eurycoma in various formulations (combined with PMFs, catechins, and theanine) for the past five years – in athletes, dieters, and people under stress – and in each of these categories of subjects, our research shows a clear and compelling range of benefits – starting with a restoration of hormone balance and leading to significant benefits including reduced stress, improved mood, and enhanced vigor. These clinical studies have been presented at some of the top peer-reviewed scientific conferences in the world, including the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the Obesity Society, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and Experimental Biology (with the American Society for Nutritional Science and the largest scientific nutrition conference in the world). I am especially excited that the precise 4-ingredient balanced formula that I have used in my clinical studies will be introduced to the marketplace in the coming weeks by one of the leading natural health companies in the world. Please stay tuned for more information…
Thanks for reading,
Shawn
=====================
Shawn M. Talbott, PhD LDN FACSM
smtalbott@mac.com
www.ShawnTalbott.com
smtalbott@supplementwatch.com
www.SupplementWatch.com
Follow me on Twitter @DocTalbott
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Endurance Supplement Potency
I had a very interesting conversation with a new Wicked Fast customer yesterday. He called the office and had some questions about the “extract strength” of some of the herbs that we use in Energ-Ease. The fact that he even asked about something such as “extract strength” indicated that he was very familiar with product formulation and research - and that he knew how to spot a “premium” formula from a “run of the mill” formula.
After answering a few of his questions - he revealed that he was a health journalist and ultra-runner who had learned a lot about herbal quality over the course of many years of writing about the industry (and learning that a lot of the herbal products on the market are low-potency junk). He was impressed with the very high levels of “active” compounds in Energ-Ease (much higher than competing products in the endurance category). This guy had certainly done is homework.
Later in the day, we saw a new order (for 3 bottles of Energ-Ease) come in from this caller - so I guess he was convinced that Energ-Ease was the highest quality (and best value) compared to the other endurance supplements. It also got me thinking about how many other people out there might also be struggling with WHICH endurance supplement to try - so here is a little primer to help you out:
Concern #1 - Is there any research (on the FINISHED product - and in endurance ATHLETES)?
-With Energ-Ease, the answer is YES on both counts. We have 4 scientific presentations delivered at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences (ACSM 2004, ISSN 2006, ASCN 2007, and ISSN 2007) which showed significant benefits in endurance athletes (marathon runners, 24-hour cyclists, Ironman triathletes) on measures such as lower cortisol, higher testosterone, reduced fatigue, and enhanced performance. The other endurance supplements on the market have a grand total of ZERO human feeding trials (unless you count the studies that show NO benefits).
Concern #2 - Is the product POTENT - meaning does it contain enough of the ACTIVE compounds?
-With Energ-Ease, the answer again is YES on both counts. Not only do we provide “enough” of the active compounds (our research studies prove the efficacy of our actual finished product) - but we provide MORE of the active compounds than any other endurance products out there. Unlike other endurance products that provide low-potency Cordyceps and Rhodiola, Energ-Ease uses the only ultra-pure high-potency extracts available (they are also wicked expensive and in limited supply, which is why the other guys hope you won’t notice that they’re selling you ineffective junk).
For example, our Cordyceps is standardized to the highest level (6%) of the active endurance-promoting compound, Adenosine (12mg per dose for $40) - a level that is 705% to 857% higher than what you’ll find in Optygen (1.4mg for $50), Optygen HP (1.4mg for $75), Kona Endurance (1.5mg for $40), Kona Endurance Pro (1.7mg for $60) and CordyMax (1.5mg for $52).
As another example, our Rhodiola is standardized to the highest level (6%) of the active endurance-promoting compound, Rosavin (12mg per dose for $40) - a level that is 121% to 133% than the other guys, including Optygen (9mg for $50) and Kona Endurance (10mg for $40). CordyMax does not provide rhodiola at all - and the “high performance” versions of Optygen HP (15mg for $75) and Kona Endurance Pro (18mg for $60) provide a smidge more rosavin for a huge premium in price (you could almost take a double dose of Energ-Ease for a lower daily cost).
Concern #3 - Is the product PURE - or is it going to get you “flagged” in a dope test or have undeclared contaminants?
Not a single one of the other endurance supplements provides Eurycoma root extract - so none of the other products help naturally balance your hormone profile (cortisol/testosterone) to help you avoid overtraining (characterized by elevated cortisol and suppressed testosterone). And not a single one of the other guys ensures the absence of banned or prohibited substances with third-party analytical testing as we do at Wicked Fast (every batch of Energ-Ease and Recover-Ease is analyzed by Banned Substances Control Group in Los Angeles).
-More Actives (for a better price than the competition)...
-Endurance plus Hormone Balance (lacking in the competition)...
-Research results in endurance athletes like you (obviously not important to the competition)...
You may have never heard of Wicked Fast products because we do almost no advertising and we pay for zero professional endorsements (because that inflates the prices that you pay for products). Instead, we’re endurance athletes like you - so we put our efforts toward developing products that WE would like to use (and at a fair price) - and we spend money and time to support events that we like to do ourselves (triathlons, trail runs, etc) - and we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee (which you’ll never need to take advantage of, because you’ll LOVE the products).
That’s all for now - thanks for reading...
Shawn
============================
Shawn M. Talbott, PhD
CSO, Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition
Shawn@WickedFastSportsNutrition.com
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com
After answering a few of his questions - he revealed that he was a health journalist and ultra-runner who had learned a lot about herbal quality over the course of many years of writing about the industry (and learning that a lot of the herbal products on the market are low-potency junk). He was impressed with the very high levels of “active” compounds in Energ-Ease (much higher than competing products in the endurance category). This guy had certainly done is homework.
Later in the day, we saw a new order (for 3 bottles of Energ-Ease) come in from this caller - so I guess he was convinced that Energ-Ease was the highest quality (and best value) compared to the other endurance supplements. It also got me thinking about how many other people out there might also be struggling with WHICH endurance supplement to try - so here is a little primer to help you out:
Concern #1 - Is there any research (on the FINISHED product - and in endurance ATHLETES)?
-With Energ-Ease, the answer is YES on both counts. We have 4 scientific presentations delivered at top-tier peer-reviewed conferences (ACSM 2004, ISSN 2006, ASCN 2007, and ISSN 2007) which showed significant benefits in endurance athletes (marathon runners, 24-hour cyclists, Ironman triathletes) on measures such as lower cortisol, higher testosterone, reduced fatigue, and enhanced performance. The other endurance supplements on the market have a grand total of ZERO human feeding trials (unless you count the studies that show NO benefits).
Concern #2 - Is the product POTENT - meaning does it contain enough of the ACTIVE compounds?
-With Energ-Ease, the answer again is YES on both counts. Not only do we provide “enough” of the active compounds (our research studies prove the efficacy of our actual finished product) - but we provide MORE of the active compounds than any other endurance products out there. Unlike other endurance products that provide low-potency Cordyceps and Rhodiola, Energ-Ease uses the only ultra-pure high-potency extracts available (they are also wicked expensive and in limited supply, which is why the other guys hope you won’t notice that they’re selling you ineffective junk).
For example, our Cordyceps is standardized to the highest level (6%) of the active endurance-promoting compound, Adenosine (12mg per dose for $40) - a level that is 705% to 857% higher than what you’ll find in Optygen (1.4mg for $50), Optygen HP (1.4mg for $75), Kona Endurance (1.5mg for $40), Kona Endurance Pro (1.7mg for $60) and CordyMax (1.5mg for $52).
As another example, our Rhodiola is standardized to the highest level (6%) of the active endurance-promoting compound, Rosavin (12mg per dose for $40) - a level that is 121% to 133% than the other guys, including Optygen (9mg for $50) and Kona Endurance (10mg for $40). CordyMax does not provide rhodiola at all - and the “high performance” versions of Optygen HP (15mg for $75) and Kona Endurance Pro (18mg for $60) provide a smidge more rosavin for a huge premium in price (you could almost take a double dose of Energ-Ease for a lower daily cost).
Concern #3 - Is the product PURE - or is it going to get you “flagged” in a dope test or have undeclared contaminants?
Not a single one of the other endurance supplements provides Eurycoma root extract - so none of the other products help naturally balance your hormone profile (cortisol/testosterone) to help you avoid overtraining (characterized by elevated cortisol and suppressed testosterone). And not a single one of the other guys ensures the absence of banned or prohibited substances with third-party analytical testing as we do at Wicked Fast (every batch of Energ-Ease and Recover-Ease is analyzed by Banned Substances Control Group in Los Angeles).
-More Actives (for a better price than the competition)...
-Endurance plus Hormone Balance (lacking in the competition)...
-Research results in endurance athletes like you (obviously not important to the competition)...
You may have never heard of Wicked Fast products because we do almost no advertising and we pay for zero professional endorsements (because that inflates the prices that you pay for products). Instead, we’re endurance athletes like you - so we put our efforts toward developing products that WE would like to use (and at a fair price) - and we spend money and time to support events that we like to do ourselves (triathlons, trail runs, etc) - and we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee (which you’ll never need to take advantage of, because you’ll LOVE the products).
That’s all for now - thanks for reading...
Shawn
============================
Shawn M. Talbott, PhD
CSO, Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition
Shawn@WickedFastSportsNutrition.com
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com
Friday, October 3, 2008
Battle of the Restaurant Strategies
The economy is in the toilet - so people are eating “out” less often - and eating “in” more often (note the relatively strong earnings performance of value-food brands such as Kraft and Campbell’s). If you’re a casual-dining restaurant, you might be jumping on the “all you can eat” bandwagon to get customers in the door.
Red Lobster has an “Endless Shrimp” promo for $15.99 and Olive Garden has a “Never Ending Pasta Bowl” for $8.95.
Applebee’s has its “Endless Favorites” deal where you can spend $9.99 and gorge yourself on unlimited BBQ riblets, chicken fingers, and fried shrimp.
Chili’s has their “Bottomless Express Lunch” which gives you unlimited refills of soup, salad, and chips for $5.99.
The restaurants promote these deals because they get customers to order the “all you can eat” special - but then they also order drinks and side dishes - which boosts both the total check size (good for the restaurant) and the total calorie content (bad for the customer’s waistline).
On the opposite end of the restaurant-menu spectrum are the fast food joints that are rushing (or being forced in California and NYC) to put calorie information on their menu boards. Yum Brands (owner of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut) has pledged to start listing calorie info for its products starting this year and in all of its 17,000 U.S. outlets by the end of 2011.
At the fast food restaurants, the hope is that a customer might be less likely to order 2,000 calories worth of hamburgers, french fries, and soda (and instead order something healthier) if they are simply given the information so they know how many calories each food item contains.
On the other hand - the “all-you-can-eaters” at the casual dining restaurants might not particularly care about their huge calorie intakes - just so long as they can save a buck on lunch (which they’ll likely spend later on their diabetes and cholesterol medications and on their larger-size Levi’s).
I know how that last comment sounds - but c’mon - let’s wake up.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn Talbott, Ph.D.
I also blog on a daily basis at:
www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
www.ObesityMovie.com (about the causes of and solutions to the obesity epidemic)
Red Lobster has an “Endless Shrimp” promo for $15.99 and Olive Garden has a “Never Ending Pasta Bowl” for $8.95.
Applebee’s has its “Endless Favorites” deal where you can spend $9.99 and gorge yourself on unlimited BBQ riblets, chicken fingers, and fried shrimp.
Chili’s has their “Bottomless Express Lunch” which gives you unlimited refills of soup, salad, and chips for $5.99.
The restaurants promote these deals because they get customers to order the “all you can eat” special - but then they also order drinks and side dishes - which boosts both the total check size (good for the restaurant) and the total calorie content (bad for the customer’s waistline).
On the opposite end of the restaurant-menu spectrum are the fast food joints that are rushing (or being forced in California and NYC) to put calorie information on their menu boards. Yum Brands (owner of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut) has pledged to start listing calorie info for its products starting this year and in all of its 17,000 U.S. outlets by the end of 2011.
At the fast food restaurants, the hope is that a customer might be less likely to order 2,000 calories worth of hamburgers, french fries, and soda (and instead order something healthier) if they are simply given the information so they know how many calories each food item contains.
On the other hand - the “all-you-can-eaters” at the casual dining restaurants might not particularly care about their huge calorie intakes - just so long as they can save a buck on lunch (which they’ll likely spend later on their diabetes and cholesterol medications and on their larger-size Levi’s).
I know how that last comment sounds - but c’mon - let’s wake up.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn Talbott, Ph.D.
I also blog on a daily basis at:
www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
www.ObesityMovie.com (about the causes of and solutions to the obesity epidemic)
Our Fat Future?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the obesity epidemic in the United States if only expected to get worse. Right now, our obesity rates look like this:
Normal = 38%
Overweight = 28%
Obese = 34%
But, by the year 2030, the population is expected to look like this:
Normal = 10%
Overweight = 37%
Obese = 53%
Can you imagine it? With 90% of our adult population overweight or obese by 2030, the accompanying healthcare expenditures for obesity-related diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and certain cancers will be staggering.
You may be asking yourself, “Just who is considered overweight, anyway?” - so consider that a woman who is 5’4“ tall would be considered overweight at about 145lbs and obese at about 174lbs.
Something to think about...and while you’re thinking, take a look at Killer at Large at www.KilleratLarge.com or www.ObesityMovie.com (if you really want something to think about).
Thanks for reading,
Shawn Talbott, PhD
I also blog on a daily basis at:
www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
Normal = 38%
Overweight = 28%
Obese = 34%
But, by the year 2030, the population is expected to look like this:
Normal = 10%
Overweight = 37%
Obese = 53%
Can you imagine it? With 90% of our adult population overweight or obese by 2030, the accompanying healthcare expenditures for obesity-related diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and certain cancers will be staggering.
You may be asking yourself, “Just who is considered overweight, anyway?” - so consider that a woman who is 5’4“ tall would be considered overweight at about 145lbs and obese at about 174lbs.
Something to think about...and while you’re thinking, take a look at Killer at Large at www.KilleratLarge.com or www.ObesityMovie.com (if you really want something to think about).
Thanks for reading,
Shawn Talbott, PhD
I also blog on a daily basis at:
www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Exercise in a Pill?
Too good to be true, right?
Right - but this new research (in mice) is still pretty cool.
In the research journal “Cell” (Volume 134, Issue 3, 8 August 2008, Pages 405-415) - the abstract appears below, scientists were able to mimic SOME of the effects of exercise training in different groups of mice.
Even though the research was done more than a year ago, the publication in Cell at the end of July (2008) generated a storm of media coverage with headlines like “Sit back to get in shape” and “Couch potatoes rejoice - pills do the work of exercise” - Hey, whatever sells magazines and newspapers...
Even though the effects described in mice are somewhat limited (more on that below), the results provide tantalizing evidence that it may be possible to use drugs to improve the ability of muscle cells to burn fat, extend endurance, and maintain muscle mass - whether you exercise or not.
Drug companies are certainly interested...imagine being able to take a pill someday that reduced obesity or protected you from diabetes or treated muscle-wasting diseases like muscular dystrophy. Both GlaxoSmithKilne and Schering-Plough have been involved in research on the 2 drug compounds used in the recent mouse studies (AICAR, which is an AMPK agonist and “GW1516”, which is a PPAR-delta agonost). Schering has recently licensed AICAR (also known as acadesine), but GW1516 was dropped by Glaxo because of toxic side effects in humans.
When given to mice, GW1516 enabled mice to run for about 3 hours until exhaustion (compared to their normal 2 hours in untreated control mice) - but it only worked in “training” mice (who were regularly exercising) - and NOT in sedentary mice. AICAR, on the other hand, improved running endurance in mice whether or not they were training - so the couch potato mice were able to run as if they were well-trained.
The underlying metabolic effect of these drugs appears to be an improvement in the ability of slow-twitch muscle cells to burn fat - and effect that improved endurance in these studies, but may also help to treat obesity (but which remains to be investigated).
Certainly, we need to view these results within their proper context - these are mice being given experimental drugs - and the effects observed here may not translate at all to humans. The best that human endurance athletes can currently do to improve endurance performance is to supplement with cordyceps, rhodiola, and eurycoma to improve oxygen utilization. Carnitine and adenosine can also be beneficial for fat burning, but they need to be taken at such high doses for effectiveness that they rapidly become prohibitively expensive.
Thanks for reading (and check out the original abstract below),
Shawn Talbott, PhD
I also blog on a daily basis at:
www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
AMPK and PPARδ Agonists Are Exercise Mimetics
Vihang A. Narkar1, Michael Downes1, Ruth T. Yu1, Emi Embler1, Yong-Xu Wang4, Ester Banayo3, Maria M. Mihaylova2, Michael C. Nelson1, Yuhua Zou1, Henry Juguilon1, Heonjoong Kang5, Reuben J. Shaw2 and Ronald M. Evans1, 3,
1Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 2Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 4University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA 5Marine Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea
Summary
The benefits of endurance exercise on general health make it desirable to identify orally active agents that would mimic or potentiate the effects of exercise to treat metabolic diseases. Although certain natural compounds, such as reseveratrol, have endurance-enhancing activities, their exact metabolic targets remain elusive. We therefore tested the effect of pathway-specific drugs on endurance capacities of mice in a treadmill running test. We found that PPARβ/δ agonist and exercise training synergistically increase oxidative myofibers and running endurance in adult mice. Because training activates AMPK and PGC1α, we then tested whether the orally active AMPK agonist AICAR might be sufficient to overcome the exercise requirement. Unexpectedly, even in sedentary mice, 4 weeks of AICAR treatment alone induced metabolic genes and enhanced running endurance by 44%. These results demonstrate that AMPK-PPARδ pathway can be targeted by orally active drugs to enhance training adaptation or even to increase endurance without exercise.
Right - but this new research (in mice) is still pretty cool.
In the research journal “Cell” (Volume 134, Issue 3, 8 August 2008, Pages 405-415) - the abstract appears below, scientists were able to mimic SOME of the effects of exercise training in different groups of mice.
Even though the research was done more than a year ago, the publication in Cell at the end of July (2008) generated a storm of media coverage with headlines like “Sit back to get in shape” and “Couch potatoes rejoice - pills do the work of exercise” - Hey, whatever sells magazines and newspapers...
Even though the effects described in mice are somewhat limited (more on that below), the results provide tantalizing evidence that it may be possible to use drugs to improve the ability of muscle cells to burn fat, extend endurance, and maintain muscle mass - whether you exercise or not.
Drug companies are certainly interested...imagine being able to take a pill someday that reduced obesity or protected you from diabetes or treated muscle-wasting diseases like muscular dystrophy. Both GlaxoSmithKilne and Schering-Plough have been involved in research on the 2 drug compounds used in the recent mouse studies (AICAR, which is an AMPK agonist and “GW1516”, which is a PPAR-delta agonost). Schering has recently licensed AICAR (also known as acadesine), but GW1516 was dropped by Glaxo because of toxic side effects in humans.
When given to mice, GW1516 enabled mice to run for about 3 hours until exhaustion (compared to their normal 2 hours in untreated control mice) - but it only worked in “training” mice (who were regularly exercising) - and NOT in sedentary mice. AICAR, on the other hand, improved running endurance in mice whether or not they were training - so the couch potato mice were able to run as if they were well-trained.
The underlying metabolic effect of these drugs appears to be an improvement in the ability of slow-twitch muscle cells to burn fat - and effect that improved endurance in these studies, but may also help to treat obesity (but which remains to be investigated).
Certainly, we need to view these results within their proper context - these are mice being given experimental drugs - and the effects observed here may not translate at all to humans. The best that human endurance athletes can currently do to improve endurance performance is to supplement with cordyceps, rhodiola, and eurycoma to improve oxygen utilization. Carnitine and adenosine can also be beneficial for fat burning, but they need to be taken at such high doses for effectiveness that they rapidly become prohibitively expensive.
Thanks for reading (and check out the original abstract below),
Shawn Talbott, PhD
I also blog on a daily basis at:
www.ShawnTalbott.com (about various health and wellness topics)
www.SupplementWatch.com (about the pros and cons of dietary supplements)
www.GetUpSlimDown.com (about weight loss, metabolism, and feeling better)
www.WisdomofBalance.com (about traditional Asian medicine, or TAM)
www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com (about nutrition for endurance athletes)
www.MetabolismCoach.com (about metabolism, nutrition, exercise, and energy)
AMPK and PPARδ Agonists Are Exercise Mimetics
Vihang A. Narkar1, Michael Downes1, Ruth T. Yu1, Emi Embler1, Yong-Xu Wang4, Ester Banayo3, Maria M. Mihaylova2, Michael C. Nelson1, Yuhua Zou1, Henry Juguilon1, Heonjoong Kang5, Reuben J. Shaw2 and Ronald M. Evans1, 3,
1Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 2Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 4University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA 5Marine Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea
Summary
The benefits of endurance exercise on general health make it desirable to identify orally active agents that would mimic or potentiate the effects of exercise to treat metabolic diseases. Although certain natural compounds, such as reseveratrol, have endurance-enhancing activities, their exact metabolic targets remain elusive. We therefore tested the effect of pathway-specific drugs on endurance capacities of mice in a treadmill running test. We found that PPARβ/δ agonist and exercise training synergistically increase oxidative myofibers and running endurance in adult mice. Because training activates AMPK and PGC1α, we then tested whether the orally active AMPK agonist AICAR might be sufficient to overcome the exercise requirement. Unexpectedly, even in sedentary mice, 4 weeks of AICAR treatment alone induced metabolic genes and enhanced running endurance by 44%. These results demonstrate that AMPK-PPARδ pathway can be targeted by orally active drugs to enhance training adaptation or even to increase endurance without exercise.
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