Interesting Research

[Sadist]

Read this and thought some of you might find it interesting;

Researchers from Duke's medical school and the University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center announced in April that they have identified an enzyme that can be stimulated to mimic the effects of exercise on muscles (albeit in mice, not humans). Team leader R. Sanders Williams said it is quite possible that eventually humans could build muscles by taking the enzyme (calmodulin-dependent protein kinase) in a pill. [New Scientist, 4-11-02]

 

[trial0r]

great just what america needs, another 'miracle cure' for their problems to get all happy about and make infomercials out of.

no number of pills, electro stimulation machines, or hollywood miracle diets is gonna make these people any less lazy.

i just hate how america has gone from home of the brave to home of the lazy.

 

[Sadist]

I think this research was geared much more towards people who are bedridden or that have muscle wasting. For a lot of diseases, the amount of muscle mass you have is directly proportionate to surviving/overcoming the illness. This interested me because it is similiar to the whole "myostatin blocker" research, but doesn't tamper with the person's DNA. I am not very supportive of gene therapy as it stands right now- it is too close to eugenics for my taste.

 

[usersatch]

I see a lot of problems with ingesting CaM deped. Protein Kinase. The logistics of geting it into your system would be absurd and virtually impossible, but that aside, Cam PK II is thought to upregulate certain ion channels. Can you imagine what would happen if you flooded your cells with calcium or sodium or potassium after taking a pill? Being a geneticist (and not an MD) I would guess that you would undoubtedly suffer massive muscle and nerve fiber spasms/contactions including a heart attack and muscle paralysis (one giant charlie-horse).

I agree with Trial...people will always be lazy, it IS a bad commentary on our society, and no matter how hard you try it genetically, you still need to work out to prevent atrophy of your muscles.