Compound 14: The Ultimate Exercise Pill?

If you’re anything like most dedicated bodybuilders and fitness buffs, I’m pretty sure you already know how much hard work you’ve got to put in when you’re trying to realize the ideal physique that you’ve always wanted.

And when you’ve finally achieved your dream body, it’s definitely not the time to slow down and ease up on your training. The same amount of back-breaking work is needed to ensure that you’ll keep it that way.

So you can just imagine the excitement that’s taking place in the bodybuilding and fitness world when the news of a wonder molecule recently developed by scientists nicknamed as “Compound 14” has the unique ability to mimic the effects of exercise in the body.

Make sure you follow along to find out more about Compound 14 and its promising benefits not just when it comes to fitness and bodybuilding, but also health and well-being in general.

A Quick Introduction on Compound 14

Compound 14 was synthesized by a team of scientists at the Britain-based University of Southampton that looked for a way to selectively activate the central energy sensor in cells called AMPK, which plays a key role in influencing the metabolic process.

Led by associate professor in integrative physiology, Felino Cagampang, and chemical biology professor, Ali Tavassoli, the team designed Compound 14 to stimulate the activation of AMPK and set off a “chain reaction” that will increase the uptake of oxygen and glucose in the cells akin to the effects of exercise.

Compound 14 does this by inhibiting the function of ATIC, a type of enzyme that oversees the body’s insulin signaling process and makes the cells think that their energy levels are running low.

When this happens, a surge of something called ZMP occurs, which functions as a “metabolic regulator” and is in charge of activating AMPK to start working. As soon as AMPK is activated, it stimulates the cells to boost their uptake of glucose and oxygen – basically the metabolic function in motion – mimicking the process that takes place when you’re working out.

The Promising Benefits of Compound 14

Based on the results of a study that was recently published in the scientific journal, Chemistry and Biology, Compound 14 showed promising beneficial effects when it was administered to two groups of mice.

The first group was comprised of mice that were regularly fed with a normal diet, while the second one had a higher intake of sugar and fat, which made them obese. The mice in the second group also showed signs of impaired glucose tolerance that meant they were already becoming vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes.

After being administered a single dose of Compound 14 for seven (7) consecutive days, there weren’t any significant results seen among the mice that were in the first group. However, the results in the second group were rather intriguing.

Besides lowering their blood sugar levels to near normal, the mice in the second group also lost about 5 percent of their total body weight.

If these results are proven to be safe in humans and can be replicated in future clinical studies, Compound 14 could be the stepping stone to the development of a drug that can help reduce body weight and optimize glucose tolerance, especially among people who are suffering from obesity and diabetes.

Compound 14 Limitations

Now while the weight loss and blood glucose normalization effects of Compound 14 are promising, the scientists who developed it also discovered a limitation to its efficacy.

“This new molecule [Compound 14] seems to reduce glucose levels and at the same time decrease body weight, but only if the subject is obese,” integrative physiology associate professor Cagampang emphasizes.

Chemical biology professor Tavassoli adds that they are currently brainstorming a more comprehensive study on the effects of Compound 14 in humans, particularly when long-term treatment is concerned.