Exercise mimetic

An exercise mimetic is a drug that imitates some of the biological effects of physical exercise. Exercise helps prevent, treat or soften a range of serious illnesses, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer disease, and the search for a drug with similar benefits has used known exercise targets as starting points, with limited results. As of 2021 no drug is known to match the benefits of exercise, and much of its effect on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality is not explained by measurable risk factors such as cholesterol. Cardiotrophin-1 has mimicked benefits of exercise on the heart in a rodent model, and Lac-Phe and its synthetic alternative ENV-308 are described as exercise mimetics.