Would you take an exercise pill? Why or why not?

[Lisa Newton]

DR wrote an excellent post, Health and Fitness in a Bottle: Big Pharma Discovers their Holy Grail, where he explains how drug companies are developing new medications that may be marketed as a substitute for exercising.

Let's discuss...............

[Shari Kraft]

Not so sure about an exercise drug.... hmmmm.....
Not sure about ANY drug.

[SpinDiva]

A while back I wrote about this on my blog. Here's the article for your perusing. I feel the same now as I did then. Most pills out there have the same ingredients and many are not necesarily healthy. The worst part is that even the ones that say you can just take a pill and loose weight without exercise, the fine print will say something about following a sensible eating plan. The rest recommend eating healthy, exercising, drinking plenty of water and avoiding, you know, the same crap we would avoid without the pill - so why bother with the pill.

I speak from experience, before my fitness days I fell for the plethora of "no-exercise" required pills to loose weight and yes, I lost weight but guess what? It wasn't long before I put it all back. Then I felt depressed, sad, and hyper because they all have some type of stimulant in them.

Now I get my high out of a hard workout, I get nutrition out of real food and the only pill I take is vitamin or some herbal supplement such as flax or omega, calcium and Vit C, etc.

[Lynn]

No. At the moment, I am only about 5 lbs over what I would like to be. I truly believe that I can reach my goals with diet and exercise. I can see how people who are trying to lose a large amount of weight would turn to a diet pill. Losing weight can be difficult for the most dedicated person. I hope that they would still use diet and exercise to help them lose the extra weight. I do not like the ideal of being dependent on a pill alone.

[Julie]

More than likely I would say no to the exercise drug, although it would be an interesting way to enhance exercise. Too many major issues involved with this for it to be a serious consideration for me though.

[Gabrielle Shafer]

I think that a "quick fix" may reap short-term benefits but may have long term detrimental effects. I believe that the "healthy way" to lose weight and/or reach a peak fitness level should stay in the realm and control of the individual and their ability to work their own body and tweak their own diet to acheive credible results that will improve their overall health and not create potential unseen problems whether they show up now or in the future. Relying on pharmaceuticals in some way seems not only lazy but dangerous.

[Debbie Petras]

No, I like the feeling of accomplishment after working out. Taking a pill seems like a cop-out. Exercising also impacts other aspects of my life like having more energy. It motivates me to want to eat healthier too.

[The Fight for Fitness | Blake Hagen]

No way would I take an exercise pill. I enjoy my swimming, biking, and running. Having the satisfaction of completing a long ride, swim, or run cannot be replaced by a pill. I wrote a post on this here.

[Rezal]

I'll probably take it if they are "supplements", but not "drugs"..

[Rezal]

and I think this is really good news for astronauts - to maintain their physical condition while is space without gravity.

[James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.]

I would not take it. At least, not until it was out a few years so it's long term effects could be studied. Just like a vitamin does not take the place of healthy eating, a pill is not going to give you all of the benefits of regular exercise.

[James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.]

Rezal, for practical purposes, supplements should be viewed as unregulated drugs. Please see http://www.familydoctormag.com/blog/2008/08/dietary-supplements-and...

Thanks

[Chris Kolba's Fit to Live]

I would not take it primarily because I enjoy exercise and appreciate its many benefits. Im also not confidant that any company has my health as its first priority especially when they are driving sales. Lastly, I would be curious to see what happens after a few years of use. Look what happened to Vioxx. There is no substitute for whole foods. I feel this is another attempt to foster the laziness many have in todays society.
Chris