To the exercise-averse, it will sound like the Holy Grail. In a lab near the shores of Lake Geneva, a group of scientists are trying to discover the recipe to a drink that can mimic the fat-burning effects of physical activity.
The project, announced this week by the Swiss food giant Nestle, hopes to identify "natural substances" that can stimulate an enzyme in our body, which researchers say is the "master switch" for regulating metabolism.
But the research has already raised concerns that any eventual fat-burning product could be taken up by the public as an "alternative" to exercise. The enzyme, AMPK, is naturally activated by exercise, but in theory could also be influenced by an ingredient in something we eat or drink, according to research by Nestle's scientists and published in the journal Chemistry & Biology this year.
Nestle said that no product would simply replace exercise, and emphasised that an "exercise-emulating" drink would be useful for people who struggle with physical activity, such as the elderly and the disabled. The project is being led by Nestle's Institute of Health Sciences in Lausanne, Switzerland - Nestle's 1 billion ($1.6 billion) research budget rivals that of some major pharmaceutical firms.
Professor Kei Sakamoto, the institute's head of diabetes and circadian rhythms, said that the goal was to "develop products that will help promote and augment the effects of exercise". "AMPK is a key protein in every single cell in your body and is naturally activated by exercise," he said. "It monitors your energy status, like a fuel gauge in a car, and tells you to fill up when your energy is low."
