Now there’s a pill that can turn even a couch potato into a lean and muscular healthy person.The Exercise Pill was developed by Schering-Plough. The company’s version, called AICAR, is not on the market yet, but compounding pharmacies and some chemical supply companies can sell the identical ingredients today without prescription (as long as they don’t make any medical claims for the material).

Mice taking the drug for a month improved their running endurance by a stunning 44%, without a minute of exercise. The mice that took it could run on treadmills nearly one and half times as long as, and faster than untreated animals. Another group of mice that took a companion drug, GW1516, and did a little exercise improved their performance by 70% compared to mice that worked up a sweat but didn’t get the drug.

“It’s a little bit like a free lunch without the calories,” said lead researcher Dr. Ronald Evans of the prestigious Salk Institute. The study, which had the support of the U.S. government’s National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, was published in the respected medical journal Cell. The findings about The Exercise Pill’s remarkable value were entirely unexpected. The drug was actually being developed by Schering-Plough to prevent a complication of bypass surgery.

Professional athletes may already be using a form of The Exercise Pill. Since there’s no way to test for it, yet, there’s no way to know. Dr. Evans says he is working on a test now.WebTalkerPR is presently using the domain (web address) http://TheExercisePill.com for general advertising purposes, but it is available for purchase. Offers can be made via a link in the “Buy this domain” box at that address.