ByDaniella Gray
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A naturally occurring molecule released during exercise may hold the key to strengthening muscles without physical activity
Researchers at the University of Leeds found that a molecule known as L-β-aminoisobutyric acid, or L-BAIBA, plays a key role in helping muscles adapt to exercise
The team said the discovery provides fresh insight into why exercise benefits the body and could point to new ways of preserving muscle function in people with chronic health conditions
…
L-BAIBA is released by skeletal muscle during exercise and appears to act as a signaling molecule, triggering changes that make muscles more efficient and resilient
In experiments involving mice, animals given BAIBA developed larger muscles, improved muscle function, greater fatigue resistance and better exercise performance than untreated mice
The researchers also found that BAIBA helped protect against muscle weakness and dysfunction in a mouse model of obesity and type 2 diabetes, conditions that are often associated with reduced mobility and declining muscle health
Importantly, the study identified L-BAIBA, rather than a related form known as D-BAIBA, as the version responsible for many of the muscle-strengthening effects observed in both animal and laboratory experiments
The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that L-BAIBA forms part of a biological pathway that helps muscles remodel and improve in response to exercise training
Researchers also found that circulating levels of L-BAIBA were linked to aerobic fitness in humans and increased following both acute endurance exercise and longer-term endurance training
While the results may sound like a step toward an “exercise pill,” the scientists caution that such applications remain some way off
Lee Roberts, professor of molecular physiology and metabolism at the University of Leeds, told Newsweekthat boosting L-BAIBA could potentially benefit people who struggle to exercise, although more research is needed
“We can’t say for certain, but this is a possibility,” Roberts said. “We know BAIBA can improve muscle function in experimental models of diabetes. In the next few years we hope to understand whether it might be beneficial more broadly to other conditions that can impact the capacity of people to exercise.”
The research team noted in the study that BAIBA may eventually have therapeutic potential for conditions marked by muscle loss or dysfunction, including age-related muscle decline, heart failure and cancer-related wasting, but emphasized that future studies will be needed to test that possibility
According to the researchers, understanding how these signals work could eventually help scientists develop treatments that mimic some of exercise’s positive effects for people who are unable to be physically active
For now, exercise remains the best way to boost the molecule naturally
“We see increased BAIBA with endurance or aerobic type exercise like running, jogging or cycling,” Roberts said. “The best way to boost BAIBA is to try to take part in these activities consistently.”
Reference
The study, metabokine β-aminoisobutyric Acid Mediates Exercise Performance and Skeletal Muscle Adaptation Through a PGC1α-BAIBA-PPARδ Axis, is published at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in Nature Communications. 10.1038/s41467-026-76307-8
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sirena Bergman andJames Debens
Request Reprint & Licensing
View Editorial & AI Guidelines
