An “exercise pill” that could reduce the need for visits to the gym is a step closer, say scientists.

　　有没有一种“运动药丸”，能减少人们前往健身房的次数?科学家称，他们离这个目标更进一步了。

　　A study found that suppressing production of the protein myostatin increased muscle mass.

　　一项研究发现，阻止肌肉生长抑制蛋白的产生，能提升肌肉质量。

　　Although the research was conducted in mice, the team hopes it will lead to human treatments.

　　尽管这一实验还停留在试验小白鼠的阶段，科研团队希望后续能够用于人类治疗。

　　Lead researcher Dr Joshua Butcher, from Augusta University in Georgia, US, said: "Ultimately, the goal of our research would be to create a pill that mimics the effect of exercise and protects against obesity.

　　来自美国乔治尼亚州奥古斯塔大学的首席研究员约书亚.布彻博士说：“我们实验的最终目的是创造出一种药物，拥有和运动一样的功效并且可以预防肥胖症。”

　　"A pill that inhibits myostatin could also have applications for muscle-wasting diseases, such as cancer, muscle dystrophy and AIDS, Myostatin is known to be a powerful "brake" that holds back skeletal muscle growth."

　　“阻止肌肉抑制素生成的药物同时也可以用于治疗肌肉萎缩类疾病，比如癌症、肌肉萎缩病还有艾滋病。肌肉抑制素广为人知的作用就是有效抑制骨骼肌的生长。”

　　Studies suggest that obese people produce more of the protein, making it harder for them to exercise and build up muscle.

　　研究表明，肥胖的人会产生更多这种蛋白质(肌肉生长抑制素)，这让他们更难进行运动和增肌。

　　"Given that exercise is one of the most effective interventions for obesity, this creates a cycle by which a person becomes trapped in obesity," said Dr Butcher.

　　布彻博士说：“而运动又是防止肥胖的最有效方式之一，这就导致肥胖的人陷入恶性循环。”

　　The researchers bred four groups of lean and obese mice that were genetically programmed either to produce uninhibited levels of myostatin or to be completely lacking in the protein.

　　研究人员饲养了四组瘦弱和肥胖的小白鼠，其基因设定分别为无限制释放肌肉抑制素和完全不释放肌肉抑制素。

　　As expected, mice with no myostatin became markedly more muscular.

　　同预期一样，体内不释放肌肉抑制素的小白鼠明显肌肉更强壮。

　　Obese mice unable to produce myostatin remained fat, but they were also stronger and showed markers of heart and metabolic health on a par with their lean counterparts.

　　那些不能释放肌肉抑制素的肥胖小白鼠依然保持肥胖，但同时也变得更加强壮。与瘦弱的对照小白鼠相比，它们的心脏和新陈代谢表现的更加健康。

　　They were in dramatically better shape than obese mice with unrestricted myostatin production.

　　与那些无限释放肌肉抑制素的小白鼠相比，这些小白鼠的体型要健康得多，这令人惊讶。

　　Dr Butcher added: "In our muscular obese mouse, despite full presentation of obesity, it appears that several of these key pathologies are prevented.

　　布彻博士补充道：“这些肌肉发达却肥胖的小白鼠，尽管依然表现出肥胖的症状，但一些关键的病理症状没有发生。”

　　"While much more research is needed, at this point myostatin appears to be a very promising pathway for protection against obesity-derived cardiometabolic dysfunction."

　　“虽然还需进行大量研究，但目前看来，肌肉抑制素似乎对于治疗由肥胖导致的心血管功能异常很有帮助。”

　　The research was presented at the American Physiological Society’s annual meeting, Experimental Biology 2017, in Chicago, US.

　　该研究在美国芝加哥举办的美国生理学协会2017年实验生物学年会上作了报告。