molecules led them to ursolic acid as a compound with effects that might counteract those of atrophy.
"Ursolic Acid is an interesting natural compound," they said. "It's part of a normal diet as a component of apple peels. They always say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away..."
The researchers next gave Ursolic Acid to fasted laboratory subjects. Those experiments showed that ursolic acid could protect against muscle weakening as predicted. When ursolic acid was added to the food of normal subjects for a period of weeks, their muscles grew. Those effects were traced back to enhanced insulin signaling in muscle and to corrections in the gene signatures linked to atrophy.