Popular Erectile Dysfunction Pill May Further Strengthen Older Men

Tadalafil increased the survival of muscle progenitor cells in a lab study, but researchers say Cialis's active ingredient also delays the growth of mature muscle.

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Jacob Zemmer, a New York-based fitness trainer who primarily trains clients ages 35 to 55, said there are several reasons why adults begin to lose muscle as they age.

Italian researchers have discovered a potential link between the common erectile dysfunction drug Cialis (tadalafil) and muscle regeneration.

The study, published in the journal Molecular Biology Reports, tested the drug on mouse muscle cells in the lab.

Over a seven-day period, the researchers looked at how this drug affects the growth, survival and development of muscle cells.

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Tadalafil was found to increase the number of muscle progenitor cells involved in the early stages of muscle formation and help them survive longer.

The drug also showed signs of helping muscle repair by encouraging growth and reducing cell death.

Italian researchers have discovered a potential link between the common erectile dysfunction drug Cialis (tadalafil) and muscle regeneration. (iStock)

Despite these positive results, research has shown that tadalafil delays the growth of fully mature muscle cells.

This suggests that the drug can generate and maintain more cells involved in muscle regeneration, but does not increase muscle size and function in humans.

As the study was in mouse models, the results may differ in humans, which poses a limitation to the study's findings.

The researchers acknowledged that the study lasted only seven days, so more research is needed to understand the drug's long-term effects.

"This research opens up exciting new opportunities for future therapeutic strategies in muscle recovery," said one researcher. (iStock)

Study co-author Dr. Cristina Antinozzi, a researcher at the Endocrinology Unit at the University of Rome Foro Italico, said the findings represent "an encouraging look at how tadalafil can be repurposed to support muscle tissue repair and regeneration."

"It's an amazing biological signal, but it doesn't prove that Cialis builds muscle or improves recovery in people."

Dr. Kien Vuu, a radiologist and founder of VuuMD Performance and Longevity in Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, agreed that it was an "interesting preliminary finding."

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He added: "Successful regeneration ultimately requires the maturation of those cells and the formation of functional muscle tissue. This experiment did not prove this result."

Vuu stated that this is "worth studying" from a lifespan perspective, as age-related muscle loss contributes "significantly" to frailty, metabolic impairment and loss of independence.

According to one expert, resistance training, adequate protein and quality sleep are "the surest ways" to protect muscles as you age. (iStock)

"However, this was an in vitro cell study, not a clinical trial," he said. "We need animal studies, and eventually human trials, that examine actual muscle mass, strength, physical performance, and safety before we can draw conclusions about clinical use."

Lifestyle practices such as resistance training, adequate protein and quality sleep remain the "most reliable ways" to protect muscle as we age, Wu added.

The expert noted that tadalafil also has "significant risks," including a dangerous drop in blood pressure when combined with nitrates.

He said: Therefore, based on these findings, people should not use it for muscle building.

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