SLU-PP-332 is a small molecule agonist of estrogen-related receptors alpha and gamma (ERRα/ERRγ) developed by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis (SLU). Published in 2023, it has generated significant interest as a potential “exercise mimetic” — a compound that activates the same metabolic pathways as endurance exercise.
In animal studies, SLU-PP-332 treatment increased fatigue-resistant muscle fibers, enhanced running endurance, and improved metabolic markers without any change in physical activity. Treated mice ran significantly longer and farther than controls, demonstrating genuine exercise-mimicking effects.
ERR receptors are master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in muscle. SLU-PP-332 activates these receptors to upregulate the same gene networks that endurance training naturally triggers, including programs for fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial respiration, and muscle fiber type switching.