SLU-PP-332 is a small-molecule pan-agonist of estrogen-related receptors (ERRalpha, ERRbeta, ERRgamma) developed at Washington University in St. Louis. It activates the aerobic exercise gene program, increasing oxidative muscle fiber content, mitochondrial respiration, and exercise capacity in mice without training. It represents a fundamentally different approach from AICAR (AMPK activation) by targeting the transcriptional master regulators of oxidative metabolism. CRITICAL: No human trials exist; all data is from murine studies only.
Category: Experimental Exercise Mimetic. Evidence rating: D (animal/preclinical only).
Clinical status: Preclinical only. Published murine studies from Washington University. No human trials planned or initiated.
SLU-PP-332 binds and activates all three estrogen-related receptors (ERRs), which are orphan nuclear receptors that serve as master transcriptional regulators of energy metabolism. ERRs control expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid…
Safety considerations: CRITICAL: No human safety data exists; All safety information derived from mouse studies only; Mice tolerated twice-daily dosing without reported toxicity.
Reviewed by the PeptideAtlas Editorial Team. Last reviewed: 2026-07-05.
SLU-PP-332 has been described in media as an "exercise pill" because it activates exercise-related gene programs in mice. However, it has never been tested in humans, and exercise provides benefits beyond what any single molecular pathway can replicate. It is a preclinical research tool, not a product.
AICAR activates AMPK (an energy sensor), while SLU-PP-332 activates ERR transcription factors (master regulators of oxidative metabolism genes). They target different levels of the exercise response pathway. SLU-PP-332 works at the transcriptional level to reprogram muscle fiber type.
SLU-PP-332 is a small-molecule pan-agonist of estrogen-related receptors (ERRalpha, ERRbeta, ERRgamma) developed at Washington University in St. Louis. It activates the aerobic exercise gene program, increasing oxidative muscle fiber content, mitochondrial respiration, and exercise capacity in mice without training. It represents a fundamentally different approach from AICAR (AMPK activation) by…
On the PeptideAtlas A–F scale, SLU-PP-332 is rated D (Preclinical Only). Mostly animal or preclinical evidence
Preclinical only. Published murine studies from Washington University. No human trials planned or initiated.