Scientists say 'exercise in a bottle' could soon be a reality.

Australian experts have carried out 'breakthrough' research which they say could pave the way for drugs to mimic the benefits of exercise in the body to be created.

They found exercise induces 1,000 molecular changes in the body, and created the world's first 'blueprint' of these.

Lead researcher Professor David James, of the University of Sydney, said: 'Exercise is the most powerful therapy for many human diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.

'However, for many people, exercise isn't a viable treatment option. This means it is essential we find ways of developing drugs that mimic the benefits of exercise.'

The researchers analysed biopsy samples of skeletal muscle from four untrained, healthy males, following ten minutes of high intensity exercise.

Using an analytical chemistry technique known as mass spectrometry, they studied a process called protein phosphorylation.

Protein phosphorylation is the attachment of a phosphate group to a protein.

The new phosphorus group alters the role of the protein: it can activate, deactivate, or cause a change in its function, allowing cells to regulate biological processes.