Improved Fitness Could Lower Prostate Cancer Risk by Up to 35 Percent

Exercises that increase your heart rate can improve hormone levels, immune health, and inflammation. All of these are important factors for cancer risk.

A new study suggests that they may also be able to reduce their risk of prostate cancer. According to a new study, they could also reduce their risk for prostate carcinoma.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 57,000 Swedish men who had completed several cardio fitness tests, separated by years. The tests measured heart rate and the efficiency of oxygen consumption during stationary bike workouts. The men were average 41 years old and did not have a history of prostate carcinoma when they joined the research. Five hundred and ninety-two men were diagnosed as having prostate cancer after an average follow up period of seven years.

Although their initial cardio fitness level did not appear to affect their prostate cancer risk, changes in fitness over the course of time made a difference. According to results published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, men whose cardiorespiratory levels improved at least 3 percent per year over five years had a 35 percent lower average risk of developing prostate cancer.

The study’s lead author Kate Bolam PhD of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, says: “Cardiorespiratory Fitness is essentially how well our circulatory and breathing systems can supply oxygen to our muscle during physical activity or exercising.”

Dr. Bolam continues, “We do not know for certain why fitness could reduce prostate cancer risk.” We do know, however, that fitness and physical activity have positive effects on our immune system and hormones. They also have a positive effect on body composition and inflammation.

During the period of study, 46 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The cardiorespiratory fitness level did not appear to have a significant impact on survival rates.

Not just fitness level, but also frequent exercise is likely to lower cancer risk

The link between fitness improvement and prostate cancer risk is weaker in men with high fitness levels at the start of the study than for men with more room to improve.

The findings are not without caveats. It’s possible the results could be different for men without stable jobs. The results from Sweden, where the majority of people are white may also not reflect the outcomes for men with different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Kerry Courneya PhD is a professor at the University of Alberta and the director of its Exercise Oncology Laboratory.

Dr. Courneya says that it is unlikely that an improved cardiorespiratory fit is the cause of a lower prostate cancer risk. He was not involved in the study. It is more likely that cardiorespiratory fit is a good indicator of high-quality exercise — with enough frequency, intensity and duration to improve cardiorespiratory fit.

Exercises that Help Cardio Fitness

There are many different exercises that can be done. Even people who are not in shape can benefit from a gradual increase in intensity. This is according to June Chan (ScD), a professor of biostatistics, urology and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco. She was not involved in the new study.

Dr. Chan says that “brisk walking, dancing or swimming, Zumba and jogging are all ways to get your heart rate up.” He adds that the increase in heart rate when you exercise is what increases cardiorespiratory health.

Chan says that the best way to achieve results is to increase the amount of time spent exercising and the number workouts per week gradually. Chan says that this can reduce injuries, make it easier to start a new exercise routine, and improve the chances of it becoming sustainable over time.

Chan says that while the duration and amount of time spent increasing heart rate are directly related to cardiorespiratory health, it is important to gradually increase starting from where you started. This applies both in terms on activity duration and weekly sessions.

Original Blog: https://www.everydayhealth.com/prostate-cancer/improved-fitness-could-lower-prostate-cancer-risk-by-up-to-35-percent/