According to a study published online July 28, 2009 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, men who participate in moderate to high intensity exercise at least half an hour a day significantly decrease their risk of premature death due to cancer.
Researchers from the University of Finland and their colleagues studied 2650 men, aged 42 to 60 years, who were cancer-free at baseline and assessed their levels of exercise and physical activity over a period of 12 months. Study participants were then followed for an average of 16.7 years, during which a total of 181 cancer deaths occurred. After adjusting for age, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and total intake of fat, fiber, and calories, the researchers found that performing moderate to high intensity exercise such as jogging, swimming, or cycling, reduced the risk for premature cancer death by half. Exercise intensity was measured using metabolic equivalents of oxygen consumption (METs). While the average exercise intensity of jogging was 10.1 MET, the average exercise intensity of walking was 4.2 MET.
Moderate intensity exercise is considered to be any physical activity with an average MET of at least four. The Finnish researchers suggest that the benefits of exercise in protecting against cancer may be related to the effects of physical activity on energy balance, body mass, intestinal transit time, hormone concentrations, and the activities of antioxidants. So, it seems that, at least among men, exercise and an active lifestyle may decrease the risk or cancers, particularly those of the gastrointestinal tract.
Source:
Br J Sports Med. Published online before print July 28, 2009.
Created on: 08/03/2009
Reviewed on: 08/03/2009
Reviewed on: 08/03/2009
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