2023-08-16 10:30:00
Physical activity has a long-term impact: a large study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has, in fact, demonstrated that men who were in better physical condition at the age of 18 have a lower risk of developing several forms of cancer later in life.
Cardio exercises drastically reduce the risk of cancer
It’s specifically regarding cardiorespiratory fitness – which refers to a person’s ability to perform aerobic exercise like running, cycling and swimming – for prolonged periods of time, or even to climb stairs.
In their study, the researchers mention a risk up to 40% lower to later develop 9 specific cancers. These include cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, intestine, kidneys and lungs.
To arrive at this result, the scientists relied on data from Swedish registers which cover general information, medical diagnoses and deaths of one million young men who began their military service between 1968 and 2005.
According to the analyses, better cardiorespiratory fitness at the start of their service was associated with a lower risk of developing specific types of cancer later on.
It was associated with a 5% lower risk of rectal cancer, 12% of pancreatic cancer, 18% of bowel cancer, 19% of head and neck cancer, 20% of kidney cancer, 21% stomach cancer, 39% digestive tract cancer, 40% liver cancer and 42% lung cancer.
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On the other hand, better cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with an increased risk of 7% for prostate cancer (14,232 men) and 31% for skin cancer (23,064).
“This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn regarding cause and effect, and the researchers acknowledge that they did not have comprehensive data on other risk factors. potentially influential lifestyle-related issues, such as diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking, in particular, nor were they able to track changes in cardiorespiratory fitness over time or collect genetic information regarding participants”specifies the communiqué.
However, these results might be used in the development of public health policies, thus strengthening the promotion of interventions to increase cardiorespiratory fitness in young people, believe the scientists.
Aron Onerup, first author of the study, specifies in a article of gothenburg university : “A good level of physical fitness appears to be able to reduce the risk of many types of cancer, while leaving individuals better equipped to have better prognoses if they develop cancer. The results strengthen the case for establishing a healthy habits that lead to good fitness levels early in life”.
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