Exercise This Much Each Day to Cut Your Risk of Deadly Prostate Cancer by 25%
If caught early, the vast majority of prostate cancers are curable. But a small subset of prostate cancers are aggressive, meaning they can spread quickly. These are the ones that tend to be deadly.
So finding ways to prevent this kind of prostate cancer is crucial. And now, researchers from Harvard have made an important discovery that may pave the way toward prevention: Vigorous exercise over the long-term may reduce your risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.
In the new study, researchers analyzed self-reported exercise data from more than 49,000 men aged 40 to 75 and followed up with them every two years over a period of 26 years. They discovered that men who reported the greatest amount of vigorous physical activity-which would equate to roughly 25 minutes of high-intensity cycling each day, on average-over that time frame were 30 percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer, and 25 percent less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer, than those who exercised the least.
There was no relationship between vigorous exercise and prostate cancer overall, showing that the benefit of exercise might be specific for the more aggressive forms of the disease, study author Claire Pernar, Sc.D., told Bicycling.
So why might that be? More research is needed to delve into the relationship more deeply, but physical activity is known to influence certain hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory processes in your body, said Pernar. And it’s when something messes with these channels that experts believe the more aggressive forms of prostate cancer could develop.
Further studies need to be done to solidify the link between exercise and advanced and aggressive prostate cancer, but in the meantime, you can use these findings as one more motivating tool to get out the door for your daily ride-or for your cross-training session, because other intense activities like running, swimming, and racquet sports were also considered to count as vigorous activity in the study.
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So keep up your workout routine and consider getting a prostate-specific antigen test-more commonly known as PSA screening-if you meet certain criteria. Current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now list regular PSA screenings as an individual decision men ages 55 to 69 should make along with their doctor.
And stay vigilant: While not all prostate cancers cause symptoms, spotting something amiss can lead to earlier detection and thus more effective treatment. Possible red flags include urinary problems-difficulty starting urination, weak flow, an interrupted flow, pain or burning, or frequent, nighttime urination-blood in your urine or semen, or pain in your back or hips that doesn’t stop.
If you notice those signs, check in with your doctor.
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