Practicing physical exercise helps prevent diseases such as cancer and, although the mechanisms involved in it are not well known, new research has now revealed one of those involved in the appearance of metastases. The authors of the study are scientists from Tel Aviv University and have also found that interval aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of developing metastatic cancer by 72%.
High-intensity interval training has already been shown to help prevent diabetes, among other health problems, and these researchers have specifically shown that high-intensity aerobic exercise (HIIT) increases glucose consumption ( sugar) from the body’s organs and this decreases the amount of energy available to the tumor. The article explaining it has been published in Cancer Research.
“If the general message to the public so far has been ‘stay active, stay healthy’,” they have declared, “we can now explain how aerobic activity can maximize the prevention of the most aggressive and metastatic types of cancer”, the two have declared. TAU Sackler School of Medicine investigators leading the study: Professor Carmit Levy from the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry and Dr Yftach Gepner from the Sylvan Adams School of Public Health and Sports Institute.
Physical exercise: the best preventive measure against cancer
The researchers combined laboratory models trained under a strict exercise regimen with data from healthy people who were examined before and after running. The data from the human volunteers came from an epidemiological study that followed 3,000 individuals for about 20 years, and showed 72% less metastatic cancer in participants who reported engaging in regular high-intensity aerobic activity, compared with those who did not. they did physical exercise.
“Now we can explain how aerobic activity can maximize the prevention of the most aggressive and metastatic cancers”
The results in the animal model were similar, allowing the researchers to identify the causes of this association. What they found was that aerobic activity significantly decreased the development of metastatic tumors in the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver of laboratory models. The researchers’ hypothesis is that, both in humans and in animal models, these good results are related to the higher rate of glucose consumption induced by exercise.
“Our study is the first to investigate the impact of exercise on internal organs where metastases normally develop, such as the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes,” explains Prof. Levy. “By examining the cells of these organs, we found an increase in the number of glucose receptors during high-intensity aerobic activity, which increases glucose intake and turns the organs into effective energy-consuming machines, much like muscles. We assume that this happens because the organs must compete for sugar resources with the muscles, which are known to burn large amounts of glucose during physical exercise. Consequently, if cancer develops, the fierce competition for glucose reduces the availability of energy that is critical for metastasis.”
“In addition,” he adds, “when a person exercises regularly, this condition becomes permanent: the tissues of the internal organs change and become similar to muscle tissue. We all know that sport and physical exercise are good for our health. Our study, looking at internal organs, found that exercise changes the entire body, so cancer can’t spread, and the primary tumor shrinks as well.”
“Our results indicate that, unlike fat-burning exercise, which is relatively moderate, it is high-intensity aerobic activity that helps prevent cancer,” continues Dr. Gepner. “If the optimal intensity range for burning fat is 65-70% of maximum pulse rate, burning sugar requires 80-85%, if only for brief intervals.”
“For example: a minute sprint followed by a walk, then another sprint. In the past, these intervals were mostly typical of athletes’ training regimens, but today we also see them in other exercise routines, such as cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.” “Our results suggest that healthy people should also include high-intensity components in their fitness programs. We believe that future studies will enable personalized medicine to prevent specific cancers, with physicians reviewing family history to recommend the right type of physical activity. It must be emphasized that physical exercise, with its unique metabolic and physiological effects, presents a higher level of cancer prevention than any drug or medical intervention to date.”
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