It turns out that staying fit while you’re young can have some pretty impressive benefits down the line.
According to a large study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, young men with good cardio fitness levels might have up to a 40% lower risk of getting certain cancers as they age.
Understanding Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Cardiorespiratory fitness is essentially a measure of how well your heart and lungs work when you’re doing exercises that get your heart rate up, like running, cycling, or even climbing stairs.
It’s known to help with a lot of health things, including lowering the risk of some cancers. However, not many studies have looked at its impact over a long time or on different types of cancers.
This particular research looked at a lot of data from Sweden, where they kept records of young men who joined the military between 1968 and 2005.
When these guys first joined up, they were tested for several things including how fit they were. Fast forward to the end of 2019, and researchers took a peek at the health of these men to see how things turned out.
What Did They Discover?
More than a million men were looked at in this study, and over the course of about 33 years, around 7% of them got cancer. The researchers noticed that the fitter guys seemed to have a lower risk of getting certain cancers.
For example, those with better fitness had:
- 5% less chance of getting rectal cancer
- 18% less chance of getting bowel cancer
- 40% less chance of getting liver cancer
- And even a whopping 42% lower risk of lung cancer!
However, it wasn’t all good news. These fit young men also had a slightly higher chance of getting prostate and skin cancer.
The researchers think this might be because of regular screening for prostate cancer and more time spent outdoors under the sun.
Limitations and Final Thoughts
Even though this study has given us some intriguing insights, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, this study just observed the outcomes without directly proving cause and effect.
The researchers also didn’t have full information on some other important factors like diet, smoking habits, or alcohol intake.
But the results are still promising. They align with guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology which recommend exercise during cancer treatment.
To sum it up, this research suggests that being fit when you’re young can potentially shield you from several cancers in the future.
It serves as another good reason to promote regular exercise and fitness activities, especially among youngsters.
The researchers hope these findings might inspire policies and initiatives that motivate young people to get moving and prioritize their health.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about dry shampoo and cancer risk, and vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing higher intake of dairy foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk.
The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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