Yet more evidence has emerged that engaging in regular exercise may have a positive impact on men’s health, especially when it comes to reducing your chances of a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Exercise Good For You After All
No one is going to claim that regular exercise is a bad thing. Everyone knows that your quality of life can be much improved, in general, just from getting up off the couch and moving around — even if it’s just for a few minutes every day. That being said, there has been plenty of research done into the impact that engaging in regular physical activity has on prostate health in particular, and there have been mixed results. While some research studies have come down on the side of positive associations, others have been less conclusive. Yet the newest research paper, published recently in the journal European Urology, has some powerful evidence to support regular exercise.
In the research study, it was found that spending 25 minutes a day engaging in vigorous exercise such as running was found to reduce risk of being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer by 30%. Men who exercised regularly were also 25% less likely to be diagnosed with lethal prostate cancer as well, adding even more validity to the idea that engaging in moderate levels of physical activity has a myriad of protective benefits for men, especially older men.
The Science Behind the Study
Researchers delved deeper than just monitoring the physical histories of the men in their study — the scientists also examined genetic markers as well. The study specifically focused on the TMPRSS2:ERG prostate cancer tumor molecule. The particular molecule is a relatively common one, as it is present in about half of all prostate tumors.
Researchers found — for the first time ever — that regular physical exercise was linked to having a lower risk of developing prostate cancers that test positive for TMPRSS2:ERG. The scientists believe that prostate cancers containing this specific molecule show evidence of being sensitive to metabolic factors that are associated with not engaging in exercise, and this may be the link between this type of cancer and the effect that regular physical activity has on it. More research will need to be done to confirm the link between TMPRSS2:ERG-type cancers and the effect exercise has on them, but for now these preliminary results are highly promising.
