Exercise may help reduce the progression of prostate cancer.
Men who are on active surveillance for prostate cancer may benefit from high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The researchers assigned 52 men (average age 63) to either a 12-week supervised treadmill HIIT program or to their usual exercise routine that did not involve high-intensity exercise.
HIIT involves performing a brief burst of activity at a near-maximum effort followed by a brief recovery time. After that, you repeat the sequence a certain number of times. The exercises consisted of two minutes of exercise at 85 to 95 percent of a person's VO2 max (the highest amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise), followed by two minutes of recovery at 40% VO2 max. Five to eight times, the pattern was repeated.
The researchers discovered that as compared to participants who performed their normal lower-intensity exercise, those in the HIIT group had lower PSA levels, lower PSA velocities (the rate at which PSA levels vary over time), and slower prostate cancer cell growth. Additionally, they possessed increased cardiovascular fitness. According to the study, men on active monitoring have a threefold increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than from prostate cancer. JAMA Oncology published the findings online on Aug. 19, 2021.
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