High-intensity exercise, resistance training may help fight cancer: Study

New Delhi, Sep 16
Both resistance training (RT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) produced sufficient levels of myokines to help in the fight against cancer, according to a study.

While RT uses external force like weights to build muscle and strength, HIIT uses short, intense bursts of exercise followed by brief recovery periods to improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) found that cancer survivors who followed either resistance training or HIIT had reduced the growth of these breast cancer cells in vitro by 22 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.

“This suggests both types of exercise may help slow cancer cell growth,” said Francesco Bettariga from the varsity.

Although there was no major difference between the effects of RT and HIIT, "interestingly, with HIIT, the reduction in cancer cell growth was linked to an increase in lean muscle and a decrease in body fat after 12 weeks of training,” Bettariga added.

The team stated that different types of exercise have different impacts on the body, with resistance training able to substantially improve muscle strength and mass, while HIIT can stimulate cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce fat mass.

“It’s very important to find out if different types of exercise cause different effects on myokines and their potential cancer suppressive effects,” Bettariga said.

Myokines are a protein produced by muscles during exercise, which have

anti-cancer effects.

The team followed breast cancer survivors through a 12-week training programme to investigate how resistance training and HIIT each affect the growth of breast cancer cells in lab tests using blood samples from breast cancer survivors.

“The results showed that both groups of participants had higher levels of myokines at the end of the 12-week programme, than at the beginning, which means regardless of the exercise you do, you can gain benefit,” Bettariga said.