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

A recent study by researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that both resistance training (RT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can produce myokines — proteins released by muscles during exercise — that may help slow cancer growth.

Resistance training involves using external resistance, like weights, to build muscle and strength, while HIIT alternates short, intense exercise bursts with brief recovery periods to enhance cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

The study followed breast cancer survivors over a 12-week training programme. Blood samples taken before and after the programme were used in lab tests, revealing that participants’ serum from both RT and HIIT groups reduced breast cancer cell growth 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 ECU. He noted that while there was no major difference between the two forms of exercise overall, HIIT’s effect on reducing cancer cell growth was linked to increases in lean muscle and decreases in body fat after 12 weeks.

The researchers emphasised that different types of exercise provide distinct benefits: resistance training significantly improves muscle strength and mass, while HIIT boosts cardiorespiratory fitness and reduces fat mass.

“It’s very important to understand if different types of exercise influence myokine production and their cancer-suppressive effects differently,” Bettariga added.

By the end of the programme, both groups showed higher myokine levels compared to the start, suggesting that any form of regular exercise can provide potential anti-cancer benefits.

With IANS inputs