Exercise: A Powerful Cancer Fighter
We've long known that exercise is linked to a reduced risk of cancer and improved survival rates. But what's the science behind it? A recent study by Rachel Perry and her team at Yale School of Medicine has uncovered a fascinating mechanism: exercise can slow tumour growth by altering the body's metabolism, making muscle cells outcompete cancer cells for glucose. This discovery highlights the potential of exercise as a powerful cancer-fighting tool.
The study involved injecting breast cancer cells into mice, with half of them fed an obesity-inducing diet. The researchers then allowed the mice to exercise voluntarily on an exercise wheel. After four weeks, the results were remarkable: tumours in exercising obese mice were 60% smaller compared to those in sedentary mice, even outperforming mice on a normal diet. This voluntary exercise led to increased glucose uptake in muscles and decreased glucose uptake in tumours, as evidenced by gene activity analysis.
Perry's team identified 417 genes in key metabolic pathways that change with exercise, essentially boosting muscle glucose metabolism while reducing tumour glucose metabolism. They suggest that down-regulating mTOR, a protein involved in cell growth, in cancer cells may be a crucial factor in restricting tumour growth.
The findings are exciting, as Perry believes the phenomenon could extend to humans, even those without obesity. Similar gene activity changes have been observed in humans with cancer who exercise. Rob Newton, an expert in the field, supports this idea, suggesting that exercise acts as a cancer medicine, complementing other treatments.
However, Newton emphasizes the importance of targeting specific factors that create a pro-cancer environment. This might include increasing cardiorespiratory fitness or addressing low muscle mass through resistance training. The study highlights the potential of exercise as a versatile cancer-fighting strategy, offering a natural and accessible approach to improving health outcomes.
