YOUNG men with good cardiorespiratory fitness have up to a 40 per cent lower risk of developing nine specific cancers later in life, according to a long-term study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. These cancers include head and neck, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, bowel, kidney, and lung cancers.
Cardiorespiratory fitness, which measures a person’s ability to engage in aerobic exercises like running, cycling, or swimming for extended periods, has been associated with lower cancer risks in the past. However, this study, based on linked Swedish registry data spanning from 1968 to 2005, is one of the largest and longest-term investigations across multiple cancer sites. The research involved over a million men, who were aged between 16 and 25 when they started their military service. They underwent various assessments, including cardiorespiratory fitness, at the beginning of their service. The final analysis covered a monitoring period of 33 years, during which 84,117 men developed cancer in at least one site.
The results revealed a linear relationship between higher cardiorespiratory fitness and a reduced risk of specific cancers. It was associated with a 5 per cent lower risk of rectal cancer, a 12 per cent lower risk of pancreatic cancer, an 18 per cent lower risk of bowel cancer, a 19 per cent lower risk of head and neck cancer, a 20 per cent lower risk of kidney cancer, a 21 per cent lower risk of stomach cancer, a 39 per cent lower risk of oesophageal cancer, a 40 per cent lower risk of liver cancer, and a 42 per cent lower risk of lung cancer.
However, the study also found that higher cardiorespiratory fitness was linked to a 7 per cent increased risk of prostate cancer and a 31 per cent increased risk of skin cancer. The researchers suggest that prostate cancer screening and sun exposure may explain these findings.
The researchers acknowledge they didn’t have complete data on other lifestyle factors like diet.