Quick workouts can halt bowel cancer, study finds
PA MediaShort bouts of exercise can protect against bowel cancer, according to a study, giving researchers hopes for new cancer treatments.
Researchers from Newcastle University found exercising for just 10 minutes could halt bowel cancer growth and speed up DNA damage repair.
Dr Sam Orange, who led the study, said it showed exercise benefitted healthy tissues as well as potentially creating a more hostile environment for cancer cells to grow.
"In the future, these insights could lead to new therapies that imitate the beneficial effects of exercise on how cells repair damaged DNA and use fuel for energy," he said.
The research was conducted on 30 overweight or obese men who were healthy, with blood samples taken before and immediately after a 10-12 minute cycle ride.
Researches then exposed bowel cancer cells to pre- or post-exercise blood serum.
Acute exercise increased the concentration of 13 proteins, many of which are linked to reducing inflammation, improving blood vessel function and metabolism.
Lifestyle changes
Dr Orange, a senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology, said it showed "even a single workout" could make a difference.
"What's remarkable is that exercise doesn't just benefit healthy tissues, it sends powerful signals through the bloodstream that can directly influence thousands of genes in cancer cells," he said.
The research team said their finding offered a "potential mechanistic explanation for the protective effects of exercise" against bowel cancer.
Genevieve Edwards, chief executive at the charity Bowel Cancer UK, said people should aim for 150 minutes of exercise each week, such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming.
Eating fibre from whole grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed meat and cutting down on alcohol also reduced the risk.
She added: "Making lifestyle changes can be a challenge, but we believe it's worth the effort."
