London – High levels of fitness in middle age can help men survive cancer, a study has found.
Researchers discovered that of those who developed lung, bowel or prostate cancer, being fit cut the chances of them dying from their disease by a third.
Almost 14,000 US men had their cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) monitored using treadmill tests for nearly seven years from the age of 65.
During this period, 1,310 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, 200 with lung cancer and 181 with bowel cancer.
For the men who developed cancer, high fitness levels was associated with a 32 per cent reduced risk of death from the disease. Mid-life fitness also lowered the risk of being diagnosed with lung and bowel cancer, but apparently not prostate cancer.
The researchers, from the University of Vermont, told the journal JAMA Oncology that future studies were required to look at fitness and cancer in women.
Daily Mail