Aerobic exercise lowers risk of metastatic cancer

The probability of cancer metastatic spread can be reduced by aerobic exercise by 72 percent, according to a recent study.The amount of glucose (sugar) consumed by internal organs rises during intense aerobic exercise, according to the researchers, which decreases the amount of energy available to the tumour.The study was led by two researchers from TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine: Prof. Carmit Levy from the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry and Dr. Yftach Gepner from the School of Public Health and the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute. Prof. Levy emphasizes that by combining scientific know-how from different schools at TAU, the new study has led to a very important discovery which may help prevent metastatic cancer – the leading cause of death in Israel.The paper was published in the prestigious journal Cancer Research and chosen for the cover of the November 2022 issue.Prof. Levy and Dr. Gepner: “Studies have demonstrated that physical exercise reduces the risk for some types of cancer by up to 35 percent. This positive effect is similar to the impact of exercise on other conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.In this study we added new insight, showing that high-intensity aerobic exercise, which derives its energy from sugar, can reduce the risk of metastatic cancer by as much as 72 percent. If so far the general message to the public has been ‘be active, be healthy’, now we can explain how aerobic activity can maximize the prevention of the most aggressive and metastatic types of cancer.”