Mixed
Engaging in 7.5-15 MET hours/week of leisure-time physical activity significantly lowers the risk of seven specific cancer types (colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, myeloma, liver, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma) compared to no activity.
Aim for 7.5 to 15 MET hours of leisure activity per week. This is roughly 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity activity (like brisk walking) or less time of vigorous activity. This level of activity is associated with a significantly lower risk of colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, myeloma, liver, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancers. You do not need to exercise at high intensities to gain these benefits; consistency and total volume matter.
Engagement in recommended amounts of activity (7.5-15 MET hours/week) was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of 7 of the 15 cancer types studied, including colon (8%-14% lower risk in men), breast (6%-10% lower risk), endometrial (10%-18% lower risk), kidney (11%-17% lower risk), myeloma (14%-19% lower risk), liver (18%-27% lower risk), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (11%-18% lower risk in women).
Why this rating
Large pooled cohort (n=755,459), prospective design, adjusted for major confounders.
Source
Amount and Intensity of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Lower Cancer Risk
Charles E. Matthews et al. · Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2019
DOI 10.1200/jco.19.02407
More from this paper
- Higher levels of physical activity beyond the recommended 15 MET hours/week do not provide additional cancer risk reduction for curvilinear cancers (kidney, gastric, liver, non-Hodgkin lymphoma), whereas linear cancers (breast, colon, endometrial) continue to show reduced risk with higher activity.Weak
- Body Mass Index (BMI) is a primary mediator for the protective effect of physical activity on endometrial cancer, as adjusting for BMI eliminates the association, whereas it has limited effect on other cancer types.Weak
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