Data from more than 1 million males between 16 and 25 over five decades shows cardiorespiratory fitness can reduce risk up to 42%
Being fit earlier in life is associated with a reduced risk, in some cases of up to 42%, of developing nine different types of cancer in later life, according to a large long-term study.
While exercise has been previously linked with a lower risk of certain cancers, long-term and large cohort studies on multiple cancer sites are sparse.
The new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, drew from data from more than 1 million male Swedish conscripts between 16 and 25, who were followed for an average of 33 years from 1968 to 2005. The results suggested that good cardiorespiratory fitness – an individual’s ability to engage in sustained aerobic exercises such as running, cycling, and swimming – was associated with a 42% reduced risk of lung cancer, a 40% reduced risk of liver cancer and a 39% reduced risk of oesophageal cancer.
