This Type of Exercise Reverses Heart Aging, Lowers Blood Pressure, & Has Anti-Cancer Effects

The Nugget

  • Vigorous intensity exercise can reverse heart aging, lower blood pressure, and has anti-cancer effects.

Make it stick

  • 🏃 Vigorous exercise reverses heart aging by 20 years after just two years.
  • 🧠 Lactate, a byproduct of intense exercise, is a powerful signaling molecule that increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine.
  • 🩺 Circulating tumor cells, linked to cancer metastasis, can be killed by the sheer forces of blood flow during intense exercise.

Key insights

Vigorous Exercise and Heart Health

  • As we age, our heart undergoes changes like shrinking and stiffening, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • A study showed that 50-year-olds engaging in vigorous exercise for two years reversed these age-related structural changes, making their hearts resemble those of 30-year-olds.
  • Vigorous exercise not only improves heart elasticity but also increases VO2 Max, a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Blood Pressure and Exercise

  • Exercise, particularly vigorous intensity exercise, can have significant effects on lowering blood pressure comparable to some medications.
  • Hypertension, a common condition with serious health implications, can often be managed through aerobic exercise.
  • Lactate production during exercise plays a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, impacting focus, attention, and impulse control.

Anti-Cancer Effects of Exercise

  • The mechanical force of blood flow during intense exercise can lead to the death of circulating tumor cells, reducing the risk of cancer metastasis.
  • Studies have shown that engaging in aerobic exercise can significantly reduce circulating tumor cells in cancer patients, decreasing the risk of cancer recurrence and mortality.

Key quotes

  • "You can take a 50-year-old, put them on a pretty intense exercise program for two years, and essentially reverse a lot of the structural changes that happen with the aging process."
  • "Lactate itself is consumed by the brain, and it is a very easily utilizable source of energy but also a signaling molecule."
  • "Exercise is a very important adjunct therapy to treating cancer, but it also plays an important role in cancer metastasis."
This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.