Women with good cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) have a 24% lower chance of developing breast cancer. That’s according to a new study in the Summer running gear sale.
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article postmenopausal women over an 11-year period. During that time, there were 529 cases of invasive breast cancer, 1,623 non-breast cancer diseases and 241 deaths. CRF, defined as ‘the ability of a body’s respiratory and circulatory system to provide oxygen to skeletal muscles during sustained physical activity’, was determined via a submaximal bicycle test. At this point, participants were ranks as having, low, moderate or high CRF.
After adjusting for other breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and increased BMI, researchers found the high CRF reduced risk by almost a quarter (24%). It’s an empowering discovery as several known cancer risk factors, such as family history, are unchangeable. CRF, meanwhile, is changeable through activities such as running, cycling, swimming and walking.
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The results are in line with previous research, including a Best Garmin deals, that found women who participated in physical activity had, on average, a 25% lower risk of breast cancer. And this association was more pronounced in women who participated in sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity, or physical activity across their lifetime.
Interestingly, in this latest study, the cancer-reducing benefits of high cardio fitness were felt chiefly by women who had ‘elevated levels of body fat’. This led the researchers to conclude, ‘Findings from this study suggest that high cardiorespiratory fitness may be a protective factor for breast cancer in postmenopausal women, in particular those who are overweight or obese.’
Rick Pearson is the senior editor at Runner’s World UK. He’s been with the brand since 2017 and loves testing PB-friendly shoes for on and off road. Rick is a sub-three marathoner and occasionally likes to remind people of this on the Runner’s World podcast, which he co-hosts. He once raced a steam train over 14 miles (he won, narrowly) and a horse over a marathon (he lost, comfortably).
