- Researchers from Newcastle University recently examined the impact of exercise on colorectal cancer cells.
- The scientists noted that prior research has shown exercise offers some protection against cancer, and their goal was to expand on how this protection occurs at a molecular level.
- One key finding showed that a single intense exercise session helped repair DNA damage faster.
Exercise may do more than just improve heart health. A new study found that 10 to 12 minutes of intense exercise may be able to provide benefits such as slowing the growth of colorectal cancer cells.
In the study, researchers examined blood both before and after an intense workout session and then tested the serum of each blood sample on cancer cells in the lab. When they exposed the cancer cells to the post-exercise blood serum, the scientists saw activity changes in more than 1,300 genes.
While the findings do not prove exercise treats cancer, they do explain how physical activity may protect against colorectal cancer.
Bowel cancer, also called colon or colorectal cancer, is a commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S., and the
The risk of getting colorectal cancer goes up with age, and genetics and lifestyle habits can increase the risk. For example, research has shown that eating a diet high in red meat can increase risk.
Since some research shows that exercise may be beneficial for people who have colorectal cancer, the researchers in the new study wanted to take a closer look at how these benefits might occur.
The new study included 30 adults ages 50 to 78 who were overweight or had obesity but were otherwise healthy. According to the study authors, they chose these participants because “people with obesity and people with cancer exhibit broadly similar acute molecular responses to exercise.”
The scientists collected blood samples from the participants before and after their exercise session.
The workout consisted of a short, high-intensity exercise bike session where the participants steadily increased resistance on the bike until they reached their maximum effort. This took around 10 to 12 minutes.
The researchers analyzed blood samples and found that the intense exercise session increased levels of several proteins, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine that contributes to DNA repair.
They also found that the intense exercise suppressed genes associated with rapid cell division, meaning it could help slow cancer cell growth.
The scientists’ next step involved creating serums from both the pre- and post-exercise blood samples and seeing how colorectal cancer cells reacted to each serum.
The post-exercise serum triggered widespread changes in gene activity, including in pathways related to DNA repair and tumor growth.
Cancer cells treated with post-exercise serum showed signs of faster DNA repair. When the researchers introduced radiation to the cancer cells, the cells treated with the post-exercise serum had a faster repair response.
While the scientists noted that high-intensity exercise may not be possible for everyone with colorectal cancer, the findings show how significant a single intense workout session can be. The team mentioned exploring whether lower-intensity exercise may have similar benefits.
Nilesh Vora, MD, board certified hematologist and medical oncologist and medical director of the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center, spoke with Medical News Today about the study findings.
“The study and its results are very thought-provoking,” said Vora. “Short bursts of energy can alter many genes and promote DNA repair, and this could help patients with colon cancer fight more cancer cells.”
Vora said the results align with existing research showing that people with colon cancer who follow structured, high-intensity exercise programs tend to have fewer recurrences.
“While these results are promising, more intensive research should be conducted before more definitive conclusions can be drawn from this study,” Vora emphasized.
Vora noted that this should include prospective trials to determine whether intense exercise directly improves outcomes for people with colon cancer.
Judy Chiou, MD, a Doctify-registered staff specialist gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Gosford Hospital in Australia, also spoke with MNT about the study.
“I think this is an exciting study that helps to explain some of the biological mechanisms of how exercise may help prevent the development of colorectal cancer,” said Chiou.
Chiou said that while clinicians previously recommended exercise to patients with cancer, this study will allow them to explain the mechanisms behind how exercise may help fight cancer.
Chiou, however, did note a couple of drawbacks to the study.
“It is a small study containing only 30 patients (without cancer) who are largely of White British ethnicity and so the generalizability is limited. Overall, as a clinician, this is a very interesting mechanism study but not yet practice-changing on its own, given it’s still an in vitro model.”
— Judy Chiou, MD
