rss feedsFrom The Blog
Prevent Cancer By Working Out Like This…
by Shin Ohtake on Thursday, December 03, 2009 • 17 Comments
Let me start off by saying that NOT all exercises are created equal…and the way you do exercises can mean the difference between looking at your same old body in front of the mirror or staring at a brand new you with curves and muscles you never though you had. But it’s not just all about looks. Now science has discovered that the way you do exercises can also help prevent the deadliest disease in the world…cancer.
A long term university study recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine studied 2560 Finnish men from the ages of 42 to 61 for a period of over 16 years. The study was conducted to see if exercising reduced the risk of cancer.
Each individual’s physical activity levels were measured and assessed using frequency, duration and intensity as the key variables:
- Frequency - how many times a week they participated in the physical activity.
- Duration - on average how long they performed the activity
- Intensity - how hard they performed their physical activity of choice.
After collecting all of the data from the 16 year study, it was found that men who exercised at moderate to high intensity levels for at least 30 minutes a day decreased their chances of getting cancer by half, compared to men who didn’t. That’s pretty amazing! Here’s more…
A higher use of oxygen consumption during physical activity is linked to a reduction in the level of illness in a person and their likelihood of dying from cancer.
An increase of 1.2 metabolic units (oxygen consumption) was related to a decrease in cancer mortality mainly due to lung and gastrointestinal cancers, after the researchers took into account age, alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index and energy, fibre and fat intake.
The higher the oxygen consumption the more intense the activity. So in essence, it means the higher the intensity of the workout the lower your chances of getting cancer.
Even though the scientific reasons as to why high intensity lowers the risk of cancer are not known, there’s a strong link to disease and oxygen deprivation (i.e. low oxygen levels in your body). Studies have shown that oxygen is a vital part of maintaining healthy cells in your body and a lack of sufficient oxygen makes your cells unhealthy and susceptible to diseases. And due to a more sedentary lifestyle, most of us do suffer from low levels of oxygen.
The best way to combat low oxygen levels in your body and give your cells an oxygen boost is by working out at high intensities.
Activities performed at high intensity cause your body to go into a oxygen deficit for a brief period, which forces you to take in more oxygen to make up for the deficit. This is why exercising at high intensities is more beneficial when it comes to increasing your body’s oxygen levels…even compared to long steady state cardio.
The benefits of exercising at higher intensities have long been known to be very effective for weight loss, building lean muscle and improving overall fitness, but the reason I wanted to tell you about this groundbreaking study is because it’s the first time anyone’s looked at the correlation of exercise intensity and prevention of disease.
So, now that there’s evidence that the way you exercise can help protect you from deadly diseases like cancer, are you ready to crank up the sweat-factor in your workouts? I’d love to hear from you, so please post your comments below.
P.S. I get a lot of questions from people who aren’t sure if they’re working out a high intensity. Here’s a hint…If you’re workouts last longer than 30 minutes, there’s no way you’re working out at a high intensity. Most people can’t last more than 20-30 minutes on the main set of a truly intense workout. Even though intense workouts are shorter, they’ll get you MUCH better results (it’s a win-win if you ask me). This is why all of the workouts in MAX Workouts are programmed in a circuit style strength training format using full body exercises and interval sprint training formats to help maximize intensity. And, if you’ve never worked out like this before—don’t worry—all of the workouts are scalable so you can start at your own pace and gradually progress up as your body gets accustomed to doing the workouts. Click here to learn more.
About The Author
Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit maxworkouts.com.
Like this post? Help me spread the word!
17 Comments
Posted by Vicoria Medlin on 12/03 at 09:36 AM
Good information. High intensity / multi-tasking exercises are my favorite for creating energy and feeling alive, so it isn’t a stretch to know that it is actually “making me more alive”!
It gives us all more ammunition to encourage our friends to get up and move it!
Posted by Roxana on 12/03 at 10:32 AM
There you go! Another benefit of working out at high intensities. Put your anaerobic, ATC-CP energy system to work. Besides the fact that you will be able to play harder (by increasing AT levels), you will also be able to play longer by reducing chances of getting cancer 
Posted by Mike on 12/03 at 10:59 AM
Greetings Shin,
Thanks for the valuable information you continually post. I have a question regarding oxygen consumption during an intense workout. I work out in a classroom full of mma trainees. To say the workout is intense would be an understatement and when we do a power core class that involves a circuit of sometimes 6 or 7 stations, even more so. My question is this. What is the quality of the air we are continually gasping for as our class goes from, “I can do this” to “holy crap, when will it end”? Can the exchange of perspiration laden air be healthy for us? Especially in a closed room where whatever is being exhaled is also being inhaled.
Thank you again. I hope the query isn’t frivolous.
Posted by Keith Wallin on 12/03 at 11:55 AM
Shin, I work out 3times per week for usually 2 hours. This includes dead lifts, squats, bench press, pullups, inverted rows, pushups and various ab workouts. I also perform 10 minutes of HIIT using a recumbent bike in between the various exercises as I go along for a total of 30-40 minutes of cardio. Do you think this qualifies as enough exercise to ward off cancer? I’m 59 years old and have about 22-24% bodyfat.
Posted by Max on 12/03 at 12:15 PM
A few important comments:
At higher intensities an oxygen debt occurs in the body and the body starts producing lactic acid at anaerobic levels. Taking a few seconds break or reducing intensity to breathe in oxygen is then needed to convert the lactic acid into glucose in the liver. At moderate intensities, the body burns fat more efficiently than at high intensities because there is more oxygen utilisation and less reliance on burning creating and lactic acid. Furthermore at high intensities, the body burns a higher ratio of carbohydrate (glycogen) and a reduced amount of fat simply because it takes less time to metabolise glycogen than to break down fat.
People who train at high altitudes with reduced oxygen have been shown to be fitter. A prime example is the legendary elite special forces unit—the Gurkhas.
Therefore in concluding, I’d have to say that just as priming the body for carbohydrate loading before an elite endurance race makes it store glycogen more efficiently, similarly, working out with less oxygen makes the body fitter. However, having said that, I have to agree that exercising is better than not exercising—period!
Another great blog post which will have lots of debatable comments!
Thanks Shin.
Posted by etb on 12/03 at 02:34 PM
Shin, good article…but what about the people who are in there mid 50’s (me), and have been working out for 20 years. Are these workouts to instense?
Posted by ayman on 12/03 at 03:31 PM
Thank you for your valuable information….
is intensity mesns that each exersie should all body participate?or only interval to be less?or same amount of work but less time?
Posted by Fred on 12/03 at 04:51 PM
Hi everyone
i am a male of 48 years old i started with intensive power training some 8 months ago again it was some 27 years since i quit weigt training; almost 9 years ago (23 april 2001)i did had a severe diving accident while diving on a wreck on the North Sea 30 miles from the Dutch Coast.
To make a long story short, after the dive i suffer from the bends and i was paralised from my waist; thanks to my sport history i did find the currage & the will to learn to walk again with a lot of pain and anger.
In the begining there was a significant progression but the last years it stopped almost….until i started with intensive weigt training 3 times a week, i feel much beter and a am a lot stronger and i do limb al lot lesser. and i lost 6 kilo’s of fat (no diet)
So I do believe weigt training can make the difference in health
Much powerfull greatings from Belgium
Freddy
p.s al kind of information to help my progression further are very welkom.
Posted by Almeida on 12/03 at 06:16 PM
Hello,
of course what you say abt oxygen its true neverthless we should consider too the “opposite” case: a lot of people due to stress/bad habits (like to much coffee)are almost constantly in a hyperventilation state. For those people i recommend the Hale Clinic breathing exercises. They have specific “less breathing” exercises to practice before and after your workout…
Posted by patrick on 12/03 at 07:26 PM
this is good to hear, because sometimes I think I work out at such a high intensity that it will give me cancer!
Posted by narges on 12/03 at 08:58 PM
oh yes this is right, I have heard alot about exercise and how it is effective but i cant do it for a long time.Actuly i like dancing but where i am i have not enough facility to do this.that is my big problem.
Posted by ardi on 12/04 at 09:08 AM
hi everybody, i’m from albania. i just hear about high intensities and oxygen debt occurs in the body. i cant buy the MaxWorkout book.
Is there anybody to explain me what are these?
For more information, i workout 3 time a week.(separate muscle).I do 3 exercises for each one. Actualy i’m working with 70% of my maximum. F.e. in lat machine i have max 70 kg. i work with 50 Kg at the way 4 set x 15. with 1minute rest.
How can i do to work in high intensities
Posted by samantha on 12/06 at 02:15 PM
Hello ARDI,
oxygen debt is like a credit you are taking from somebody for your urgent need.in high intensity training the amount of oxygen your taking is not enough to carryout certain metabolic activities in body.so the body tends to do it without oxygen(anaerobic path)to supply urgent energy requrment.However at the end of exercise you have to make extra effort to to payback that that deficient oxygen.thats why your respiratory rate keep on elivated for a while after exercise ceased.This is just an summary,but chemicle reactions are sophisticated and i dont wanna confuse you by mentioning them.
Your wprkout seems to be good.but need more details
eg1 your body type/your goals/time u spend 4 workout etc….... 
Posted by wendy whit on 12/18 at 04:50 PM
Hi shin,i read where you said doing to many crunches will cause lower back pain,and you are dead right.I have been going to the gym a few years now,doing lots of ab work.The thing is i get up 430am 5 days a week for work,weekends come around and i am hoping i can have a sleep in at least until 7am,but no way as my lower back just kills me and i have to get out of bed.I am into my 6 weeks of maxworkouts following your workouts to the letter and guess what i am now enjoying a lay in until 7am,sometimes longer pain free.thanks so much shin.wendy
Posted by cindy miller on 01/02 at 12:52 PM
Dear Shin,
I have followed and rread your web site for over a year now. The information you send us is very informative and today, I am ready to take the plunge and order your book. I am excited to start the new year with a new exercise program. I am looking forward to seeing a new me in the mirror soon.
Happy New Year to you and your wife and dog.
Cindy
Posted by Michael on 02/02 at 05:26 PM
Hello Shin. Althought the study from British Journal of Sports Medicine was interesting, I would have like to know what the diets were of these participants. As we all know, exercise plays a important role in our health. But what about diet? I believe diet plays a more significant role in preventing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, etc.
It is my opinion that this study from the British Journal is incomplete because it does not provide us the diet of the participants.
I believe that a participant who exercises at high intensity levels but eats a very poor diet can still develop cancerous cells or other diseases and a person who doesn’t exercise at high intensity levels (only moderate exercise) but eats a very healthy diet can prevent such diseases.
In my opinion, high intensity workouts are great and will provide you better results than regular routing exercises but if you combine these workouts with a healthy diet (limited (organic) or no meats, dairy, etc. ) then you can reach optimum health.
Regards,
Michael
Post A Comment
Next entry: Learn How To Use Your Hormones To Burn More Fat
Posted by Craig Dykstra on 12/03 at 09:08 AM
Shin,
There is also a correlation between body fat content and cancer. The correlation is not just limited to overall body fat content, but also to specific body fat content. Breast cancer is the number one cancer that is faced by women. It is speculated that the high incidence of breast cancer is attributable to the tissue makeup of the breast itself - being predominately made up of fatty tissue. It is thought that the mechanism attributable to this high incidence is that cancer causing chemicals and/or free radicals get trapped or lodged in the fatty tissue located in the breast – therefore allowing the surrounding cells an increased chance of mutating. This same mechanism might also be at play for men/women who are generally over-weight as they also suffer from higher rates of various cancers related to other parts of the body. It would seem reasonable to assume that an exercise routine which reduces the amount of overall body fat - would also play a significant role in reducing one’s chances of developing various cancers as well.