Doing (a little) sport has a (significant) protective effect on the prostate

Gentlemen, do you need a little motivation to put on your sneakers or get on your bike? Know that by improving your physical condition you are protecting your prostate. In fact, increasing your cardiorespiratory capacity by just 3% can reduce the risk of cancer by 35%, according to a recent study published in the specialist journal The British Journal of Sports Medicine. “This is a particularly interesting result because until now, studies had mainly shown that physical activity could slow the progression of the disease. This time, we show that it can be prevented,” comments Professor Alexandre de la Taille, president of the French urology association.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden observed more than 57,000 male participants in a national employee health database. To be included in the study, you had to have recorded at least two cardiorespiratory fitness tests carried out on the exercise bikes during the follow-up period. Measurements of cardiorespiratory fitness were expressed as VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen the body uses during exercise as intense as possible. Participants were then divided according to how their respiratory capacity had changed over time: those who had increased each year by 3%, those who had remained stable, and those who had declined by more than 3%.

The 57,000 men were followed over an average period of 7 years during which 1% of them were diagnosed with prostate cancer (0.08% died from their disease). An annual increase in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. A conclusion which challenges those of older studies which found an increase in prostate cancer in men with high cardiorespiratory capacity. “These results were undoubtedly explained by a greater practice of screening for prostate cancer in men who are more sensitive to their health,” comments Professor François Desgrandchamps, urologist at Saint-Louis hospital in Paris and author of “ The prostate: what if we talked about it? » published by Hachette.

On the other hand, according to the study carried out by the Swedish team, improving cardiorespiratory capacity would not have a beneficial influence on deaths linked to prostate cancer. A result which does not really surprise the specialist. “It is undoubtedly linked to the fairly short duration of the study. Indeed, when prostate cancer is fatal, death generally occurs more than 7 years after diagnosis,” underlines Professor François Desgrandchamps. A longer study would therefore be required to validate a reduction in mortality. In the meantime, working and increasing your breathing capacity will always be beneficial.

There is only one solution to this: do physical activity regularly. Because, even if on an individual scale, respiratory capacity depends in part on genetic capital, it can always be improved through training. “And it’s never too late to do well,” insists Professor François Desgrandchamps. “We have to stop saying ‘at my age’”, adds Professor François Carré, cardiologist and sports doctor at the Chu de Rennes. So of course, it is better to start maintaining your physical abilities from a young age and not stop. But as the doctor reminds us, “if you did little sport at 20 and you start doing it regularly at 40, you will then have better physical capacity than you had at 20”. One more argument to get moving again if you've forgotten to do so, right?