Scientists may have discovered a new strategy for preventing the second-deadliest cancer in the United States: weightlifting.
In September 2019, researchers at the Maryland-based National Cancer Institute published their findings from a new study that analyzed weightlifting's influence in preventing colon cancer. Although the relationship between aerobic activity and cancer is well documented, less is known about weightlifting's potential benefits.
The researchers assessed 215,122 adult Americans and found that weekly weightlifting reduced colon cancer risk by at least 25 percent in both males and females. They also found that lifting for at least two cumulative hours per week even further reduced one's risk of developing colon cancer. Simply stated, this is because developed muscles help maintain ideal blood sugar levels which can ultimately curb one's risk of developing a number of common cancers, the researchers said.
Additionally, the researchers found that weightlifting can reduce one's risk of developing kidney cancer, the seventh most common form of cancer in the United States today.
Weightlifting can also reduce middle-aged Americans' likelihood of developing heart disease by 50 percent, according to another study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal.
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