Research indicates that men may need to engage in exercise for twice as long as women to obtain equivalent health benefits, according to a significant new study involving 85,000 participants.
Findings revealed that women performing approximately four hours of moderate to vigorous exercise weekly, such as brisk jogging, swimming, or dancing, could lower their risk of coronary heart disease by 30 percent. In contrast, men required nearly nine hours of physical activity per week to achieve the same risk reduction.
“In comparison to men, women allocate half the time to exercise for similar health outcomes,” the researchers noted in their publication. Nature cardiovascular research.
While the research team did not explore the reasons for this notable difference, they proposed several physiological explanations.
Women possess higher estrogen levels, a hormone linked to bone and muscle health along with fat metabolism rates.
Additionally, men and women have different types of skeletal muscles, which may make women more adept at endurance training.
“Heart disease is the primary cause of premature death in both genders, though men typically develop heart disease earlier, and women tend to ‘catch up’ later in life after menopause,” stated Professor Riyaz Patel, a cardiologist at University College London, who was not part of the study. BBC Science Focus.
“The takeaway is that everyone can benefit from exercise. Increased physical activity is advantageous for all.”
The study, led by Jiajin Chen from Xiamen University in China, monitored participants aged 37 to 73 using wrist-worn fitness trackers over an eight-year period.
For individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, women required just 51 minutes of exercise weekly to reduce their risk of death by 30 percent, compared to 85 minutes for men.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of early death globally. In the United States alone, about 100 out of every 100,000 women are anticipated to die from cardiovascular disease in 2023, while the figure for men is 60% higher.
The World Health Organization, along with the American Heart Association and NHS, advises individuals aged 16 to 64, regardless of gender, to engage in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
