Sorry, everyone.
new research They suggest that men may need to exercise twice as much as women to lower their chances of developing major health threats that kill them more often.
“This study provides strong evidence that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot and should not be used to guide physical activity recommendations for men and women.” Dr. Emily Laua cardiologist, wrote: editorial.
that CDC Recommends American adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and two muscle-strengthening sessions per week to maintain physical and mental health.
To determine how these guidelines affect coronary heart disease risk, Chinese researchers analyzed data from more than 80,000 UK Biobank participants who wore activity trackers.
The results showed that women who achieved their 150-minute goal had a 22% lower risk of being diagnosed with coronary heart disease. On the other hand, only 17% were men.
The more I exercised, the bigger the gap became. Women who exercised 250 minutes a week reduced their risk by 30%, while men needed to log a whopping 530 minutes to achieve the same effect.
“This isn’t bad news for men. It’s just something we need to be aware of.” Dr. TyrAn Australian researcher in the field of epigenetics, aging and exercise was not involved in the study, but said: new scientist.
“Once we know, we can do better. We can exercise more. And that’s reassuring for women who are always busy, but I don’t think we should lose sight of the fact that women need exercise, too,” she added.
Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries cannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart, often due to plaque buildup. This is the most common form of heart disease, affecting about 1 in 20 American adults. According to the CDC.
In 2022, it claimed more than 370,000 lives in the United States. Although it is the leading cause of death for both men and women, the mortality rate is higher in menThis is especially true among young adults.
Scientists continue to work to understand why women may reap greater cardiovascular benefits from exercise than men, but there are a few theories.
“Physiologically, circulating estrogen levels are much higher in women than in men, and estrogen may promote body fat loss during exercise,” said Jiajin Chen, PhD, one of the study authors and a researcher at the China Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. told ABC News.
This hormone also relaxes arteries, balances cholesterol levels, and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress. All of these factors contribute to coronary heart disease.
This may help explain why women generally experience cardiac events later than men, and the risk increases sharply after menopause when estrogen levels drop.
Muscle type may also play a role.
Men generally have more “fast-twitch” muscles, which are ideal for short, powerful movements, while women generally have more “slow-twitch” muscles, which can make the body more efficient during long movements.
“These physiological differences may partially explain the increased sensitivity to physical activity and increased cardiovascular benefits observed in women,” Chen said.
The findings may encourage physically inactive women to exercise more, potentially lowering their cardiovascular risk, the researchers suggested.
But as Lau points out, it’s not that simple.
“Time and time again, we see that women are less physically active and less likely to achieve recommended physical activity goals,” she wrote.
A 2020 CDC study found that men were more likely to meet both aerobic and strength training guidelines (28.3%) compared to women (20.4%).
“This highlights an opportunity for the medical community to think about how recommendations can be tailored to women,” Lau wrote. “What we’re doing right now isn’t really working.”
