Effects of Exercise on Cancer Cells
Exercise is known to prevent ailments such as cancer. But did you know that exercise actually kills cancer cells?
A research was done in 2013 on the effects of exercise on prostrate cancer cell growth, where men were instructed to exercise on the stationary bicycles for 60 minutes. Their blood samples were taken before and after exercise, and the results were amazing. It was found that the number of cancer cells actually diminished!
Why is this possible? Adrenaline that is induced due to exercise helps in the cinculcation of natural killer immune cells in your bloodstream, and an immune signaling molecule released by muscles during exercise guides the natural killer cells to tumours. During high intensity exercise such as swimming, adrenaline guides the natural killer immune cells to tumours where they kill off and eliminate cancerous cells. Research done using mice had uncovered that mice that spent their free time running on an exercise wheel experienced a 50 percent reduction in tumour growth compared to inactive mice.
To test this theory, the researchers injected mice with adrenaline. As predicted, they found that this caused the natural killers cells to move into the bloodstream, and when a tumour was present, the nareal killer cells would infiltrate it.
To confirm the relation between natural killer cells and tumour shrinkage, they used specially bred mice that do not have natural killer cells. In these mice, exercise had no effect on the tumours.
Blocking the flow of adrenaline had the same effect; the tumours remained, even when the mice exercised.
The immune signalling molecule identified to mobilise the natural killer cells to infiltrate tumours is known as IL-6, and this is released by muscle tissue during exercise. Adrenaline actually “called for” IL-6 sensitive natural killer cells, and it is these molecules that help to guide the immune cells to the tumours.
Swimming is a good exercise for beginners! It is low impact yet high intensity, suitable for young and old. Contact us now for a trial class for your child or yourself!
