By Gabe Sanders PhD, NSCA-CSCS
Breast cancer is a common form of cancer in many females around the world today. While there have been many medical advancements made to improve the survival rates of breast cancer, many of the preventative procedures can be high risk. Therefore, the majority of physicians and researchers suggest that women with high risk get a mammogram annually at the age of 40 and do regular self-screenings to increase early detection and earlier life-saving treatment.
For younger females and for individuals with elevated risk of developing breast cancer the high-risk nature of some procedures may not be worth the immediate risk. Procedures like surgical or hormonal interventions aim to reduce estrogen levels in order to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer.
These procedures can carry many unwanted side effects and many younger women, in particular, are more interested in methods that can lower their estrogen levels more naturally. A potential answer according to recent research may come in the form of exercise.
Exercise may lower estrogen levels
New findings published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment suggests there might be a dose-response relationship between exercise and reducing estrogen levels. This means that the more exercise you engage in, the more likely you are to reduce your estrogen levels and potentially reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.
In fact, the study reported that every additional 100 minutes of exercise per week led to significant reductions in estrogen levels. Therefore meeting the guidelines of 300 minutes of exercise per week may drastically help some women who are at a greater risk of breast cancer. It is important to keep in mind that exercise is not a cure, but exercise could improve estrogen levels enough to essentially buy some women time before they pursue other medical preventative procedures.
While the previously aforementioned research does not make specific exercise recommendations, it may be best to attempt 300 minutes per week of exercise at a moderate to high intensity to reap the most significant health benefits.
To give you an idea about what moderate to high intensity feels like for 300 minutes per week, imagine exercising for 60 minutes and when you are finished, you are sweating and you may even have a damp or sweaty shirt. In addition to your time and intensity of exercise, be sure to engage in both strength training and aerobic exercise. How you choose to break down your 60 minutes is up to you, but perhaps the best split to achieve your fitness goal or reduce your estrogen levels is 30 minutes of strength training and 30 minutes aerobic exercise.
*For more examples of other variations/exercises look under Multimedia-VDF Exercise Tips
**Consult with a physician and/or medical healthcare provider before starting any exercise regimen
Article’s Resources
Schmitz KH, Williams NI, Kontos D, et al. Dose-response effects of aerobic exercise on estrogen among women at high risk for breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015, 154(2):309-318.