Women reap more cardiovascular benefits from less exercise, study finds
Research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that women can achieve similar cardiovascular benefits with less exercise than men. Women need just under 2.5 hours of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week to gain equivalent "survival benefit" compared to men who exercise for five hours. According to Dr. Martha Gulati, the co-lead author of the study, women can derive more benefits from each minute of moderate to vigorous activity compared to men.
Study analyzes health data of over 400,000 US adults
The study analyzed health data from 1997 through 2019 involving 412,413 adults in the United States and by the end of the study, 39,935 of these adults had died, with 11,670 being cardiovascular deaths. The researchers noted that their study had an "observational design," which means they couldn't definitively say that exercise was causing the lowered risk. They also pointed out that their information was self-reported and didn't account for variations in household activities.
Regular aerobic exercise reduces cardiovascular mortality risk
Among the women studied, those who engaged in regular aerobic exercise had a 36% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular issues compared to a 14% risk reduction for men. Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death among women in the US, killing more than 300,000 every year. Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist not involved in the research, described these findings as "intriguing," but emphasized the limitations of an observational study.
Strength training shows divergent benefits for men and women
The study also examined the differences between men and women who engage in regular strength training. The researchers found that while men reach their peak benefit from doing three sessions of muscle-strengthening activities per week, women achieve the same degree of benefit from about one session per week. Men who engaged in regular muscle-strengthening activities saw an 11% reduction in cardiovascular risk, compared to a 30% reduction in risk for women.
Biological differences could explain divergent exercise benefits
The researchers suggested that differences between male and female bodies could be responsible for the divergent results. They noted that men typically have proportionately larger hearts, wider lung airways, greater lung diffusion capacity, and larger muscle fibers than women. Despite acknowledging these differences, Nissen emphasized that everyone should aim for 300 minutes of exercise per week, regardless of gender.
