A new large-scale study by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the U.S. has revealed that the effectiveness of exercise for health and longevity varies by gender. The scientists found that women benefit more from physical activity in less training time compared to men.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
It is well-known that regular exercise reduces the risk of heart problems and premature death. However, as the researchers discovered, this risk reduction differs between genders. To maintain good health and live longer, women require less physical activity than men.
The team analyzed data from over 412,000 American adults aged 27 to 61, of whom 55 percent were women. This data was collected from 1997 to 2017 as part of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
The survey included questions about the types of exercises participants engaged in, as well as the frequency, duration, and intensity of their workouts. The researchers also considered the health status of participants, along with their socio-economic and demographic characteristics.
The team also examined the National Death Index (a database of death records). They focused on overall mortality rates and the percentage of deaths related to cardiovascular diseases.
During the study period, 39,935 participants passed away, with 11,670 deaths attributed to heart diseases, heart attacks, and strokes.
Thirty-two percent of surveyed women and 43 percent of men reported that they regularly engaged in aerobic exercises, dedicating at least 150 minutes per week to these activities. Compared to inactive individuals of the same gender, women who exercised regularly had a 24 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. In contrast, the mortality reduction for active men was only 15 percent, according to Live Science.
“Women gain more benefit from every minute of moderate or vigorous activity than men,” said Dr. Marti Gulati, the lead author of the study.
For men, a reduction in mortality risk from all causes was observed with approximately 300 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week. In comparison, women needed less than half that time—around 140 minutes per week—to achieve the same effect. The maximum benefit for women was reached at 300 minutes of exercise.
The researchers found that this trend held true for exercise of any duration, with women consistently experiencing a proportionately greater benefit from any amount of exercise compared to men.
What Else Did the Researchers Find?
About 20 percent of women and 28 percent of men reported engaging in strength training, such as weightlifting. Women reported an average of 0.85 sessions of strength training per week, while men reported 1.25 sessions.
Women who participated in strength training at least twice a week had a 19 percent lower risk of mortality compared to those who trained less frequently or not at all. For men, this risk was reduced by 11 percent compared to inactive men.
These benefits were particularly pronounced when it came to cardiovascular health.
Active women who engaged in aerobic exercises had a 36 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, while active men experienced a risk reduction of about 14 percent. Strength training yielded similar results in reducing this risk: 30 percent for women and 11 percent for men.
“I hope this groundbreaking study motivates women who are not regularly active to understand that they can gain significant health benefits from every additional minute of exercise,” said co-author Kristina Albert.
The study’s findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.