"Strength training for cancer - is it serious?" you may ask.
Every child knows about the increase in well-being during and after physical activity. Scientific findings have also always underlined this. Nevertheless, in the last few years there have been some very surprising research results showing that strength training can actually have healing effects on cancer. From this, the motto "Give me the dumbbells" derive.

Humans have 656 muscles, which account for about 40% of body weight in men and 23% in women. Until recently, muscles were reduced to their function within the musculoskeletal system. But in 2007, Danish researcher Bente Pedersen made an astonishing discovery: muscles produce hormone-like messengers that influence a number of essential bodily functions.

Pedersen named them "myokines" - composed of the Greek words "Mys" for muscle and "Kinema" for movement. Among other things, myokines optimize fat metabolism, organ metabolism and insulin metabolism. They are therefore substances that we should accumulate as much as possible in the body.

Since these wonder substances are formed in the muscle and are only released through muscle activity, we can now say that there is a direct correlation between active muscle mass and health.

For this reason, more and more oncologists are prescribing strength training to both sick and at-risk patients, which until recently was considered a treatment failure.

It goes without saying that the load must always be adapted to the patient's physical condition.

As of today's research (2020), several hundred myokines and their mode of action have been studied, but it is believed that many more exist.

Recent studies exploring the role of myokines in relation to breast and other forms of cancer have shown that regular strength training reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer by 25 to 30 percent.
But these extremely positive effects are not only seen in cancer:

Some examples of myokines:

• INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6) is the best researched myokine. It promotes the uptake of sugar into muscle cells, playing an important role in the treatment, prevention, and even cure of diabetes. In addition, IL-6 has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps the body's own killer cells to track down cancer cells.
  
• VEGF stimulates the growth of blood vessels, which is equally beneficial for all organs, whether heart, brain or kidney. In addition, VEGF has a blood pressure-lowering effect, as it relaxes the vessels.
  
• INTERLEUKIN 15: has a stimulating effect on the immune system and promotes fat burning, especially in the abdominal area.
  
• IGF-1 and FGF-2: counteract the development of osteoporosis by stimulating new bone formation.

Strength training for cancer cure

Myokines scan cells and dock onto so-called "receptors". There they emit specific signals and thus trigger reactions within the cell, which subsequently influence its elasticity or regenerative capacity, for example. In this way, the elasticity of the vessels can be increased and the cardiovascular system positively influenced.

But also for the cure of diabetes II and cancer therapy, more and more importance is attached to myokines.

One thing is certain: During an intensive interval training with high load, a higher myokine release is achieved in a shorter time than during two hours of endurance training.

However, this should in no way cause you to do less endurance training. Both forms of training have positive effects in their own right and are therefore indispensable.

Away from the topic of "myokines," researchers at Saarland University Hospital found that strength training also has an effect at the genetic level by ensuring the renewal of telomeres. These have a significant influence on life expectancy, as they shorten slightly with each cell division until they are finally used up, which initiates programmed cell death. You can view the related study here: https://is.gd/CbIDMc

Please note that strength training must always be adapted to your basic physique.

Read more details about the topic here Strength training against cancer.

The relevance of exercise & sport in cancer (apart from strength training).

Did you know that a Stone Age man traveled an average of over 20 kilometers a day due to the need to hunt and gather? Although the blessings of modern civilization have given us a significantly higher life expectancy, the evolutionary legacy has remained the same. And this demands, that all biological systems are stressed to function optimally.

In other words, modern man's genetic programming is still comparable to that of his thousands of years old ancestors. And they had neither a lavish supermarket supply nor motorized means of transportation.

The body - then as now - is designed to consume calories, whether for gathering, which corresponds to endurance training, or for hunting, which requires quickness.

But since we now have professions other than hunter-gatherer, we need to exercise to stay healthy. The only alternative to this would be to radically restrict our daily calorie intake. But even then we would be cutting ourselves off from the wealth of positive effects that sport and exercise bring.

Those who exercise regularly trigger the following processes, among others: Heart activity is stimulated, blood flow is increased.

A cascade of messenger substances is released. New neural pathways are created in the brain. Diseased tissue heals, cell growth is stimulated, genetic material is repaired. Muscle mass is built up, which also strengthens the skeleton, joints are lubricated and myokines are released. Breathing is activated.

Every child knows that exercise is good for you, and science is constantly discovering new healing effects of sporting activity. So it's clear: sport not only serves to burn calories, but is also a highly effective therapy, both on a physical and psychological level.

Regular strength training strengthens the muscles and thus also the skeleton, which counteracts osteoporosis, which often sets in insidiously and initially goes unnoticed. The effect of strength training on cancer was described at the beginning of this article.

Recent studies have shown that an active muscle stimulates the bone to which it is attached to produce new cells via the bone marrow.

Dieter Felsenberg, head of the Center for Muscle and Bone Research at the Charité hospital in Berlin, therefore recommends that even older people go to the fitness center once or twice a week for targeted strength training.

The so-called myokines are released exclusively by muscle activity.

Almost all of today's epidemic diseases of affluence can be avoided with the right amount of exercise.

It ensures that blood pressure normalizes, arteries remain free of deposits, and blood lipid levels, such as cholesterol, are in the green zone. Even type 2 diabetics can regulate their sugar balance through endurance training in such a way that they need less and sometimes even no medication.

Are sports and strength training effective in cancer recovery?

Cornelia Ulrich, Head of the Department of Preventive Oncology at the Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, puts it this way: "Physical exercise stimulates the repair of defects in the genetic material DNA, which are considered to trigger cancer. On the other hand, blood sugar levels drop, as do the levels of the messenger substances insulin, IGF-1 and 2, which are also suspected of promoting tumor growth."

However, sport is not only recommended by the Heidelberg cancer researchers for prevention, but also for people who have already been diagnosed with cancer. This is also in line with research from the United States. The American breast cancer specialist and book author Carolyn Kaelin says:

"If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she should start a fitness program immediately, even if she doesn't feel like it."

It is possible that the positive effects are also due to the increased release of the neurotransmitters endorphin, dopamine and serotonin, as these act like the body's own antidepressants.

In an American study, about 100 depressed patients were treated with medication, while an equally large comparison group was given only placebos, but at the same time made to jog on a treadmill three times a week. The result after four months was that the people in the athlete group felt significantly better than those in the medication group, i.e. they had measurably fewer depressive symptoms.

Even the brain benefits in two ways from regular exercise. On the one hand, dopamine degradation is slowed, which, as mentioned above, has a mood-boosting effect, and on the other hand, regular exercise also increases brain plasticity. In particular, the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and remembering and which normally shrinks with age, grows measurably in a person who is regularly active in sports.

The American College of Sports Medicine launched the "Exercise is Medicine" initiative a few years ago. Prof. Steinacker, the cardiologist and sports physician quoted above, is one of those who want to bring this approach to bear in Europe as well: Recognition of Exercise training as a prescribable remedy.

What is my optimal training plan?

As emphasized above, training must be adapted to your current physique. However, you can easily find out the right measure without outside help: start gently - whether with cardio or muscle training - and increase until you notice that your performance limit has been reached. This performance limit is your guide. You should by no means overload yourself, but you should also not underload yourself. The medium-term goal is to continuously move the performance limit. This is achieved by daily training, if possible. It is ideal if you Strength training with stretching exercises and endurance training alternate. This way you have a daily program and avoid one-sided stress at the same time. Listen to your body, give it what it needs - and do it regularly!

Article by Gerald Hagler
Author's comment:
In my customized Self-healing counseling the topic of "strength training in cancer" is an integral part.

More interesting links on the topic:

Strength training against cancer - a magic bullet?
Sport is as important as a cancer drug (Ärzteblatt)
Muscle may protect against cancer (Netdoctor)
Strength training lowers cancer risk (Focus)