Short, Intensive Workouts Help Fight Bowel Cancer
By Health Correspondent
As many people start a new exercise or gym routine at the beginning of the year, new research suggests that just 10 minutes of intense exercise could help fight cancer.
A new study has shown that short bursts of vigorous activity can trigger rapid molecular changes in the bloodstream that shut down bowel cancer growth and speed up DNA damage repair.
Researchers at Newcastle University found that exercise increases the concentration of several small molecules in the blood, many of which are linked to reducing inflammation, improving blood vessel function, and metabolism.
When these exercise-induced molecules were applied to bowel cancer cells in the laboratory, the activity of more than 1,300 genes changed.
These included genes involved in DNA repair, energy production, and cancer cell growth.
Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the findings help explain one of the ways exercise protects against bowel cancer — by sending molecular signals through the bloodstream that influence the genes responsible for tumour growth and genome instability.
The study marks another step forward in the fight against bowel cancer and reinforces the importance of staying physically active.
‘Opens door to new treatments’
Dr Sam Orange, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology at Newcastle University, who led the study, said:
“What’s remarkable is that exercise doesn’t just benefit healthy tissues, it sends powerful signals through the bloodstream that can directly influence thousands of genes in cancer cells.
“It’s an exciting insight because it opens the door to find ways that mimic or augment the biological effects of exercise, potentially improving cancer treatment and, crucially, patient outcomes.
“In the future, these insights could lead to new therapies that imitate the beneficial effects of exercise on how cells repair damaged DNA and use fuel for energy.”
The researchers also found that exercise boosted the activity of genes supporting mitochondrial energy metabolism, allowing cells to use oxygen more efficiently.
At the same time, genes linked to rapid cell growth were switched off, which could reduce the aggressiveness of cancer cells, while exercise-conditioned blood promoted DNA repair by activating a key repair gene called PNKP.
The study involved 30 volunteers — male and female aged 50–78 — all overweight or obese, a known cancer risk factor, but otherwise healthy.
After completing a short, intense cycling test lasting approximately 10 minutes, blood samples were collected and 249 proteins analysed. As many as 13 proteins increased after exercise, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), which helps repair the DNA of damaged cells.
Dr Orange, a Clinical Exercise Physiologist at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“These results suggest that exercise doesn’t just benefit healthy tissues, it may also create a more hostile environment for cancer cells to grow.
“Even a single workout can make a difference. One bout of exercise, lasting just 10 minutes, sends powerful signals to the body.
“It’s a reminder that every step, every session, counts when it comes to doing your best to protect your health.”
It is estimated that physical activity reduces the risk by approximately 20%.
This can include going to the gym, playing sports, active travel such as walking or cycling to work, or everyday activities like gardening or cleaning.
Looking ahead, researchers plan to test whether repeated exercise sessions lead to lasting biological changes and to explore how these effects interact with standard cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Reference: Exercise serum promotes DNA damage repair and remodels gene expression in colon cancer cells. International Journal of Cancer. Samuel T Orange et al. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.70271
