Recent research indicates that men may need to exercise twice as much as women to achieve the same reduction in coronary heart disease risk. This discovery highlights the importance of considering sex differences in health guidelines related to physical activity. The study, which analyzed physical activity records from over 80,000 individuals, reveals significant disparities in how exercise impacts heart health for men and women.
The research uncovered that women who engage in 250 minutes of exercise weekly can reduce their risk of heart disease by an impressive 30%. In stark contrast, men must commit to nearly 530 minutes of exercise, or almost nine hours a week, to experience the same health benefits. This aligns with earlier studies suggesting that women tend to gain more from the same quantity of exercise compared to men. However, it also highlights a concerning trend: women are generally less physically active and less likely to meet the recommended exercise targets.
According to NHS guidelines, individuals aged 16 to 64 should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, alongside muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. The recent findings emphasize the necessity for tailored exercise advice for both men and women, pointing out the substantial health benefits women can achieve with moderate amounts of exercise. Notably, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for women globally, with one in three women succumbing to the illness.
Dr. Jiajin Chen of Xiamen University and his team conducted the study using data from activity trackers worn by middle-aged volunteers participating in the UK Biobank project. Initially, they examined 80,243 participants without coronary heart disease. Among these individuals, women who met the recommended 150-minute weekly exercise target experienced a 22% lower risk of developing heart disease over eight years compared to those who did not exercise sufficiently. For men, the risk reduction was slightly lower at 17%.
Further analysis revealed that women could achieve a 30% reduction in heart disease risk by exercising for 250 minutes each week, which men only achieved by exercising for 530 minutes. Additionally, among over 5,000 participants with existing coronary heart disease, women who met the exercise target had a threefold lower risk of death during the follow-up period compared to similarly active men.
Prof. Yan Wang, a senior author of the study, emphasized that both sexes can gain significant cardiovascular benefits from regular physical activity. He urged everyone, regardless of sex, to engage in consistent exercise. However, he also noted that globally, more women than men are not meeting physical activity targets. “We particularly hope that our findings could encourage physically inactive females to become more active, thereby reducing their cardiovascular risk,” he stated.
While the exact reasons behind the greater benefits of exercise for women compared to men remain unclear, scientists speculate that differences in sex hormones, muscle fibers, and the capacity to metabolize sugar for energy could play a role. These findings shed light on the critical need for personalized health recommendations that cater to the specific needs of men and women.
