Copyright Men's Journal
Men may need to exercise twice as much as women to achieve the same reduction in coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, according to a new study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research. With heart disease remaining the leading cause of death in the United States, the research highlights how exercise guidelines may need to account for differences between men and women. The study analyzed activity data from over 80,000 people without CHD and more than 5,000 patients with CHD to see how exercise affects heart risk and survival. Researchers found that women who followed exercise guidelines had a 22 percent lower risk of developing CHD, compared with 17 percent for men. Women could also achieve a 30 percent lower CHD risk by getting around four hours of moderate exercise each week. On the other hand, men needed about eight hours of similar activity. The most striking finding came from patients with coronary heart disease, where women who met the weekly exercise target were three times less likely to die during the study period than equally active men. The study offers possible explanations for why women may benefit more from exercise, which are largely physiological, including hormones and muscle type. Men generally have more fast-twitch muscle fibers, which excel at short bursts of power but may not offer the same heart-protective benefits during sustained activity. Exercise isn’t one-size-fits-all, and in light of the findings, researchers assert that sex differences should be accounted for in health and fitness guidelines. They suggest using wearable devices to help track activity and tailor routines to maximize heart health for both sexes, potentially narrowing the gap and helping more people get the most out of their workouts.
