This Type of Exercise Kills Cancer Cells & Improves Your Mental Health

Summary

The video script discusses the impact of exercise intensity on myokine production, molecules released by muscle cells with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. It highlights how higher intensity and longer duration of exercise increase myokine release, beneficial for cancer prevention and treatment. Exercise also reduces circulating tumor cells, improving cancer survival rates. Additionally, it explains how exercise helps in the removal of harmful compounds like kynurenine, linking physical activity to improved mental health.

Takeaways

• 🏋️ Exercise intensity is crucial for the production of myokines, which are molecules that signal to nonmuscle tissues that the body is physically active.
• 🛑 Myokines have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, and they participate in metabolic pathways, including fat oxidation and glucose uptake.
• 🚴‍♂️ The harder and longer the muscles work, the greater the myokine release, indicating that both intensity and duration of exercise are important.
• 🔍 Certain myokines, like IL-6, have a dual role: pro-inflammatory when produced elsewhere but act as myokines with anti-inflammatory effects when produced by muscle during exercise.
• 🏃‍♀️ Irisin, a myokine, is involved in cancer protection, bone health, and metabolism.
• 🛡 Oncostatin M is a well-known myokine that plays a significant role in anti-cancer effects.
• 💪 Physical activity, even at a lower intensity, is better than none, with studies showing reduced risk of death from breast and colorectal cancer in more active individuals.
• 🏥 Exercise post-diagnosis has even stronger benefits, with significantly reduced risk of death from any cause and from cancer-specific causes.
• 🔄 Exercise increases blood flow, which can kill circulating tumor cells, a process that is dose-dependent on exercise intensity and duration.
• 🧠 Exercise helps improve mental health by increasing an enzyme in muscles that converts harmful compounds like kyanuric acid into non-toxic metabolites, reducing the risk of neurotoxins associated with depression, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Q & A

What are myokines and how do they relate to exercise?

Myokines are molecules released from muscle cells that signal to nonmuscle tissues that the body is physically active. They have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects and participate in metabolic pathways such as fat oxidation and glucose uptake.

How does exercise intensity affect myokine release?

The greater the intensity of exercise, the greater the myokine release. This is because the muscles are put under stress, and one of the adaptations is releasing myokines.

What role does exercise duration play in myokine release?

Duration also matters in myokine release; the harder and longer the muscles work, the greater the myokine release.

What is Irisin and how is it related to exercise?

Irisin is a myokine involved in cancer protection, bone health, and metabolism. It is produced during exercise and plays a role in signaling other tissues to have an anti-inflammatory response.

What is Oncostatin M and its significance?

Oncostatin M is a well-known myokine that plays a prominent role in anti-cancer effects.

How does physical activity before cancer diagnosis affect survival rates?

Women who were more physically active before being diagnosed with breast cancer had about a 23% reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 23% reduced risk of dying from breast cancer. Similarly, those with colorectal cancer had a 26% reduced risk of dying from any cause and about a 25% reduced risk of dying from colorectal cancer.

What benefits does being active after a cancer diagnosis provide?

Being active after a cancer diagnosis provides even stronger benefits, with a 48% reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 28% reduced risk of dying from breast cancer for women. For individuals with colorectal cancer, there's a 42% reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 39% reduced risk of dying from colorectal cancer.

How does exercise help prevent cancer metastasis?

Exercise increases blood flow, which creates shearing forces that can kill circulating tumor cells, thus helping to prevent cancer metastasis. The more intense the exercise, the more sensitive these cells are to cell death.

What is the role of skeletal muscle in protecting the brain from harmful compounds?

Skeletal muscle acts like a sponge to soak up compounds that can be harmful to the brain, such as kynurenine, which it converts into a non-toxic metabolite called kynurenic acid.

How does exercise intensity influence the skeletal muscle's ability to take up kynurenine?

Exercise intensity increases the activity of an enzyme called kynurenine aminotransferase in muscle cells, which helps transport kynurenine into the muscle and prevents its conversion into harmful metabolites like quinolinic acid.

What is the significance of quinolinic acid in neurodegenerative diseases?

Quinolinic acid is a neurotoxin that plays a role in depression, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Exercise helps reduce its production by increasing the conversion of kynurenine into kynurenic acid by skeletal muscles.