Topline
Performing far more exercise than current guidelines significantly reduces mortality risks, according to a large-scale study published Monday in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, pushing back on prior research that suggested participating in high-intensity endurance sports like marathons could lead to cardiovascular damage.
A man runs at Sandakphu National Park near Darjeeling, India overlooking Mount Everest.
Key Facts
People who exercised two to four times more than the American Heart Association’s weekly minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate activity had a reduction in mortality risk of 26% to 31%, while those who engaged in two to four times the recommendation of 75 minutes of intense activity exhibited a reduction in mortality risk of 21% to 23%, the study found.
The National Institutes of Health-funded, peer-reviewed study analyzed the self-reported activity of 100,000 adults over a 30-year period.
Meeting the activity guidelines also had significant, if lower, benefits: people who performed 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly had a reduction in mortality risk of 20% to 21%, while those who vigorously exercised for 75 minutes had a 19% reduction in mortality risk.
The study found the maximum benefit in mortality reduction occurs when performing between 150 and 300 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly or between 300 and 600 minutes of moderate activity, or a combination of both.
Crucially, the study found no link to adverse cardiovascular health effects for those who exercised more than four times the recommendations for moderate and vigorous activity, countering prior studies that suggested there may be a limit to the benefits of exercise or even a detrimental effect of excessive exercise in extreme cases.
Key Background
Decades of research has found that regular exercise can help you live longer. A meta-analysis of 16 studies globally published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in January found that performing 30 to 60 minutes of weekly strength exercise is associated with a 15% decrease in all-cause mortality. A study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed the effects strength training may have, finding that there may be a link between lower muscle mass and cognitive decline in older adults.
Crucial Quote
Harvard University researcher Dong Hoon Lee, one of the paper’s authors, said in a statement the observed lack of association between the highest levels of exercise and harmful health risk “may reduce the concerns around the potential harmful effect of engaging in high levels of physical activity observed in several previous studies.”
Further Reading
Lower Muscle Mass Tied To Steeper Cognitive Decline, Study Suggests (Forbes)
Strength Training 30 To 60 Minutes A Week May Help You Live Longer, Studies Say (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/07/25/if-you-want-to-live-longer-this-study-suggests-you-exercise-a-lot-more-than-previously-recommended/