With a one-mile ice swim event being considered for inclusion at future Winter Olympics researchers at Winona State University in Minnesota and the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) have investigated the performance and human physiological response in water -5° Celsius or less.
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The scientists analysed more than 80 ice swimmers ((71 male, 17 female) who completed ice mile swims, in an attempt to understand how age, gender and environmental factors such as wind chill affected performance.
Ice swimming was a demonstration sport at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and is being considered as a permanent addition to the event line-up in future Winter Olympic games.
“It’s amazing to see how a ‘silly’ idea eight years ago has taken off,” said Ram Barkai, IISA founder and board chairman.
“Our study of the IISA data set wonderfully describes how much we as humans can ask our bodies to do while in an adverse environment (water that is 5° C or less) and how we can train our minds to accomplish these goals,” said Spencer Treu, a member of the research team.
The team found a slight correlation between age and swim speed: The older the swimmers were, the slower they swam. However, the correlation was modest and suggests that ice swimming could be a sport in which individuals could be competitive in well into their 30s and 40s.
The research team also noted improvement in swim times among those who participated in more than one ice mile. Out of 24 one-mile swimmers who swam two or more swims, 15 were faster on their second swim.
Among the eight swimmers who did three or more swims, six improved their speed from their first to third swim. “We also discovered that for one-mile ice swimmers, wind chill did not greatly affect swim speed. Finally, we discovered that statistically, gender does not influence the effect of age on swim speed,” Treu said.
Swimming in such cold water is not without risk, but it is possible to compete safely with the proper training and safety measures in place. “This is a potentially dangerous sport, although in the world of RedBull racers, ironman competitions and the like, perhaps the word ‘extreme’ is a more appropriate term,” Treu said. “The reason many swimmers can successfully complete these swims is most likely due to the intense training and preparation they put themselves through to prepare their bodies and minds.”
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What do you think? Should ice swimming be an Olympic sport?
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Increasing your anaerobic capacity in addition to your aerobic capacity help long distance runners improve their times new research shows.
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The researchers from Simon Frasier University (SFU) in British Columbia measured aerobic and anaerobic capacity in 10 male mountain marathon runners and found a runner’s pre-race anaerobic fitness capacity is a key factor in determining who will have the fastest finishing times.
Aerobic fitness refers to how the body uses energy when there is enough oxygen, such as the energy burn that occurs when running at a comfortable pace. Anaerobic fitness refers to the body’s ability to exercise when there’s not enough oxygen, such as during a sprint to the finish line at the end of a race.
The 10 runners were of similar age, weight and height and aerobic capacity was measured by having the subjects run to the point of exhaustion on a treadmill, while anaerobic capacity was assessed through seated cycling ergometer.
“All our participants finished the race. The regression results indicated that those with higher anaerobic capacity were predicted to have a faster finishing time. This prediction of race finishing time was significant at a five percent level and explained 54 percent of the variance in finishing times,” said Michael Rogers, a member of the SFU research team. However, he added that the findings suggest the need for further research to explain the remaining 46 percent variance in finishing results.
The results suggest that long distance runners should aim to increase their anaerobic capacity in addition to their aerobic capacity.
“Typically, anaerobic capacity can be improved with high-intensity, shorter-duration training, such as in repetitive uphill sprint training,” Rogers said. The team also made a new observation: High-intensity efforts at greater than about 80 to 85 percent of maximal age-predicted heart rates can be being maintained for several hours in these mountain ultra-marathons. This is novel because “these are races that are typically thought to be performed at considerably lower exercise intensities,” Rogers said.
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Four hill running sessions to boost your triathlon race speed
For more running advice check out our run training section
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A grudge match has been confirmed for Ring of Honor’s 19th Anniversary pay-per-view.
On the latest edition of ROH Week By Week, it was announced that Jay Briscoe vs. EC3 will take place at the promotion’s 19th Anniversary PPV on Friday, March 26. The match was originally supposed to happen at Final Battle in December, but EC3 was pulled from that show due to pre-travel COVID-19 testing.
EC3 returned to ROH television last month and helped cost The Briscoes a number one contender’s tag team match. The storyline was that EC3 paid off Flip Gordon to interfere in the match.
The latest episode of ROH TV featured Briscoe and EC3 both taking part in a four corner survival match to decide ROH World Champion Rush’s challenger for the 19th Anniversary PPV. Briscoe and EC3 fought to the back near the end of the match. Jay Lethal then pinned Matt Taven to get the win after Taven was distracted by The Righteous’ Vita VonStarr.
It was announced last month that EC3 has signed a contract with ROH and is making ROH his pro wrestling home.
Rush vs. Lethal for the ROH World Championship and Briscoe vs. EC3 are the first two matches that have been announced for the 19th Anniversary PPV. The event, which is ROH’s second PPV since the COVID-19 pandemic began, will be available via PPV and HonorClub. Every ROH title will be defended on the show.
Last year’s scheduled 18th Anniversary PPV didn’t take place due to the pandemic.
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we decided to take a look at some of the other difficult open-water swims around the UK, starting with a brisk dip north of the border in the Firth of Forth.
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Rat Race City to Summit
What it is: A newish point-to-point triathlon that starts outside Edinburgh and finishes with a run to the summit of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Why the swim’s tough: The race starts with a 3.8km swim in the Firth of Forth, which flows into the decidedly nippy North Sea. The water at last year’s event was a lower-than-expected 9ºC, causing the organisers to shorten the swim leg down to 1km.
Age-group blog: preparing for City to Summit
Rat Race City to Summit website
The Brutal
What it is: With half, full and double-Iron distances on offer, and all requiring a run up Mount Snowden, this is viewed by many UK triathletes as the country’s hardest race.
Why the swim’s tough: Cold, long (in the case of the double, very long) yet undeniably scenic late season swim in Snowdonia.
We also rate The Brutal as the toughest ironman distance race in the world
The Brutal website
Celtman
What it is: Organised by the same people behind Norseman and Swissman, this Iron-distance race sends athletes across some of Scotland’s most challenging terrain.
Why the swim’s tough: A swim so chilly the distance was shortened in both 2012 and 2013, this Western Highlands epic is one for the hardcore only.
Celtman Triathlon 2015 – in pics
Racing Celtman for the ‘Wild Lady of Lochbroom’ – blog
Celtman website
Ironman Wales
What it is: With a punishing course across the Pembrokeshire countryside that involves a constantly changing gradient, this is seen as one of the hardest IM races going.
Why the swim’s tough: Two-laps of choppy sea and a mass of bodies before a long yet memorable run to transition.
We rated Ironman Wales the 4th toughest Ironman distance race in the world
Ironman Wales website
Perranporth Triathlon
What it is: The ‘Perranporth Extreme Surf Triathlon’ to give it its full name, this is one of the UK’s oldest triathlons and is hosted by the local lifesaving club every year.
Why the swim’s tough: The name’s a good clue: the race starts with a 1km swim off the rugged Cornish coast, where you’ll be glad to be within reach of the local lifesavers.
Perranporth website
The Snowman now known as Snowdonia Triathlon
What it is: One of the UK’s most iconic races, this takes place in rugged north Wales and includes both Iron distance and sprint events.
Why the swim’s tough: Last year saw lots of choppy waves, making the chilly swim in the lake of Llyn Mymbyr even tougher than normal.
Snowdonia Triathlon website
The Bastion
What it is: This new-for-2014 Iron distance event will take place at Hever Castle in Kent this July, looping sections of the existing Gauntlet route and taking athletes on a 140mile journey.
Why the swim’s tough: Participants will swim two loops of the Gauntlet swim course along the river Eden, facing strong currents and multiple choke points.
Gallery: The Bastion
Bastion website
Castles Triathlon
What it is: Taking place in the shadow of Northumberland’s mighty Bamburgh Castle, this middle distance race starts with a beach standing start and connects some of the region’s best landmarks.
Why the swim’s tough: A dip in the North Sea is never one to be taken lightly. Throw in waves and rival triathletes taking your line, and you have a 1.9km battle of mind and body.
Castles Triathlon website
Helvellyn Triathlon
What it is: With a finishing line described by the Guardian as “like a depiction of hell”, this monstrously difficult race takes in some of the country’s most beautiful scenery.
Why the swim’s tough: It takes place in Ullswater, just down the road from Davina’s nemesis Windermere, where plenty of shady spots can make the temperature plummet and rumours of giant pike trouble the mind.
Helvellyn Triathlon 2015 – in pics
Helvellyn Triathlon website
Enjoyed this? Check out Iron-distance races: the 7 toughest?
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How many of these races have you done? Let us know in the comments below!
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Grandstand tickets for the 2016 Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds, are now on sale. Ticketholders will be able enjoy unsurpassed views of the thrilling racing action from seats overlooking the finish-line in the heart of Millennium Square.
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The much-anticipated Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds, will provide the British public with a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch local heroes Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, as well as other leading GB triathletes including Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, battle for glory against some of the world’s best triathletes in their last race on home soil ahead of Rio.
Ticket holders will see the elite athletes pass them seven times on the bike and four times on the run, before witnessing the race finale, which often end with a thrilling sprint finish. A big screen will be located opposite the Grandstand showing the live BBC coverage so that ticket holders can stay up to speed with the race whilst it momentarily goes out of view.
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Jack Buckner, Chief Executive of British Triathlon, said: “The Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon Leeds is the final opportunity to watch Britain’s world-class triathletes race on home soil before they travel to Rio and we are expecting the city of Leeds to come out in force. The Grandstand is located in the heart of the action and will provide the perfect location to watch the stars of our sport cross the finish line and deliver an atmosphere to remember.”
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Tickets will be priced at £30 for adults and £20 for children (U15s). With the women’s race starting at 13:00 and the men’s at 15:45, ticket holders can expect well over four hours of live triathlon action.
Routes announced for World Triathlon Leeds
The USA athlete Gwen Jorgensen unbeatable run is over and she has to make do with silver as Brit Helen Jenkins wins WTS Gold Coast, her first WTS win since 2012. The New Zealand athlete Andrea Hewitt took third. Fellow Brit Jodie Stimpson finished in 12th, about three minutes behind Jenkins.
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“I can’t quite believe it,” said Jenkins. “I did not have the best swim today and then on the bike, because it was so technical it was just as hard even if you were at the front, so I sat in and me, Flora [Duffy] and Andrea [Hewitt] were able to get a gap. I have so much respect for those girls, they were smashing it today. And I got to the run and just went for it. But the whole time I was waiting for Gwen, you can never underestimate how quick Gwen’s running is.”
Jenkins was strong from the start, and came out of T1 in the top group of 20, led by Spain’s Carolina Routier . The group eventually dwindled down to tally 18-strong, with Duffy (BER) and Jenkins taking turns forging the pack and pushing the pace. The chase group entered the first transition about 20 seconds behind the leaders, with contenders Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) and Jodie Stimpson (GBR) leading the charge. However they could not close the gap as Flora Duffy, Erin Densham (AUS) and Jenkins continuing to take turns to push a furious pace on the lead pack, the gap extended to 55 seconds on the next lap and only continued to widen as the leg carried on.
Duffy, Hewitt and Jenkins then brokeaway from the lead packpushed away as a threesome and were able to have to a ninety-second advantage heading out onto the run, a lead Jenkins was not going to waste knowing Gwen, with her phenomenol run, would be chasing her down. She wasted no time in blasting away to get out on front, and held onto her phenomenal stride and was able to carry herself right into the finish line.
Although Duffy and Hewitt were able to give themselves an advantage at the start of the run, Jorgensen came off the bike with guns blazing. Down by almost two minutes, she used her strongest discipline to earn some ground and close the gap little by little each lap.
It wasn’t until the final lap where the excitement intensified when Jorgensen caught up to Duffy and Hewitt. A sprint finish on the blue carpet ultimately determined the podium as Jorgensen was able to edge out Hewitt by a nose and take the silver. Hewitt was left with the bronze and Duffy finished in fourth.
“Helen was really strong today and she was the better athlete,” said Gwen. “Her, Andrea and Flora were riding really strong and yeah they just had a great race. I was just trying to run as fast as I could, a lot goes through your head and it is hot out there. They were running amazing and they just had a great race. It didn’t even look like I was gaining any ground on Helen, she was just going for it. It is great to be back racing against Helen, she was gone for a bit, so it was great to see her race well.”
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Hewitt said “I rode as hard as I could. I saw that some of the girls were struggling on some of the corners so when we got the break we just kept riding right up until the end. I felt a little wobbly on the run, but I tried to keep pushing, I was with Flora and then Gwen came up at the end. I tried a bit earlier in the sprint, but there was just the technical bit at the end. It was just a tough race. This is my first Olympic distance of the year and I braced myself on the run, I could judge on the U turns where Gwen was and where Flora was. It just came down to the blue carpet at the finish.”
Elite Women
1.
Helen Jenkins
GBR
01:56:03
2.
Gwen Jorgensen
USA
01:56:44
3.
Andrea Hewitt
NZL
01:56:45
4.
Flora Duffy
BER
01:56:58
5.
Rachel Klamer
NED
01:58:06
6.
Katie Zaferes
USA
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01:58:14
7.
Emma Moffatt
AUS
01:58:47
8.
Vendula Frintova
CZE
01:59:06
9.
Lisa Perterer
AUT
01:59:07
10.
Kirsten Kasper
USA
01:59:09
Showing unbeatable form Spaniard Mario Mola is has won his second WTS race of the series and his third straight season win, after taking gold in the Mooloolaba World Cup.
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Despite the heat, Mola was able to remain within the top tier from start to finish and then showcase his signature running speed in the final two and a half kilometres to bypass Great Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee and compatriot Fernando Alarza.
Mola said: “It was really tough. Jonny was really strong during most of the run. I am very happy for Fernando that he got second place. I felt great during the whole race. I tried to stay in the front as much as I could on the bike in order to make it a 10k run and I think things went well and I am very happy with the result.”
Running past Brownlee in the final kilometre to earn the silver was Alarza, with Brownlee ending the day with bronze.
“It was an amazing final run, I thought I was only going to get the bronze medal and then when I saw that Jonny was down, I thought now, now now, so I am very happy with the silver medal,” Alarza said. “This is for my family and for my girlfriend. I think this was my best swim, my best cycle and a good run so I am just so very happy.”
The top men all positioned themselves on the right side of the pontoon, to try and make the most of the current at the Broadwater Parklands. It was Richard Varga (SVK), as usual, who led out the swim, followed by Igor Polyanskiy (RUS), Henri Schoeman (RSA) and Jonny Brownlee.
This leading pack were joined by seven others, including Aaron Royle (AUS), Ben Kanute (USA) and Alessandro Fabian (ITA), in the first bike lap to create a 12-strong lead pack on the bike.
However with Alistair Brownlee (GBR), Ryan Fisher (AUS), Ryan Bailie (AUS), Thomas Bishop (GBR) and Mola in the chase group, the leaders were hard-pressed to make their break stick, and by the third lap the peloton then tallied 29.
An episode of breakaway attempts then occurred in the latter half of the bike leg. Alistair Brownlee was first to enjoy a solo ride and his pushed through a lap on his own. But he retreated back to the pack when he was unable to gain any company.
It was then that Ben Shaw (IRL) and Tom Bishop (GBR) went together on a breakaway push and were able to create a gap of 50 seconds and enter the second transition zone together with a slight advantage.
However Mola and Brownlee ran them down and running stride for stride, Mola and Jonny Brownlee stayed together for the first three laps of the run, before Mola was able to finally kick in some final energy in the final lap and bypass Brownlee and cross the finish line and claim his third straight victory of the season.
Alarza found himself in a comfortable third place position for the first three fourths of the run, but when Brownlee started to run out of gas in the final kilometre, Alarza was able to come past him for silver.
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Australian Bailie was fourth, cementing his place on the Australian Olympic team. He said, “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet to tell you the truth, it has been a lot of hard work to get here. I knew what I had to do and I just wanted to take it out of the selector’s hands. When Rio did not go quite as planned I knew this was the race that I wanted to peak for. I just can’t believe it to tell you the truth.”
1.
Mario Mola
ESP
01:46:28
2.
Fernando Alarza
ESP
01:46:55
3.
Jonathan Brownlee
GBR
01:47:09
4.
Ryan Bailie
AUS
01:47:31
5.
Ryan Fisher
AUS
01:47:45
6.
Joe Maloy
USA
01:47:53
7.
Vicente Hernandez
ESP
01:47:58
8.
Marten Van Riel
BEL
01:48:01
9.
Jacob Birtwhistle
AUS
01:48:04
10.
Gregory Billington
USA
01:48:16
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On Saturday 9 April the cream of UK triathlon attended the 12th annual 220 Triathlon Awards at Stratford Town Hall, including a wealth of athletes, brands and industry greats, to find out who had won top honours in each of the ceremony’s 21 categories – as voted for by you, the readers of 220 Triathlon and 220triathlon.com.
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The evening was hosted by 220’s editor Helen Webster alongside guest speaker and track legend Derek Redmond, who delivered the memorable pre-awards speech about his Olympic history.
The award winners had more of a foreign flavour this year, with the cream of international triathletes beating our Brits in the major elite honours. In a change from the Brownlee norm, taking the Men’s Elite Triathlete of the Year title was Javier Gomez after a year that saw him become the record five-time ITU world champion, as well as taking bronze at the Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Austria. Gomez edged out Ironman and 70.3 world champ Jan Frodeno to take the award.
Storming to victory in the Women’s Elite Triathlete showdown ahead of Vicky Holland and Lucy Gossage was America’s Gwen Jorgensen, the short-course superstar who extended her unbeaten ITU run in 2015 to successfully defend her ITU world champs title. Gwen also edged out Gomez and Frodeno for the International Triathlete gong, while Emma Pooley won Duathlete of the Year.
You voted Charles Pennington your Men’s Age-Grouper of the Year. Royal Marine Pennington was fifth out of the age-group athletes at the Ironman Worlds in Hawaii last October. Crowned Women’s Age-Grouper of the Year was Lucy Charles, who beat the vast majority of the pros by producing the fifth-fastest swim at the 2015 Ironman World Champs in Kona, Hawaii.
The Men’s Paratriathlete of the Year award once went again to Phil Hogg, who won the GB National Champs in 2015 and is vying for Paralympic selection at Rio. Another repeat winner was Lauren Steadman, who claimed the Women’s Paratriathlete of the Year.
Simon Ward continued his hold on the Coach of the Year award, with the Yorkshireman now having guided over 250 Ironman finishers during his coaching career.
The evening ended with the one award shortlisted by readers but with the final result chosen by an industry panel: the Jane Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Contribution to Triathlon. This year’s panel was made up of Helen Webster, Liz Barrett and Matt Baird from 220, as well as our columnist Tim Heming and former editor James Witts.
This year’s award was posthumously awarded to Peter Howard, a stalwart of the UK triathlon scene for many years who passed away in May 2015 aged 81 years. Peter became involved in the sport back in UK triathlon’s formative years in 1983, and he’d medal at 15 world Olympic-distance and long-course championships during the period, competing in all but one ITU world championships from the first in 1989 until 2010.
Away from the race course, he was a driving force behind the development of the sport on a domestic and international level, which included his chairmanship of the British Triathlon Association in its early years. Locally, he was an ambassador for the sport in his native Yorkshire, where he influenced the establishment of clubs and inspired individuals to become involved with the sport he was so passionate about. Quite simply, he’s everything the Jane Tomlinson Award represents.
The full list of all the 220 award winners 2016
MEN’S ELITE TRIATHLETE
1. Javier Gomez
2. Jan Frodeno
3. Alistair Brownlee
WOMEN’S ELITE TRIATHLETE
1. Gwen Jorgensen
2. Vicky Holland
3. Lucy Gossage
DUATHLETE
1. Emma Pooley
2. Emma Pallant
3. Mark Buckingham
MEN’S AGE GROUPER
1. Charles Pennington
2. Tom Ward
3. Phil Wilson
WOMEN’S AGE GROUPER
1. Lucy Charles
2. Susan Pugh
3. Suzie Richards
MEN’S PARATRIATHLETE
1. Phil Hogg
2. Joe Townsend
3. George Peasgood
WOMEN”S PARATRIATHLETE
1. Lauren Steadman
2. Claire Cunningham
3. Melissa Reid
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YOUTH TRIATHLETE
1. Ben Dijkstra
2. Bailey Matthews
3. Sam Dickinson
NTERNATIONAL TRIATHLETE
1. Gwen Jorgensen
2. Javier Gomez
3. Jan Frodeno
COACH OF THE YEAR
1. Simon Ward
2. Dan Bullock
3. Adam Gibson
CLUB OF THE YEAR
1. Leeds & Bradford Tri Club
2. Wakefield Tri
3. Lincoln Tri Club
RACE (UNDER 500 ENTRIES)
1. Jenson Button Trust Triathlon
2. Ocean Lava
3. Ilkley Tri
RACE (OVER 500 ENTRIES)
1. The Outlaw
2. Ironman Wales
3. Long Course Weekend
TRIATHLON WETSUIT BRAND
1. Huub
2. Zone3
3. Blueseventy
TRI-SUIT BRAND
1. Huub
2. Zone3
3. Orca
BIKE BRAND
1. Boardman
2. Cervélo
3. Specialized
RUN SHOE BRAND
1. Asics
2. Brooks
3. Adidas
GAME-CHANGER AWARD
1. Isoman Triathlon
2. Zone3 Evolution wetsuit
3. Tacx Neo Smart
TRI RETAILER
1. Sigma Sport
2. Total Fitness Nottingham
3. Triathlon Shop, Bristol
ONLINE RETAILER
1. Wiggle
2. Chain Reaction Cycles
3. Sigma Sport
THE JANE TOMLINSON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO TRIATHLON:
Peter Howard
Also shortlisted: Bailey Matthews, Dawn Vaughn, Francis Riley,
Trevor Gunning
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What a great weekend for British women triathletes – not only did Helen Jenkins win WTS Gold Coast but there were two Brits on the Ironman Port Elizabeth podium; Susie Cheetham in silver and Lucy Gossage in bronze. Kaisa Lehtonen won.
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British triathlete Jodie Swallow was the early leader, with an expected strong swim in some choppy water, however a fall on the bike allowed Australian athlete Annabel Luxford the opportunity to take the lead, which she held until T2. Swallow carried on and remained in second position until T2 with the gap between first and second over five minutes, howver she withdrew 2km into the run.
Lehtonen stayed as close as possible to the leading pair on the bike, entering T2 in third with Lucy Gossage (GBR) and Susie Cheetham (GBR) following.
Luxford headed out onto the run with a valuable time cushion considering the running talent in the chasers, however the winning trio, passed her after 13km. It could have been gold for Britain but Lehtonen managed to hold off Cheetham’s charge to win her first Ironman.
Racing a good friend helps you push through the pain! Brilliant race @susiecheetham . Love and hate racing with you! https://t.co/8BiiIpKtsB
— lucy gossage (@lucygoss) April 10, 2016
Staged in Nelson Mandela Bay and the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa’s second oldest city. The day begins with a one-lap, 3.8km swim course. The bike course, featuring a new route in 2016, takes athletes out on two flat, fast laps of 90 km on one of the most spectacular bike courses on the Ironman circuit. Athletes return along the coast to the transition area to start the run.
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RESULTS – WOMEN
1.
LEHTONEN, Kaisa
FIN
00:58:21
04:59:41
03:02:34
09:06:50
2.
CHEETHAM, Susie
GBR
00:58:21
05:04:26
03:02:43
09:09:49
3.
GOSSAGE, Lucy
GBR
01:03:20
04:56:10
03:07:36
09:11:43
4.
LUNDSTRÖM, Åsa
SWE
01:03:30
04:58:18
03:08:33
09:15:34
5.
LUXFORD, Annabel
AUS
00:56:07
04:49:17
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03:37:50
09:28:32
Although it is commonly believed that exercise helps fight, and prevent cancer, scientists have been unable to explain quite why until now. However University of Copenhagen now believe that have found a link that explains why running can reduce cancer risk and tumour growth.
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They discovered that training mice regularly on a wheel (the mouse version of a treadmill) decreased the growth of multiple types of tumours, including skin, liver, and lung cancers. Furthermore, mice that exercised regularly had a smaller chance of developing cancer in the first place.
The beneficial effects of running went beyond tumor formation and growth, extending to cancer-associated weight loss, a process termed cachexia that is seen in cancer patients. Mice that exercised regularly showed no signs of cancer-associated weight loss in the researchers’ lung cancer mouse model.
The researchers say they identified several factors behind the anti-tumor effects of exercise. These anti-cancer effects are linked to the release of adrenaline (also called epinephrine), a hormone that is central to the “fight-or-flight” response. Adrenaline production is known to be stimulated by exercise.
In particular the production of adrenaline results in a mobilisation of immune cells, specifically one type of immune cell called a Natural Killer (NK) cell, to patrol the body. These NK cells are recruited to the site of the tumour by the protein IL-6, secreted by active muscles. The NK cells can then infiltrate the tumour, slowing or completely preventing its growth.
And there is no short cut injection either that works instead of running, as the researchers note that injecting the mice with either adrenaline or IL-6 without the exercise proved insufficient to inhibit cancer development, underlining the importance of the effects derived only from regular exercise in the mice.
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Their conclusions of this study is published in Cell Metabolism
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