When it comes to harvesting exercise rewardswomen may have an advantage.
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that women may gain more benefits than men from engaging in the same amount of physical activity.
Researchers at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles analyzed physical activity data from 412,413 American adults.
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All participants responded to the National Health Interview Survey database between 1997 and 2019, providing details on the frequency, duration, intensity and type of physical activity, according to a hospital news release.
In terms of cardiovascular exercise, the researchers found that men got their maximum “survival benefit” from engaging in “moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity” for about five hours per week.
Women may gain more benefits than men from engaging in the same amount of physical activity, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (iStock)
For women, that same level of benefit was achieved after just 2½ hours of that intensity of exercise per week.
The women continued get more benefits after that time, however.
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Examples of “moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity” include brisk walking or cycling, the study detailed.
For strength training exercises, men achieved their maximum benefit with three sessions per week, while women achieved the same result with just one session per week.
“We found not only that increasing amounts of physical activity reduced the risk of mortality, but also that the amount of regular exercise needed to achieve the same degree of risk reduction was different in women than in men,” said lead author Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, director of the Healthy Aging Research Institute, Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute.
For strength training exercises, men achieved their maximum benefit with three sessions per week, while women achieved the same result with just one session per week. (iStock)
“In effect, women did not need to exercise for as long as men to achieve the same benefit,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Put another way, for a given amount of time and effort spent exercising, women had more to gain than men.”
Co-senior author Martha Gulati, MD, director of preventive cardiology in the Department of Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, noted in the release that women have historically and statistically lagged behind men in exercise. .
“Exercise does not discriminate, regardless of gender. You have to work hard to be healthy.”
“The good thing about this study is knowing that women can get more out of each minute of moderate to vigorous activity than men,” Gulati said.
“It's an empowering notion that we hope women take seriously.”
While the risk of mortality decreased for all adults, it was reduced by 24% for women and 15% for men, according to Cheng.
In terms of cardiovascular exercise, the researchers found that men got their maximum “survival benefit” from engaging in “moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity” for about five hours per week. (iStock)
“We hope that the results of this study will help motivate women who do not currently participate in regular activities physical activity understand that they stand to gain substantial benefits, technically even more than their male counterparts, for every increase in regular exercise they can invest in their long-term health,” Cheng told Fox News Digital.
“Part of what differentiates women from men is that when it comes to living longer and healthier, different types of investments are linked to different types of returns.”
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Researchers hope these findings will help women who may feel too busy or too intimidated to take on a new exercise routine without feeling like they have to compare themselves to men.
“They can be on their own path to success and every step forward will count,” Cheng said.
While the risk of mortality decreased for all adults, it was reduced by 24% for women and 15% for men, according to the researchers. (iStock)
Chris Pruitt, a Maryland-based American Sports and Fitness Association (ASFA) certified personal trainer, was not involved in the study, but said he agrees with observations that women and men may require different approaches to achieve similar results. health outcomes.
“In my experience, individual responses to exercise can vary widely and it's fascinating to see this supported by research,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Biological differences between genders, including hormonal variations and body composition, likely play an important role in these observed differences,” Pruitt continued.
“Women may use energy or recover from exercise differently than men, which creates these different benefits from exercising less.”
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This research illustrates the importance of personalized fitness programs that take gender differences into account, she said.
“This suggests that fitness advice should be more tailored to the individual's goals and abilities and their gender-specific physiological responses to exercise.”
Potential limitations
The main limitation of the study is that all physical activity data were self-reported, creating the potential for inaccuracies.
“In the future, direct measures of exercise could be analyzed using portable devices“Cheng said.
Researchers hope these findings will help women who may feel too busy or too intimidated to take on a new exercise routine without feeling like they have to compare themselves to men. (iStock)
“A very large study of people whose exercise is tracked and measured digitally could one day give us even more detailed information about the differences not only between women and men, but also between women and men.”
“There is still a lot of work to do to figure out how to best tailor exercise recommendations to each person to best meet their individual needs.”
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Josh York, founder and CEO of the New York-based fitness training company GYMGUYZ, reviewed the study and said he doesn't think the findings should influence people's exercise routines.
“There are many things that go into being healthy and fit, including proper nutrition and a healthy life style“he told Fox News Digital.
“There are many different variables at play when it comes to assessing a person's exercise needs and requirements.”
Because every individual is different, one fitness expert said “general assumptions” about each gender's exercise needs and results don't take into account variations in individual circumstances. (iStock)
While the study looked at maximum survival benefit, York noted that some people might be motivated by other goals, such as looking a certain way.
“At the end of the day, exercise doesn't discriminate, regardless of gender,” she said. “You have to work hard to be healthy. If someone tries harder, they have a healthy diet and live in a safe environment, they will obtain better results, because physical health is influenced by your habits and your mental well-being.
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Because every individual is different, York said “general assumptions” about each gender's exercise needs and results don't take into account variations in individuals' circumstances.
“I don't think people should use this as a guide to reducing their exercise regimens,” he said.
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