Connect
HIIT vs MICT - which is better to slow PCa progression?
A large 2024 meta-analysis of 501 studies compared High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to Moderate Intensity Continuous Training (MICT), regarding their effectiveness to improve one’s cardiorespiratory fitness and ability to slow the biochemical progression of prostate cancer.
When it comes to slowing PCa progression, it turns out that not all exercise is created equal!
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41391-024-00801-7
This meta analysis indicates that HIIT and MICT BOTH showed considerable cardiorespiratory benefits for localized PCa.
However, HIIT was preferred over MICT for biochemical progression control in terms of decreasing serum PSA levels and MICT was favored over HIIT regarding cardiorespiratory benefits (VO2 Max gain)..
I recognized this in my own experience over the last 2.5 years and so I do BOTH!
Honestly, I wish the studies had indicated the opposite impact!
HIIT is more difficult (especially at 69 y/o) and I don’t do the full Norwegian 4+4 HIIT.
The good news is that a couple 90 second 1/4 mile sprints, twice a week, seems to be more than adequate, based on my HIIT experience and biomarker results…..and sometimes I only do that once a week.
In any case, virtually everyone can do MICT….70% of your maximum heart rate (Zone 2) for a minimum of 30-40 minutes, three times a week. For many this will be doing a brisk walk…for me it amounts to jogging at a 10 min/mile pace…bottom line…it’s a totally sustainable exercise routine.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Connect
Thought this might interest you when you talk about the running. It may be more beneficial than people think.
Running and prostate cancer
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12535562/
https://bioengineer.org/exercise-conditioned-serum-inhibits-prostate-cancer-growth/
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThe hard thing to control in a "study of studies" like this is self-selection. Yes, they looked at only randomised controlled trials, but still, the participants knew which they were doing, and the groups capable of sustaining HIIT all the way to the end of the various trials might have been healthier in the first place, with stronger immune systems.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThere is an opinion that the higher the level of body fat, the lower the testosterone level.
@denis76 Or the lower the testosterone level, the higher the body fat. Low testosterone makes it *much* easier to gain undesired body fat and harder to lose it.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@jeffmarc
Thanks for the references!
The evidence regarding the amazing benefits of vigorous HIIT exercise is now absolutely overwhelming.
The primary impediment is related to a person’s will and a notion that their health condition doesn't allow them to perform such exercise.
Of course, a sedentary man can’t go out and begin a full fledged HIIT program immediately. That’s why it is often dismissed.
Amazingly, once a small measure of fitness is achieved, a short HIIT course (as short as 4 weeks) has been demonstrated, via RCT, to reduce a mRNA‐based measure of biological age by almost 4 years.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10265161/
See a layman’s summary here:
https://news.llu.edu/research/study-exercise-slows-aging-process-according-new-mrna-measurements
In my particular case, my Garmin generated “fitness age” is 58…I’ll be 70 in June.
All the best!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@handera other than running, what options do you recommend for HIIT? cycling? body weight exercises? what is a general idea of length of workout and frequency of workout? thanks!
@jeff1963
HIIT can be adapted to almost all forms of exercise. It's not about the type of exercise it's the level of intensity (as a % of your maximum heart rate) and the duration of each interval. More commonly, I've heard of cycling, swimming, rowing, treadmill and stair stepping being used for HIIT.
The main thing you will need to determine is your maximum heart rate...everything can start from that number. It can be approximated via age and various equations...check it out online.
Normally, the greater the effort (as a % of your max heart rate) the shorter the duration of an interval.
I've seen anywhere from 30 seconds at maximum heart rate to 4 minutes at 80% of maximum heart rate. Also the number of repetitions can vary from as few as two to as many as ten.
I started HIIT a few months after my October 2023 diagnosis, but only began to do it regularly over the last 1.5 years. Even so, I still only go ~1.5 minutes at 85% - 90% of my maximum heart rate for two intervals per session...usually 2 times per week. I've attached one of my HIIT runs I did this morning to demonstrate heart rate and the Zone levels I achieved during one of my 90-100 second HIIT runs.
Again, it's not important that it be running...it's the intensity, duration and number of intervals you want to achieve.
Most HIIT studies only last 4 - 12 weeks, I think by making it a regular part of your exercise routine you don't necessarily need to go to the highest levels of intensity, longest durations or largest number of intervals....but that's just my opinion.
Here's a place to start for "safe & effective low impact" exercises that can be adapted for a beginner's HIIT program https://aaptiv.com/magazine/5-low-impact-hiit-modifications/
I have also attached the HIIT protocol used in the ERASE RCT. The ERASE protocol is more robust and IMHO more complex (but likely better than what I do)...a 2-minute work / 2-minute active-recovery model performed 3 times per week for about 30 minutes, with the work bouts progressing from 85% to 95% of (max HR) over 12 weeks and the number of intervals increasing every 4 weeks.
ERASE Exercise Protocol (ERASE-Exercise-Protocol.pdf)