Effects of exercise on prostate tumor cells:
Barnard, et al. used the blood from 3 different groups of 51 to 64 year old males to treat cultured prostate cancer cells in the lab. They used an exercise group that did a consistent exercise program for at least 10 years, a diet plus exercise group who did a consistent diet and exercise program for at least 10 years, and a placebo group. The diet and exercise group were part of a “Pritikin” program and ate low fat, high fiber and complex carbohydrates along with exercise 4-6 days per week. The exercise group exercised for 1 hour per day 5 days per week at a University program in Nevada but did not have any diet program. The placebo subjects were sedentary with poor dietary intake and felt to be at risk of prostate cancer. Blood was taken from the subjects and placed onto prostate cancer cells in vitro. The blood from the diet plus exercise group caused a significantly greater rate of apoptosis and lower growth rate in of the prostate cancer cells than the exercise alone or placebo groups. (28)