Become a Lean, Mean, Cancer-Fighting Machine

Consider the following scenario: Two people are severely ill with similar forms of cancer, both in similar stages and with similar prognoses. One of them is extremely thin without a lot of muscle mass, the other extremely heavy but with plenty of muscle mass. Who does reason suggest has a better chance at survival?

Most people would pick the former, knowing full well that obesity puts a severe toll on the well-being of millions of people in and around the country and greatly increases the chances for a variety of diseases. But as far as battling cancer is concerned, muscle mass – not thinness or heaviness – appears to be the determining factor.

This finding comes after researchers from the University of Alberta compared how varying body compositions dealt with their cancer and their rates of survival. Among a variety of findings, researchers said that chances of survival improved when muscle mass was found in greater supply. For example, those who were obese but with lots of muscle mass lived an average of about 10 months longer than those who were similarly obese, but with less mass. Many of these people (about 15 percent of those analyzed) had a condition known as sarcopenic obesity. This is where as one gains weight, one loses muscle mass, to the point where even the skinniest of men or women likely has more muscle mass.

This finding suggests to the researchers that one cannot only look at weight when assessing how at risk someone is for diseases linked to obesity, like cancer, for it seems muscle mass may be a saving grave.

This finding calls into question how one can increase muscle mass but lose weight at the same time. Often times, when people are looking to lose weight, they focus solely on the aerobic portion of their exercise regimen, knowing aerobic activities like running, biking, swimming and jogging burns calories much faster than anaerobic activity does like weightlifting. “Why spend time weightlifting when it could be spent doing more running?” some wonder.

The truth is you need BOTH, for two reasons: While aerobic activity does help with weight loss, so does weightlifting, as weightlifting helps rev up the body’s metabolism, making for quicker, more efficient burning of calories when out of the gym.

The other reason why you need both is because aerobic activity – especially when done in excess – actually decreases muscle mass. Weightlifting helps to maintain those levels when looking to run or jog for an extended period of time.

There are so many benefits to weight training that it ought to be the focus of an upcoming article. Keep an eye out for it. In the meantime, the Canadian researchers’ study shows how muscle mass – even among those who are obese – can protect against one of the world’s deadliest, most far-reaching of diseases known to man. That alone is a good reason to start hittin’ the bench!