Moderate or vigorous exercise may lower the risk of ALS, a fatal disease, for men but not women, new research finds . The study, published Wednesday in Neurology , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology , followed 373,696 Norwegian people for about 27 years. Participants recorded their physical activity, ranging from sedentary to moderate to intense.
During the follow-up period, 504 people developed ALS. Adjusting for lifestyle factors that can affect the risk of ALS, like smoking and body weight, researchers found that male participants who reported moderate levels of physical activity had a 29% lower risk of ALS while high levels of physical activity meant a 41% lower risk. The study only found an association between physical activity and the risk of ALS in male, not female participants.
Researchers also analyzed participants’ resting heart rates, an indicator of overall fitness, finding that those with the lowest rates had a 32% reduced risk of ALS compared to participants with higher rates. Study author Dr. Anders Myhre Vaage, of Akershus University Hospital in Norway, notes that the diagnosis of ALS in high-profile athletes has spurred the thinking that strenuous physical activity is an environmental risk factor that leads to the development and early onset of the disease.
One study found that NFL players are four times more likely to develop and die from ALS than the general adult male population. Research has also shown that ALS risk genes are activ.
