New research from Edith Cowan University has found that just one session of exercise, either resistance or high-intensity interval training, can trigger anti-cancer effects in breast cancer survivors.
New findings from Edith Cowan University (ECU) suggest that just one session of resistance training or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may support the body’s ability to fight cancer.
PhD researcher Francesco Bettariga discovered that a single workout can boost the production of myokines—proteins released by muscles during exercise that are known to have anti-cancer properties. His data showed that these proteins could potentially slow cancer cell growth by 20-30%.
“Exercise has emerged as a therapeutic intervention in the management of cancer, and a large body of evidence exists that show the safety and effectiveness of exercise as medicine, either during or post cancer treatment,” Mr. Bettariga said.
In the study, breast cancer survivors participated in a one-time session of either resistance training or HIIT. Bettariga measured their myokine levels before the workout, immediately after, and again 30 minutes later. Results showed a consistent rise in myokine levels across both types of exercise.
A Promising Response in Cancer Survivors
While higher levels of myokines were expected in a healthy population, post a vigorous workout, Mr. Bettariga investigated whether breast cancer survivors would see the same results, given the impact that cancer treatments and cancer itself often have on the body.
“The results from the study show that both types of exercise really work to produce these anti-cancer myokines in breast cancer survivors. The results from this study are excellent motivators to add exercise as standard care in the treatment of cancer,” Mr. Bettariga said.
He added that the long-term implications of elevated myokine levels should be further investigated, particularly in relation to cancer recurrence.
Further research by Mr. Bettariga investigated how changes in body composition, following consistent exercise, could impact inflammation, which plays a key role in breast cancer recurrence and mortality by promoting tumor progression.
Persistent inflammation not only promotes tumor progression by influencing cell proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and metastasis, but also inhibits immune function. Given that the cancer itself and the side-effects of treatments can elevate levels of inflammatory biomarkers, survivors of breast cancer are at increased risk of cancer progression, recurrence, and mortality.
Fighting Inflammation Through Body Composition
“Strategies are needed to reduce inflammation which may provide a less supportive environment for cancer progression, leading to a lower risk of recurrence and mortality in survivors of breast cancer,” Mr. Bettariga said.
The new research found that by reducing fat mass and increasing lean mass, through consistent and persistent exercise, cancer survivors had a better chance at reducing inflammation.
“If we are able to improve body composition, we have a better chance of decreasing inflammation because we are improving lean mass and reducing fat mass, which is responsible for releasing anti- and pro-inflammatory markers,” Mr. Bettariga said.
Unfortunately, quick fixes to reduce fat mass would not have the same beneficial effects, Mt Bettariga stressed.
“You never want to reduce your weight without exercising, because you need to build or preserve muscle mass and produce these chemicals that you can’t do through just diet alone.”
Reference: “A single bout of resistance or high-intensity interval training increases anti-cancer myokines and suppresses cancer cell growth in vitro in survivors of breast cancer” by Francesco Bettariga, Dennis R. Taaffe, Cristina Crespo-Garcia, Timothy D. Clay, Mauro De Santi, Giulia Baldelli, Sanjeev Adhikari, Elin S. Gray, Daniel A. Galvão and Robert U. Newton, 3 July 2025, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
DOI: 10.1007/s10549-025-07772-w
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