Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death women with over 600K deaths attributed to this form of cancer worldwide. National and international guidelines continue to support the utilization of exercise as part of a multimodal treatment plan for patients with this form of cancer. Exercise has a significant impact on metabolic and fitness markers, quality of life, mortality risk, and recurrence rate of future cancer. A recent study highlights the cellular impact of a single session of exercise in this patient population.
Bettariga and colleagues published their findings on a single session of exercise on blood markers associated with breast cancer (Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2025). Authors included 32 breast cancer survivors (stage I-III) and randomized them to either a single bout of resistance training or high intensity interval training. All participants were cleared by their physicians for exercise. Importantly, authors excluded patients who had performed consistent vigorous exercise or resistance training in the last 3 months.
Participants performed a single bout of strength training based on their 1 repetition max on 8 exercises. The exercise prescription included 5 sets of 8 repetitions for major muscle groups. Authors aimed for a RPE of 7-9/10 or greater than 80% of their 1 rep maximum. In the HIIT group they performed 7 rounds of 30 second on and 30 seconds rest x 4 sets on the stationary bike, treadmill, or rower using a similar RPE goal or 70-90% of the participants heart rate max.
Authors reported a significant increase in the release of myokines in both groups. These proteins are released during exercise and were found to have a significant impact on reducing cancer cell growth. Authors concluded these changes may help reduce a participant’s future risk of cancer.
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