Why moving more might help prevent colon cancer
Identifying Metabolomic Mediators of the Physical Activity and Colorectal Cancer Relationship
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The overall metabolomic signature of physical activity — all 24 metabolites combined — did NOT mediate the cancer risk reduction (P=0.21).
Scientists expected a clear metabolic fingerprint from exercise that explained cancer protection. Instead, even a robust set of metabolites failed to show a collective effect — suggesting the mechanism is either too complex or not metabolomic at all.
Practical Takeaways
Keep moving — even if we don’t fully understand why, 10% lower cancer risk is still a powerful reason to stay active.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The overall metabolomic signature of physical activity — all 24 metabolites combined — did NOT mediate the cancer risk reduction (P=0.21).
Scientists expected a clear metabolic fingerprint from exercise that explained cancer protection. Instead, even a robust set of metabolites failed to show a collective effect — suggesting the mechanism is either too complex or not metabolomic at all.
Practical Takeaways
Keep moving — even if we don’t fully understand why, 10% lower cancer risk is still a powerful reason to stay active.
Publication
Journal
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Year
2025
Authors
N. Papadimitriou, N. Kazmi, K. Tsilidis, R. Richmond, B. Lynch, B. Bendinelli, Fulvio Ricceri, M. Sánchez, Camino Trobajo-Sanmartín, P. Jakszyn, Vittorio Simeon, G. Severi, V. Perduca, Thérèse Truong, Pietro Ferrari, P. Keski-Rahkonen, E. Weiderpass, F. Eichelmann, Matthias B. Schulze, V. Katzke, R. Fortner, A. Heath, D. Aune, R. Harewood, C. Dahm, Adrian Llorente, Marc J. Gunter, N. Murphy, Sarah J Lewis
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Claims (6)
People who are more physically active have a 10% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those who are less active, based on standardized activity measurements.
A specific set of 24 metabolic markers related to physical activity does not explain the observed link between physical activity and colorectal cancer risk, as the statistical mediation effect is not significant.
In studies linking physical activity to colorectal cancer risk, the connection appears weaker when people diagnosed with cancer shortly after blood tests are removed, suggesting that early, undetected cancer may affect activity levels rather than activity causing cancer.
A specific lipid molecule called phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C34:3 may explain a small portion of why people who are more physically active have a lower risk of colorectal cancer, but this connection becomes weaker when there is a longer delay between activity and cancer diagnosis.
People who are more physically active tend to have a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, while those who spend more time sitting have a higher risk.