Physical exercise and sex steroid hormones in breast cancer

Abstract

Cumulative epidemiological evidence demonstrates that regular physical exercise is one of the most powerful lifestyle strategies used to mitigate the risk of developing breast cancer (brC) and the disease recurrence. The physical exercise recommendations for brC survivors follow the general physical activity guidelines, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. However, to better understand the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of physical exercise is very important to prescribe and implement the most optimal training routine in brC survivors. As far as we know, sex steroid hormonal response is one of the mechanisms why physical exercise exerts its effects with an additional impact on systemic levels of cancer risk factors. Here, we review the evidence of the physical exercise-mediated alterations in sex steroid hormones and of their ability to prevent or attenuate skeletal toxicities induced by brC, providing an overview of the effects of physical exercise on the brC-related underlying mechanisms.

Cortisol Response in Breast Cancer: The Role of Physical Activity and Exercise

“…Therefore, exercise practice has been widely recognized to improve cardiorespiratory fitness that positively affects health and self-efficacy [36] , reduces insomnia-related distress [10] by improving nocturnal sleeping [37] , and, consequently, body recovery [36,37] . At psychosocial domain, exercise has several benefits, including favours interpersonal relations, which are important to attenuate depression and anxiety-related symptoms [38,39] .…”

“…Physical activity (PA) and exercise have been recognized as a part of a healthy lifestyle, being associated with reduced risk of BC through several mechanisms, including by regulating sex-steroids hormones [10] , maintaining a healthy weight [11] , reducing inflammation [12] , and improving the immune response [13] . Some studies reported that PA and exercise were able to decrease levels of cortisol across different healthy study populations [14][15][16] .…”

Skeletal Muscle–Adipose Tissue–Tumor Axis: Molecular Mechanisms Linking Exercise Training in Prostate Cancer

“…PCa is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the sixth most common cause of cancer-related mortality among men worldwide. Obesity has been established as a major risk factor for several cancers, including PCa [ 19 , 20 ]. Concerning the epidemiological association between obesity and PCa, the related body of evidence strongly suggests that excessive visceral adiposity represents a major risk factor for developing more aggressive disease and a higher PCa-specific mortality [ 3 , 21 ].…”