One of the most effective treatments for prostate cancer is androgen deprivation therapy or ADT.
ADT involves taking a drug that either decreases the hormone testosterone or interferes with its action.
The reason ADT works so well is that prostate cancers need testosterone to keep growing. So taking it away is often a very effective way to stop the cancer.
But because of its anti-testosterone effect, ADT has some very significant problems.
Let me start with one very important point. Testosterone does not cause prostate cancer. But once the cancer has formed, it can stimulate its growth. As you may know, testosterone does a lot more in the male body than just stimulate prostate cancer growth.
It’s also needed to maintain cardiac, muscle, and bone function. So when the drugs take testosterone out of the equation, a predictable side effect is going to be a weak heart, decreased strength, and weak bones. So is there anything a man who is getting ADT can do to offset these side effects?
It turns out there is.
Researchers recently took a group of 57 men who were being treated with ADT for prostate cancer. The men were between the ages of 60-74 years. Before the experiment started, they measured the participants’ total body bone mineral content and several bone turnover markers. Bone turnover markers are blood and urine tests that indicate bone-loss rates.
There’s a good reason they specifically looked at bone function. It’s this: What goes on with the bones goes on with all of the other testosterone-dependent tissues and organs. So it’s a good marker for overall health.
Then, for the next 12 weeks, the researchers had half of the men play soccer for 45-60 minutes, two to three times a week. The other guys took it easy over the 12 weeks. Here’s what they found.
The soccer group maintained their bone mineral content and had normal bone turnover markers. The taking-it-easy group showed a loss in these areas.
Basically, playing soccer negated the bone-wasting effects of the ADT!
So men, if you’re on ADT therapy, now you have one more reason to have a regular workout program.
Spend at least 20 minutes three times a week doing some interval training and follow that with about 45 minutes of resistance training. As this study shows, your bodies will hold up just as well as men who aren’t on ADT treatment.
Sources:
Uth, J., T. Hornstrup, et al. “Football training in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy: activity profile and short-term skeletal and postural balance adaptations.” Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 March;116(3):471-80.