Men in their upper teens with good fitness have a lower cancer risk, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg, according to a press release from the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The study examined over one million men with an average age of 18, who enlisted in Sweden between 1968 and 2005.
A good condition at the time of enlistment was later followed by a lower risk of developing several different forms of cancer later in life, but above all the risk was lower for cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.
“Having good fitness seems to be able to both reduce the risk of getting many types of cancer, and make one better equipped for successful cancer treatment if one is affected. The results strengthen the arguments for working on establishing healthy lifestyle habits that lead to good fitness early in life,” says Aron Onerup, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Gothenburg in the press release.