Women gain greater health benefits from physical exercise than men -- especially when it comes to heart health, according to new research.
Women gain greater health benefits from physical exercise than men -- especially when it comes to heart health, according to new research.
The study, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, found that women who exercise for about four hours per week can reduce their risk of developing coronary heart disease by 30%. To achieve the same effect, men need to work out nearly twice as long -- about nine hours per week.
Coronary heart disease occurs when blood vessels narrow or harden, restricting blood flow to the heart muscle. Major risk factors include unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and smoking.
The research also showed that even moderate physical activity provides substantial health benefits. Just 2.5 hours of moderate to vigorous exercise per week can lower the risk of coronary disease by 22% in women and 17% in men.
The findings surprised Karl Lauterbach, former German health minister, who called the results "unfair" in a post on X.
The study further revealed that even individuals already living with heart disease can benefit from exercise. Women who engage in 51 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week have a lower risk of death, while men need at least 85 minutes to achieve the same outcome.
This means that to gain equal survival advantages, men must exercise about 1.7 times more than women.
Overall, the study confirms that the more days per week a person is physically active, the lower their risk of heart disease -- regardless of gender.
The biological advantage of women may stem from hormonal and muscular differences. Estrogen promotes fat metabolism and has a protective effect on blood vessels.
Additionally, women have more endurance-oriented muscle fibers, while men possess more fibers built for strength and speed.
According to scientists, this helps explain why women's hearts become stronger with less exercise. | BGNES