{"id":306509,"date":"2026-01-27T17:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T17:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/306509\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T17:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T17:15:11","slug":"after-just-10-minutes-of-exercise-your-blood-releases-molecules-that-can-halt-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/306509\/","title":{"rendered":"After just 10 minutes of exercise, your blood releases molecules that can halt cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

As New Year\u2019s resolutions kick in, science has good news: the power of exercise doesn\u2019t depend on how long you work out but on the biological signals it sends through your body. Even a short \u201cflash\u201d session can activate DNA repair mechanisms that make your system an immediate enemy of cancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What if protecting your health didn\u2019t require hours at the gym? Many people start the year determined to move more, yet few know where to begin or how much time it really takes. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer, your body responds to physical activity within minutes \u2014 triggering changes far deeper than most imagine.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes that transform your body\u2019s chemistry<\/p>\n

In this study, researchers at Newcastle University<\/a> examined 30 volunteers \u2014 men and women aged 50 to 78 \u2014 who were overweight but otherwise healthy.<\/p>\n

After a short warm-up, participants cycled for about ten minutes at an intensity high enough to make them breathe hard<\/strong>. Blood samples taken before and immediately after exercise revealed something remarkable.<\/p>\n

Out of 249 circulating proteins measured, 13 showed a sharp increase after the workout. Many of these proteins play roles in reducing inflammation, improving blood vessel function, and regulating energy metabolism.<\/p>\n

\u201cExercise doesn\u2019t just benefit healthy tissues,\u201d explains Dr. Sam Orange, a senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology. \u201cIt also sends powerful signals throughout the bloodstream<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d Those signals seem to create an environment less favorable to cancer cell growth \u2014 and the effect appears almost instantly.<\/p>\n

Among the most interesting molecules, interleukin-6 (IL-6) stood out for its part in DNA repair<\/strong>, a process essential to preventing cancer-causing mutations.<\/p>\n

A direct hit against cancer cells<\/p>\n

To test this effect further, researchers applied blood serum collected after exercise to colon cancer cells grown in the lab. The results were dramatic: the activity of more than 1,300 genes changed.<\/p>\n

Genes involved in DNA repair and energy production became more active, while those linked to rapid, aggressive tumor growth slowed down. One crucial gene, known as PNKP<\/strong>, which helps repair damaged DNA, was especially stimulated. \u201cEven a single session can make a difference,\u201d says Dr. Orange, who also works at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Physical exercise releases bioactive molecules into the bloodstream that can directly slow the growth of cancer cells. In the case of colon cancer, this mechanism could help limit disease progression. \u00a9 Samuel T. Orange et al., 2025<\/p>\n

A powerful tool for prevention and therapy<\/p>\n

Colorectal cancer remains one of the most common types in both France and the U.K., with over 45,000 new cases every year. Studies estimate that regular exercise lowers the risk by about 20% \u2014 and this new research offers a clear biological explanation why.<\/p>\n

The researchers emphasize that physical activity doesn\u2019t have to mean intense gym sessions. Brisk walking, cycling to commute, gardening, climbing stairs, housework, or simply having an active job can all stimulate<\/strong> these beneficial processes.<\/p>\n

Next, the team plans to investigate whether repeated short sessions produce lasting effects \u2014 and how they might enhance treatments like chemotherapy<\/strong><\/a> and radiotherapy. \u201cThese findings pave the way for new strategies that could imitate or amplify the effects of exercise,\u201d concludes Dr. Orange.<\/p>\n

So next time you\u2019re tempted to skip a workout, remember \u2014 even ten minutes can set powerful changes in motion inside your body.<\/p>\n

\"christelle-chevrier\"<\/p>\n

Christelle Cherrier<\/p>\n

Web editor<\/p>\n

Passionate about words and driven by curiosity, I traded my career as a market research analyst for the sharpened pen of a web writer. For five years, I’ve specialized in health and wellness, delivering clear and insightful content. I’m endlessly fascinated by everything human\u2014from the workings of the body to the mysteries of the mind. My goal? Making complex topics accessible, informative, and engaging\u2014no prescription required!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As New Year\u2019s resolutions kick in, science has good news: the power of exercise doesn\u2019t depend on how…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":306510,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[30367,150412,18,129488,525,135,19,17],"class_list":["post-306509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-cancer-prevention","tag-dna-repair","tag-eire","tag-exercise-science","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115968194885267207","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}