Men need to exercise twice as hard as women for this health benefit, new research finds

According to new research, men may need to exercise twice as much as women to lower their chances of getting coronary heart disease. The scientists behind the study have said healthy living guidelines should take account of the sex differences, having looked at records from more than 80,000 people.

The researchers found that heart disease risk fell by 30% in women who clocked up 250 minutes of exercise per week. In contrast, men needed to reach a total of 530 minutes, or nearly nine hours of exercise per week, to see the same effect.

Cardiologist Dr. Emily Lau wrote, “This study provides strong evidence that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot and should not be used to guide physical activity recommendations for men and women.”

The CDC recommends that all U.S. adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, plus two strength training sessions to stay fit. Chinese researchers looked at data from more than 80,000 U.K. Biobank participants, who wore one of the best fitness trackers, to see how these guidelines affected coronary heart disease risk.

Researchers found that women who completed the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week had a 22% lower risk of being diagnosed with coronary heart disease, compared to a 17% lower risk in men.

Coronary heart disease is a condition where the arteries that supply blood to the heart become blocked. This can be caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries, inflammation, or genetic factors. It’s the most common form of heart disease, affecting roughly 1 in 20 Americans, according to the CDC.

While scientists are still working to understand why women might gain more cardiovascular benefits from exercise than men, there’s a theory that it might be due to women having much higher levels of estrogen than men. Estrogen relaxes arteries and can balance cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation.

That said, studies have repeatedly shown that women are less likely to reach exercise goals than men. Researchers hope studies like this will encourage more inactive women to exercise more and reap the cardiovascular benefits.

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