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Can Prostate Cancer Patients Exercise?
Can prostate cancer patients exercise? Not only can they exercise, according to the research below, but they can (and should) exercise during and after therapy.
PCa patients may not feel like exercising, however. So, whole-body electromyostimulation, WB-EMS, in PCa patients during and after therapy can be effective.
Why would a PCa patient want to exercise??? Research shows that exercise before treatment, or prehabilitation, enhances the efficacy of treatment while reducing its side effects. Exercise both during and after chemotherapy, according to the study linked below, helps the patient maintain muscle mass, avoiding a side effect called sarcopenia.
Unfortunately, the video below is a bit out of date and uses different buzzwords but the video’s message is spot on. Cancer patients probably won’t feel like exercising. So, electrostimulation can help the patient exercise without having to do much.
How can NMES help accelerate cancer rehabilitation?
I am a long-term survivor of multiple myeloma. I wish that I had prehabilitated before I began induction or before I had my autologous stem cell transplant. Minimizing the side effects that I’ve experienced would have helped my quality-of-life a lot.
Have you been diagnosed with prostate cancer? What stage? Have you begun therapy? To learn more about prehabilitation as well as learning about the importance of a healthy gut microbiome, scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply to you ASAP.
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Short-term WB-EMS in Cancer Patients: Positive Effects After 2 Weeks of Exercise—A Single-arm Trial
Abstract
Context
Due to therapeutic side effects and physical weakness, patients are not always able to carry out strenuous and lengthy exercises. Hence, this study investigated the effectiveness and feasibility of a short-term Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) for oncological patients during and after anticancer treatment. The primary aim was to ensure the feasibility of WB-EMS training. Furthermore, the effects of WB-EMS training were investigated over a period of 2 weeks on parameters such as quality of life, body composition and physical performance.
Method
Thirteen cancer patients with different diagnosis, disease stages and treatment state were included. They participated in supervised WB-EMS sessions 4 times over a 2-week period. Physical functioning, body composition, depression, fatigue, and quality of life were measured before and after the intervention period. Moreover, a pre-post measurement of the patients’ perceived body constitution was conducted in every exercise session.
Results
All included patients (n = 13) were able to complete the 4 WB-EMS sessions. At the end of the 2 weeks, a significant increase of the muscle strength could be observed. Additionally, patients improved their cardiovascular fitness. The body composition analyses showed significant reductions in body lean mass and extracellular water. Muscle mass remained unchanged. Furthermore, patients reported an improved perceived body constitution reduced pain and discomfort following all 4 WB-EMS sessions.
Conclusion
This study suggests that WB-EMS is safe and feasible for cancer patients. Furthermore, it showed that even after 2 weeks, improvements concerning the physical performance and patient-reported outcomes can be achieved. This study indicates benefits of WB-EMS as short-term exercise methode in cancer patients, that could be utelised in fields such as cancer prehabilitation.
Exercise during cancer treatment: 5 things to know
For years, doctors have recommended exercise to reduce people’s risk of developing cancer and to help cancer survivors thrive after treatment ends. Yet, until recently, the benefits of exercising during treatment were a bit less clear.
But recent research has given us a clearer picture of how physical activity can benefit patients in active treatment. Spoiler alert: it’s good news!
To learn more about exercise during cancer treatment, we spoke with Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., director of MD Anderson’s Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship.
What are the benefits of exercise during cancer treatment?
In 2022, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) issued the first-ever evidence-based exercise guidelines for adults in active cancer treatment. To develop its guidelines, ASCO assembled a panel of experts who analyzed more than 100 clinical trials examining the link between exercise and cancer treatment.
What they found left little doubt that staying physically active improves symptoms and side effects in patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. It also helps those who have surgery recover faster with fewer complications.
“The science shows that exercising during cancer treatment eases fatigue, anxiety and depression while improving quality of life and physical function,” Basen-Engquist says. “Staying active helps patients continue engaging in the regular activities of daily life.”
Can prostate cancer patients exercise Can prostate cancer patients exercise