#099 The Science of Exercise for Cancer | Kerry Courneya, PhD

Rhonda Patrick

Mar 3, 2025

Episode description

Download my “How to Train According to the Experts” guide

Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot

For decades, exercise was considered an optional part of cancer care—something beneficial for general health but not essential. The evidence is now overwhelming: exercise is not just supportive—it’s a therapeutic intervention that recalibrates tumor biology, enhances treatment tolerance, and improves survival outcomes.

With over 600 peer-reviewed studies, Dr. Kerry Courneya's work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of how structured exercise—whether aerobic, resistance training, or high-intensity intervals—can mitigate treatment side effects, enhance immune function, and directly influence cancer progression.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction
(04:31) Why exercise should be effortful
(05:17) How to meaningfully reduce risk of cancer
(09:06) What type of exercise is best?
(10:43) How exercise reduces risk—even for smokers and the obese
(13:32) Weekend-only exercise
(16:33) 150 vs. 300 minutes per week (more is better—up to a point)
(18:47) Why pre-diagnosis exercise matters
(21:53) Why resilience to cancer treatment starts with exercise
(23:45) Why low muscle mass drives cancer death
(26:42) Why BMI fails to measure true obesity
(30:35) Why daily activity isn't enough (structured exercise matters)
(32:18) Breaking up sedentary time—do 'exercise snacks' help?
(34:34) Supplements vs. exercise
(35:16) Where exercise fits with chemo and immunotherapy
(38:14) Why rest is not the best medicine
(44:04) Aerobic vs. resistance
(44:57) How weight training improves 'chemo completion'
(47:25) Why exercise creates vulnerability in cancer cells (limitations do apply)
(49:53) Why exercise might be crucial for tumor elimination
(55:47) Why cardio may be better at clearing tumor cells
(59:02) When cancer spreads quickly—and when it doesn't
(1:00:27) Why liquid biopsies may prevent over-treatment
(1:05:40) Exercise-sensitive vs. exercise-resistant cancers
(1:08:50) Pro

Episode description

Download my “How to Train According to the Experts” guide

Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction
(04:31) Why exercise should be effortful
(05:17) How to meaningfully reduce risk of cancer
(09:06) What type of exercise is best?
(10:43) How exercise reduces risk—even for smokers and the obese
(13:32) Weekend-only exercise
(16:33) 150 vs. 300 minutes per week (more is better—up to a point)
(18:47) Why pre-diagnosis exercise matters
(21:53) Why resilience to cancer treatment starts with exercise
(23:45) Why low muscle mass drives cancer death
(26:42) Why BMI fails to measure true obesity
(30:35) Why daily activity isn't enough (structured exercise matters)
(32:18) Breaking up sedentary time—do 'exercise snacks' help?
(34:34) Supplements vs. exercise
(35:16) Where exercise fits with chemo and immunotherapy
(38:14) Why rest is not the best medicine
(44:04) Aerobic vs. resistance
(44:57) How weight training improves 'chemo completion'
(47:25) Why exercise creates vulnerability in cancer cells (limitations do apply)
(49:53) Why exercise might be crucial for tumor elimination
(55:47) Why cardio may be better at clearing tumor cells
(59:02) When cancer spreads quickly—and when it doesn't
(1:00:27) Why liquid biopsies may prevent over-treatment
(1:05:40) Exercise-sensitive vs. exercise-resistant cancers
(1:08:50) Pro

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Engage in heavy compound-lift strength training for cancer prevention

If you only have 15 minutes a day, the single best use of that time is heavy, compound-lift strength training to build and maintain critical muscle mass.

#cancer

#strength

Recognize exercise limitations in treatment side effects

While overwhelmingly beneficial, exercise is not a cure-all and in rare cases can exacerbate certain treatment side effects like skin irritation or diarrhea.

#exercise

#side-effects

Utilize high-intensity interval training as monotherapy for low-grade cancers

In cases of low-grade cancers managed by 'active surveillance,' high-intensity interval training has been shown to lower cancer markers like PSA, positioning exercise as a potential monotherapy.

#cancer

#exercise

Exercise eliminates circulating tumor cells to prevent metastasis

The increased blood flow from exercise creates a 'shear stress' in the vasculature that can kill circulating tumor cells, potentially preventing metastasis.

#cancer

#exercise

Enhance chemotherapy effectiveness through exercise

Exercise improves the quality of blood vessels within tumors, which enhances the delivery of chemotherapy drugs and makes tumors more sensitive to radiation.

#cancer

#exercise

Exercise to combat cancer treatment fatigue

Counterintuitively, patients who exercise during chemotherapy report less fatigue than those who rest, demonstrating that rest is not always the best medicine.

#cancer

#exercise

Prioritize resistance training to maintain muscle mass for cancer survival

Low muscle mass is a critical factor driving the risk of recurrence and death from cancer, making resistance training essential.

#cancer

#muscle

Utilize exercise as prehabilitation for chronic disease management

Exercising throughout your life acts as prehabilitation, preparing your body to better handle the eventual diagnosis and treatment of a chronic disease like cancer.

#chronic-disease

#exercise

Aim for 300 minutes of exercise weekly for optimal health benefits

The 150-minute weekly exercise guideline is the minimum for benefits, with further risk reduction seen up to 300 minutes, which should be the goal for those at higher risk.