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The Muscle-Cancer Connection: How Myokines and Strength Training Fight Cancer
- natalie98257
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Your muscles are more than movers, they’re healers. By doing resistance training, you're not just building strength you're triggering molecular messages that can help protect you from cancer, assist in recovery and improve your longevity.
In recent years, science has begun to unravel a fascinating relationship between muscle and medicine, specifically, how strength training and the molecules it unleashes, known as myokines, may be powerful allies in the fight against cancer. What was once seen as just a way to build biceps is now recognised as a potential prescription for prevention and recovery.
What Are Myokines?
When you engage in physical activity, especially resistance or strength training, your muscles release small proteins called myokines into the bloodstream. These myokines act like messengers, carrying signals to other organs and systems in the body. Some of them are anti-inflammatory, some help regulate metabolism, and increasingly, some are being shown to have anti-cancer properties.
The term “myokine” comes from 'myo' (muscle) and 'cytokine' (a type of signalling protein). These molecules allow skeletal muscles to function as an endocrine organ, meaning that your muscles don’t just move your body, they also communicate with your brain, bones, fat, liver, and yes, even cancer cells.
Myokines and Cancer Prevention
Studies have found that physically active individuals have a lower risk of developing many types of cancer, including breast, colon, and prostate cancer. While multiple mechanisms are likely at play, including improved immune surveillance and reduced inflammation, myokines are emerging as key players in this protective effect.
One of the most researched myokines in this context is interleukin-6 (IL-6). While chronically elevated IL-6 (as seen in obesity) is linked to inflammation, the transient spike in IL-6 during exercise has the opposite effect: it can inhibit tumour growth by enhancing immune cell activity and reducing systemic inflammation.
A 2020 review published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology described how IL-6, along with other myokines like irisin, myostatin, SPARC and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), may help suppress tumour progression through immune modulation, anti-inflammatory effects and direct inhibition of cancer cell proliferation.
Muscle Mass as Medicine
Beyond just signalling molecules, muscle mass itself is now seen as a predictor of cancer outcomes. A growing body of research shows that people with higher muscle mass, not just lower fat mass, have better survival rates after cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Why? Muscle is not only a source of myokines, it also helps patients tolerate chemotherapy, reduce treatment-related fatigue and maintain independence and quality of life. Strength training builds this critical tissue, making it a proactive part of both prevention and recovery.
In fact, a 2021 study published in JAMA Oncology found that cancer patients with low muscle mass had poorer survival outcomes regardless of body weight or BMI, highlighting the unique importance of lean muscle in oncology.
Strength Training: A Cancer-Fighting Prescription
The benefits of strength training go beyond aesthetics or sports performance. Research shows that regular resistance exercise:
Reduces systemic inflammation
Enhances insulin sensitivity
Improves immune system function
Increases levels of beneficial myokines
Preserves muscle during cancer treatment
Supports mental health and cognitive resilience
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Cancer Society recommend that cancer survivors engage in at least two sessions of strength training per week, alongside aerobic activity, to support long-term health and recovery.
Real-World Implications
Your muscles are more than movers, they’re healers. By doing resistance training, you're not just building strength you're triggering molecular messages that can help protect you from cancer, assist in recovery and improve your longevity.
Incorporating regular strength training into your life is no longer just about fitness, it's a science-backed strategy for disease prevention and healing.
The next time you do a strength training session, know that your muscles are speaking a language of health and possibly telling cancer to back off.
References:
Pedersen, B. K., & Febbraio, M. A. (2012). Muscles, exercise and obesity: Skeletal muscle as a secretory organ. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 8(8), 457–465.
Hojman, P. (2017). Exercise protects from cancer through regulation of immune function and inflammation. Biochemical Society Transactions, 45(4), 905–911.
Christensen, J. F., et al. (2020). Muscle dysfunction in cancer patients. Annals of Oncology, 31(10), 1379–1390.
Courneya, K. S., & Friedenreich, C. M. (2007). Physical activity and cancer control. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 23(4), 242–252.
ACSM Roundtable on Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors. (2019). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(11), 2375–2390.
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