A new study has revealed that women may enjoy stronger heart protection from exercise compared to men even when they work out for much less time. Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining cardiovascular health supporting balanced blood pressure aiding weight control and keeping the heart efficient. However researchers have now highlighted that the benefits of exercise are not the same for everyone and gender plays a notable role.
The findings published in Nature Cardiovascular Research examined wearable device data from approximately 85000 adults. According to the study women who exercised around 250 minutes per week or roughly 35 minutes a day had a 30 percent lower risk of developing heart disease. In contrast men needed nearly double the exercise time around 530 minutes per week to achieve the same level of heart protection.
This difference also extends to individuals already diagnosed with heart disease. Women who met the recommended activity levels experienced a significant 70 percent reduction in mortality risk compared to inactive women. Meanwhile men performing similar exercise duration saw only about a 19 percent decrease in risk.
The research challenges the common global guidelines that recommend 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity weekly for both men and women without accounting for biological differences. The study strongly indicates that benefits depend not just on the amount of exercise but on how the body uses energy during physical activity.
Experts believe hormones and muscle composition could be the key reasons behind women’s advantage. Estrogen enables the body to rely more on fat as fuel during exercise reducing strain on the heart. Women also typically have a greater amount of endurance based muscle fibres which allow more efficient cardiovascular performance. These natural factors enable women to secure stronger heart health benefits from shorter workout sessions.
While exercise remains essential for everyone the research encourages a closer look at how gender-specific physiology affects fitness outcomes. Individuals should consult healthcare professionals for the most suitable fitness plan tailored to personal health conditions.
