Can Exercise Reduce Ulcer Risk?

Ulcers, sometimes referred to as peptic ulcers, are ulcerations of the upper digestive tract. Ulcers are very common. Approximately one in ten men and one in twenty women will incur one in their lifetimes.

There was a time when ulcers were thought to be caused solely by stress and an increased amount of stomach acid. Research today has shown that ulcers are not caused by stress, but rather by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. A two week treatment of antibiotics will wipe this bacteria out.

The latest studies have linked regular exercise to reducing the liklihood of ever developing an ulcer. Researchers have studied more than 11,000 men and women and found:

*Physically active men had one half to one third the risk of developing a duodenal ulcer over 20 years compared to their sedentary peers.

* Men who walked or ran at least 10 miles a week were 62% less likely than inactive subjects to develop an ulcer.

*Men who walked or ran less than 10 miles per week had about half the ulcer risk as those who did not exercise.

Because the Heliocobacter pylori bacterium is found in half the population of the world, scientists agree that other lifestyle factors such as stress, smoking and alchohol abuse may still have an effect.

It's not surprising to see that exercise improves the risk of having an ulcer. Exercise boosts your immune system, lowers stress and in general makes you think about improving your diet as well as your workout. Exercise also may reduce acid production in the digestive tract. The positive data on lowering the risk for an ulcer have so far only been confirmed for men.

Lanny Schaffer, Ph.D is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more fitness and health news go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com