Study says exercise gives women this one edge over men when it comes to heart health

Exercise surprisingly has an advantage for women that men are at an unfair disadvantage in, especially when it comes to exercise's heart health benefits.

One of the fundamental pillars of safeguarding heart health is exercising. It keeps the heart pumping efficiently and keeps the cardiovascular system resilient. From blood pressure levels to weight management, there are ample benefits. But did you know the amount of exercise needed for better heart health benefits differs from person to person? One way this distinction appears is sex-based.

A study published in the journal of Nature Cardiovascular Research on October 27, 2025, unveiled this difference in how men and women gain heart health benefits from exercise. Turns out, women may gain the same level of heart protection as men with nearly half the amount of activity as men. The study examined wearable device data from around 85,000 adults.

What did the study find?

Women who exercised for almost 250 minutes a week, which is approximately 35 minutes a day, showed a 30 percent lower risk of developing heart disease. But here's the difference. For men to achieve the same heart protection from exercise of 30 percent lower risk, they need to do exercises for around 530 minutes a week.

This is not solely for preventing heart diseases, but also the same is applicable for mitigating heart disease complications as well. Women with heart disease who met the recommended activity levels gained the advantage of a whopping 70 percent lower death reduction, compared to those women who stayed inactive. But when men did the same amount and duration of exercise, their risk reduction was only around 19 percent.

It sheds light on the global recommended activity levels, which are often general and not sex specific. The same 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week is relevant for everyone, despite gender. But this study serves as an eye-opener, suggesting that exercise's benefits are effective not based on how long one works out but on how the body responds to the activity. This is particularly critical as men and women have greatly different biological responses and systems.

Why do women's bodies respond differently?

Muscle type and hormones help women gain better heart health benefits. (Picture credit: Freepik)

The reason why women have an extra advantage here is due to the hormones and muscle composition. Estrogen, which is a sex hormone, is more common in women, causes fat metabolism when one is exercising. This is essentially an energy process where the body uses fat as fuel during exercise rather than relying on sugar. When fat for energy is used, it puts less pressure on the heart. This is why women have better heart health with less activity. Women also have more endurance-oriented muscle fibres (type I), unlike men, who have more power-oriented muscle fibres (type II).

All these biological variations make it possible for women to reap better rewards for cardiovascular health. For women, their hormones and muscles help them gain more benefits.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.