© Leon Mart
November 10, 2025
Nils Behrens
A new study shows: Women achieve the same heart protection with half as much exercise. Why estradiol plays a key role in this
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How much exercise does it take to protect the heart? Until now, the recommendations of the World Health Organization were considered gender-neutral: 150 minutes of moderate to intense activity per week. A new study in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research now shows that this is not true. Men need to exercise significantly more to achieve the same effect.
Nils Behrens, top health expert, Chief Brand Officer of Sunday Natural, and host of the podcast HEALTHWISE.
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong analyzed data from over 80,000 people from the UK Biobank. All participants wore accelerometers for a week that objectively recorded how active they were.
The result: Women need an average of around 250 minutes of exercise per week to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent. Men need more than 530 minutes for this – more than twice as much.
Even after accounting for age, weight, sleep, diet, smoking, and existing conditions, this difference persisted. Women benefit measurably more per minute of exercise.
One possible biological reason: the hormone estradiol, which is present at higher concentrations in women of childbearing age. It affects how the body generates energy during exercise, increases fat burning, and supports vascular elasticity.
In addition, women have more type I muscle fibers on average – slow-twitch fibers that are specialized for endurance and fat metabolism. Men, on the other hand, have more fast-twitch fibers (type II), which generate short-term performance but are less economical.
This could explain why women respond biochemically more 'efficiently' to endurance training – and achieve comparable cardiovascular effects with less exercise.
For men, this means that the current guideline of 150 minutes per week may not be enough to achieve the same protective effects. For women, however, the message is encouraging – even moderate exercise has a noticeable effect.
But the study is observational – it shows correlations, not causation. Further experimental investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms behind the gender differences.
The results clearly show that gender-neutral recommendations have their limits. Our biology reacts differently – and this applies not only to medications but also to exercise. Understanding how your body responds to training can help you tailor your routines more precisely and sustainably. In the end, it's not about minutes or numbers, but about balance – and finding your own rhythm.
Nils Behrens is the Chief Brand Officer of Sunday Natural and host of the HEALTHWISE podcast. Additionally, the sought-after health expert teaches as a lecturer at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. Previously, Behrens worked for over 12 years as Chief Marketing Officer of the Lanserhof Group and host of the successful "Forever Young" podcast.
