Regular Exercise Can Lower The Risk Of ALS In Men; Know Everything About This Fatal Condition

Exercising regularly can lower the risk of ALS in men, a fatal condition, reveals new research. The study analyzed 373,696 Norwegian people for a period of about 27 years. Around 504 people, who recorded low physical activity, developed ALS. However, it is important to note that the study only found an association between physical activity and the risk of ALS in male, and not in female participants.

Study author Dr. Anders Myhre Vaage, of Akershus University Hospital in Norway, highlights that the diagnosis of ALS in high-profile athletes has lead to people thinking that strenuous physical activity is an environmental risk factor that further contributes to development and early onset of the disease. "There have been conflicting findings on levels of physical activity, fitness and ALS risk,” Myhre Vaage said. He further added, “Our study found that for men, living a more active lifestyle could be linked to a reduced risk of ALS more than 30 years later.”

What is ALS?

ALS is known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is a rare disease that affects the motor neurons that control your voluntary muscles. These muscles help in actions like chewing, talking and moving your arms and legs. ALS is a progressive condition and the symptoms tend to get worse over time. According to Mayo Clinic, "ALS is often called Lou Gehrig's disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it. The exact cause of the disease is still not known. A small number of cases are inherited." It further states, "ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech. Eventually ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease."

Symptoms of ALS

The symptoms of this fatal disease vary from person to person. It completely depends on which nerve cells are affected. Usually, it begins with muscle weakness and gets worse overtime. Some of the common symptoms:

As the disease progresses, the symptoms include trouble breathing, swallowing and often paralysis.

"There's generally no pain in the early stages of ALS. Pain also is not common in the later stages. ALS doesn't usually affect bladder control. It also usually doesn't affect the senses, including the ability to taste, smell, touch and hear," states Mayo Clinic.