Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) Lowers Cancer Risk
A well-established, graded, inverse association exists between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as all-cause mortality in numerous healthy and clinical adult populations.1- 3 Compared with those classified in the lowest CRF category (<7.9 metabolic equivalents [METs]), individuals in the highest CRF category (≥10.9 METs) have a 1.6- to 1.7-fold lower risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, respectively.4 Accordingly, measurement of CRF via for...
1 
From Time Magazine article on the study:
Here’s the best part: it doesn’t take a lot of exercise to have a big health impact, Lakoski found. “Just a small improvement in fitness made a difference in survival of those that developed cancer,” she says. Compared to men who could run 12-minute miles on the treadmill at age 50, men who ran slightly faster 11.5-minute miles had an additional 10% decrease in cancer death and an extra 25% decrease in cardiovascular death among those who developed cancer in the study.
An Algorithm for Predicting Longevity
For the test, participants exercised on a treadmill at increasing speed and incline. While they were exercising, the researches measured peak heart rate (%MPHR) and their ability to withstand physical exertion. On that latter point, they measured metabolic equivalents, or METs, which gauges how much energy the body expends during exercise. The more intense the exercise, the higher the METs (e.g. slow walking = ~2 METs, whereas running = ~8 METs).
[...]
FIT Treadmill Score = %MPHR 12(M...You can get your MPHR for your age here. I found a chart of METS here for various exercises.
| Activity | METS | Activity | METS |
| Aerobic Dancing | 6.0 | Running 12 min/mile | 8.5 |
| Backpacking | 7.0 | Racquetball | 8.0 |
| Badminton | 7.0 | Rugby | 8.3 |
| Basketball | 6.0 | Skating ice/roller | 7.0 |
| Bicycling - 24mph | 5.0 | Skiing cross country | 8.0 |
| Calisthenics | 4.5 | Soccer | 8.0 |
| Golf | 5.0 | Softball | 5.0 |
| Gymnastics | 5.5 | Swimming | 6.0 |
| Handball | 8.0 | Tennis | 7.0 |
| Hockey | 8.0 | Volleyball | 4.0 |
| Horse riding | 3.5 | Walking | 3.5 |
| Running 8 min/mile | 12.5 | Weight lifting | 4.5 |
| Stage | Minutes | % grade | km/h | MPH | METS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 10 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 5 |
| 2 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 7 |
| 3 | 3 | 14 | 5.4 | 3.4 | 10 |
| 4 | 3 | 16 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 13 |
| 5 | 3 | 18 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 15 |
| 6 | 3 | 20 | 8.8 | 5.5 | 18 |
| 7 | 3 | 22 | 9.6 | 6.0 | 20 |
Total Durations = 21 minutes
So, if I'm understanding this correctly. If I reach a 160 heart rate out of 179.0 MPHR predicted for my 41 years of age while running 12 minute miles worth 8.5 METS. My score would be:
83.7 12(8.5) - 4(41) = 21.7
The same heart rate for my age running 8 minute miles:
83.7 12(8.5) - 4(41) = 69.7
