The impact of physical exercise on thyroid hormones in cancer patients and other populations

Abstract

Cancer treatments often lead to adverse side effects that significantly impact patients' overall health and quality of life. Consequently, minimizing these side effects is a critical component of improving patient care. Exercise has been shown to enhance physical fitness and well-being in cancer patients; however, to maximize its effectiveness, exercise programs must be tailored to the specific needs of each patient. For thyroid cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy, the effects of exercise remain largely unexplored. Considering that exercise can influence thyroid hormone levels, it is essential to deepen our understanding of how physical activity impacts thyroid gland function before developing exercise protocols for this population. Although numerous studies have investigated the relationship between exercise and thyroid hormone activity, their findings are inconsistent, largely due to significant variability across study designs, populations, and methodologies. This variability hinders the ability to draw robust conclusions and highlights the need for a comprehensive synthesis of the existing literature. The objective of this review is to analyze current research on the interaction between exercise and thyroid activity, identify key patterns or sources of variability, and provide insights that will inform the design of more effective, evidence-based exercise programs for thyroid cancer patients.