Exercise Can Prevent Nocturia In Men

Now there's another reason for men to stay active.

Researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine found that men who kept their fitness levels up were less likely to experience nocturia--a common lower urinary tract symptom, which often causes men to wake up at night for frequent urination.

As this condition often results from an enlarged prostate that's caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), researchers believe that as the prostate enlarges, it squeezes down on the urethra leading to overproduction of urine and frequent sleep disturbances due to low bladder capacity.

For their findings, researchers analyzed data from 28,404 men in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO). They discovered that physically active men who exercised one or more hours per week were about 13 percent less likely to report nocturia. Similarly, they were about 34 percent less likely to report severe problems with nocturia than those who never reported any physical activity.

As previous studies have also suggested similar findings, showing that improving sleep and body size can help lower systemic inflammation related to nocturia, the findings reiterate healthy life habits. 

"Combined with other management strategies, physical activity may provide a strategy for the management of BPH-related outcomes, particularly nocturia," concluded lead study author Kate Wolin, ScD, in a news release.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.