One set of 40 pushups can save men from heart diseases: study

• Men able to do more pushups had 96% less chance of  heart failure.
• Researchers analyse data of 1,104 male firefighters.
• They say pushups are no-cost method to assist in assessing cardiovascular disease risk.

A study has shown that men who perform one set of 40 pushups per day are less likely to suffer from heart illnesses.

A team of researchers from Harvard TH Chan School of Public health said that their report shows how the capacity to execute pushups is related to heart health.

Middle-aged men who were able to do more pushups had a 96% less chance of developing fatal diseases like heart failure compared to those who can do a maximum of 10. 

Researchers analysed the data of 1,104 male firefighters taken from the year 2000 to 2010. The participants were asked to perform as many pushups as they could. Their performance on the treadmill was also reviewed. 

By the end of the study, 37 men experienced a heart condition and 36 out of those were the ones who could not log more than 40 pushups.

Authors of the study published in JAMA Network Open said that their findings showed that pushups were a no-cost method to assist in assessing cardiovascular disease risk.

The authors stressed that the study focused on "middle-aged men with active occupations" which is why the results should not be applied to women or men of different ages and belonging to passive professions.