Depressive Symptoms Reduced With Resistance Exercise

Resistance exercise training (RET) may be an effective treatment option for depression, according to new research.

This finding emerged from a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis of 33 randomized clinical trials (n = 1877) that evaluated the effects of RET (n = 947) compared with a nonactive control condition (n = 930) on mental health outcomes.
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Study data from inception through August 2017 were obtained from Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science.

All analyses were performed using random-effects models. Hedges d effect sizes were calculated. The potential moderating influence of participant and trial characteristics were taken into account using meta-regression.

Ultimately, 54 effects were derived from the 33 studies included in the present analysis. Findings revealed that RET was associated with a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, translating to a moderate-sized mean effect ∆ of 0.66.

The antidepressant effect of RET was found to occur irrespective of the total volume of prescribed RET, participant health status, and strength improvements.

“The available empirical evidence supports resistance exercise training as an alternative and/or adjuvant therapy for depressive symptoms,” the researchers concluded.

“Better-quality randomized clinical trials blinding both allocation and assessment and comparing RET with other empirically supported treatments for depressive symptoms are needed,” they added.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, et al. Association of efficacy of resistance exercise training with depressive symptoms: meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis of randomized clinical trials [Published online May 9, 2018]. JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0572