Resistance Exercise Training May Reduce Symptoms of Depression

Resistance exercise training appears to significantly reduce depressive symptoms among adults regardless of health status, the time spent exercising, or whether the training resulted in significant improvements in strength, according to ameta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry. The best results were found among those with mild to moderate depression scores —as opposed to no depression—suggesting that resistance training should be considered as an adjuct treatment for depression. Brett R. Gordon, M.Sc., of the University of Limerick, Ireland, and colleagues performed a literature search for clinical trials in which individuals were randomly assigned to either a resistance exercise training intervention or a nonactive control condition and which included a validated self-report or clinician-rated measure of depressive symptoms assessed at baseline and at mid-intervention and/or post-intervention.They identified 33 randomized, controlled trials (RCTs), including 1,877 participants (947 in the resistance exercise training group; 930 in the control group). The mean prescribed resistance exercise training program duration was 16 weeks. The frequency of resistance exercise training sessions ranged from two to seven days a week; the most common frequency was three days a week.The meta-analysis revealed that resistance exercise training was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms regardless of the age, sex, and health status of the participants or the fea...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: depressive symptoms JAMA Psychiatry resistance exercise training Source Type: research