According to recent kinematics studies, a single 30-minute acute exercise training can help alleviate the symptoms of depression.
According to a recent study conducted at Iowa State University, 30 minutes of exercise may help alleviate the symptoms of depression for at least 75 minutes after training.
General research on the relationship between mental health and exercise has been done in the past. However, researchers at Iowa State University wanted to see how a single targeted exercise session affects the main symptoms of depression.
Jacob Meyer, an assistant professor of kinematics at Iowa State University, led the process.
“I was always interested in athletics,” Meyer said. “Between high school and undergraduate, I was interested in how exercise and the brain interact. How and why exercise improves our mental and physical movements. I wanted to see it. “
In this study, 30 adults experiencing a major depressive episode were brought in for testing. Participants made two 30-minute lab visits. On this visit, you either exercised on moderate intensity cycling or sat during the visit.
The following week, participants returned to visit the lab and switch tasks.
During the lab visit, both groups were asked to complete an electronic survey immediately before, during, immediately after the session, and 25, 50, 75 minutes after the workout. The questionnaire measured depressive symptoms and cognitive ability.
Researchers used this study data to track changes in three major categories of major depressive disorder: depressed mood, anhedonia, and cognitive decline. Anhedonia is described as not being able to feel joy, especially from previously enjoyed activities.
“This study has led us to think about ways to incorporate exercise to systematically treat depression in future struggling patients,” says Meyer. “Understanding what mechanism works will lay a solid foundation for future research.”
The results of the experiment included participants’ depressive mood that improved after cycling. The level of improvement in anhedonia decreased around 75 minutes, but was still lower than in the resting group.
Another pilot study reported that participants who exercised prior to a cognitive-behavioral therapy session had a stronger relationship with the therapist. Researchers have found that exercise prepares the brain to engage in the more emotionally challenging tasks that accompany treatment sessions.
Meyer hopes to conduct larger studies in the future to determine how positive effects can be extended to patients and expand the benefits of treatment. Patients who are emotionally connected to the therapist may recover faster from chronic depression.
“We needed a longer follow-up to continue the survey data 90 minutes, 2 hours, and 4 hours after the workout to see how long it would last,” Meyer said. “But it’s not practical to keep people in the lab for hours.”
Meyer and his team continue to promote the importance of regular and effective exercise, as it can have meaningful and long-term benefits to physiological and emotional health.
“Mental health is often not seen as an obvious benefit of exercise, but it’s just as valuable, if not more,” Meyer said. “Exercise does more to the body than to lose weight and lower blood cholesterol.”
Meyer and his team are working on ways to increase the benefits of exercise.Students considering participating in Meyer’s future research can visit this Website View screening surveys for more information on recruitment.
