Resistance training and combined resistance and aerobic training as a treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ryan Marinelli; Alexandra G Parker; Itamar Levinger; Matthew Bourke; Rhiannon Patten; Mary N Woessner

doi:10.1111/eip.13528

Resistance training and combined resistance and aerobic training as a treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Early Interv Psychiatry. 2024 May 6. doi: 10.1111/eip.13528. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ryan Marinelli^{1

2}, Alexandra G Parker^{1

3}, Itamar Levinger^{1

4}, Matthew Bourke⁵, Rhiannon Patten¹, Mary N Woessner^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
² School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), University of Melbourne and Western Health, St Albans, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

PMID: 38710640
DOI: 10.1111/eip.13528

Abstract

Aim: To determine the treatment effect of resistance training in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in young people.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PubMed for articles published in English from January 1980 to September 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCT) that included at least 4 weeks of resistance training, with participants aged 26 years or younger with clinically elevated anxiety and depression symptoms. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate a pooled effect size of resistance training pre-and post-intervention compared to control groups. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias 2 (RoB 2) and Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria.

Results: Ten RCTs involving 376 participants (209 females and 127 males) across educational, clinical, and community based setting were eligible for inclusion in the analysis. Resistance training was associated with a significant reduction in depressive (Hedge's g = -1.06, 95% CI -1.61 to -0.51, p < .001) and anxiety (Hedge's g = -1.02, 95% CI -1.50 to -0.54, p < .001) symptoms. Substantial heterogeneity was observed in the analysis of depression symptoms (I² = 79%) and anxiety symptoms (I² = 66%). Six trials had a low risk of bias, four trials showed some concerns. The GRADE analysis demonstrated a high level of certainty for depressive symptoms and a moderate level for anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion: Resistance training is an effective intervention in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in young people, delivered across a range of settings. Future trials exploring the effect resistance training interventions with long-term follow up are warranted to understand the outcomes.

Keywords: adolescents; anxiety; depression; mental health treatment; resistance training; strength training; young people.

Publication types

Review