New research led by Bryant’s Jason Sawyer, Ph.D., and published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, suggests that resistance training is as effective as aerobic exercise at lowering depressive symptoms in young women.
“The majority of existing research examining the effects of exercise on depression has focused primarily on aerobic exercise interventions in adults over the age of 30. However, the highest prevalence of depressive episodes occurs in individuals aged 18 to 25, highlighting a critical need to investigate the effectiveness of exercise interventions within this younger population,” says Sawyer, Bryant’s Exercise and Movement Science professor and program coordinator who works out of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences.
According to Sawyer, the conventional treatment for depression is a combination of pharmacological interventions and psychotherapy. Because approximately one-third of individuals who use these treatments report no significant change in depressive symptoms, and psychiatric medications may cause side effects, it’s vital to explore other methods of treatment, he says.
To conduct the study, Sawyer and outside researchers recruited eight participants from a university counseling center. To be included in the study, participants — ranging between 18 and 22 years old — needed to be familiar with resistance training exercises but not actively involved in a resistance training program within the last six months. Additionally, individuals could not have a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety or currently be on medication to treat anxiety or depression. After vetted participants completed a medical history questionnaire, training history, a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and a Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), each received an individualized program based on an initial testing session.
Study participants spent six weeks completing two full-body workouts each week under the supervision of researchers. Exercises included bench presses, barbell back squats, standing shoulder presses, and sumo deadlifts. Starting with a 75 percent intensity rate for the exercises, the intensity increased by 2 or 3 percent each week, with a corresponding decrease in repetitions.
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“Given that exercise adherence is influenced by individual preferences, particularly regarding exercise modality, it is essential to explore alternative forms of physical activity beyond traditional aerobic exercise to enhance engagement and therapeutic outcomes,” Sawyer says.
Results showed a significant difference in pre- and post-training BDI scores but no substantial differences with BAI scores. Since the anxiety outcome measures remained unchanged, researchers noted that resistance training could be effective at decreasing state anxiety levels (a response to a specific situation perceived as dangerous) but has less effect on trait anxiety (tendency to feel anxious across many situations). Additionally, because the exercises were prescribed at an initial level of 75 percent, Sawyer says the intensity could have been too high to reduce feelings of anxiety.
According to researchers, female athletes are at elevated risk of depression and anxiety and findings from the current investigation suggest that elite athletes participate in high-intensity resistance training as much as possible during their recovery from injury to reduce the risk of depression.
Sawyer notes that a future, large-scale study should include a control group. Additionally, future research should incorporate means of assessing psychological well-being as well as potential changes in self-perception, self-esteem, and quality of life.
