A healthy mind in a healthy body
Sport can protect against depression. Researchers have come to this conclusion after analysing numerous specialist studies. Physical activity can both prevent depression and help treat its symptoms.
Sport is good for your body and your mind. You've known that for a long time, haven't you? Now there is new scientific evidence. Felipe Barretto Schuch from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria in Brazil and Brendon Stubbs from King's College London in the UK recently conducted a review of the literature. The aim was to investigate how exercise affects the risk and symptoms of depression.
In their paper, which is now published in Current Sports Medicine Reports, they conclude that exercise is an effective "medicine" for depression in most cases.
Analysis of countless studies
The authors first analysed the data from 49 prospective studies with a total of 266,939 participants. A prospective study is used, for example, to test a hypothesis about the effectiveness of a treatment method. The analysis of the studies showed that physical activity can reduce the risk of depression by 17 per cent.
Schuch and Stubbs also refer to an earlier analysis from 2016, in which 25 studies with around 1,500 participants with depression were conducted. The results showed that exercise could also be effective in treating the symptoms of pre-existing clinical depression. However, the two researchers also found that exercise as a form of therapy is rarely if ever used to treat the condition.
As a rule, specialists recommend antidepressants and psychotherapy for the treatment of clinical depression. Schuch and Stubbs argue that increased physical activity could increase the effectiveness of traditional treatment.
However, they recognise that physical activity may not be a convincing "antidepressant" for everyone. They believe that specialists need to aim to gain a better understanding of who is most likely to benefit from physical activity in the context of mental health.
With pleasure instead of frustration
Schuch and Stubbs also point out that exercise can be ineffective against depression. And that people may not stick to their exercise routine if they do it out of a sense of duty rather than pleasure.
In conclusion, the two researchers state:
"Physical activity can protect children, adults and older adults from depression. These effects can be observed on all continents. Exercise can also be used for the acute treatment of symptoms in people with depression. A solid base of studies shows that exercise is effective in the treatment of depression."
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From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.