Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Chinese Population with Mild to Moderate Depression in Hong Kong

Abstract

Background. Exercise has been suggested to be a viable treatment for depression. This study investigates the effect of supervised aerobic exercise training on depressive symptoms and physical performance among Chinese patients with mild to moderate depression in early in-patient phase. Methods. A randomized repeated measure and assessor-blinded study design was used. Subjects in aerobic exercise group received 30 minutes of aerobic training, five days a week for 3 weeks. Depressive symptoms (MADRS and C-BDI) and domains in physical performance were assessed at baseline and program end. Results. Subjects in aerobic exercise group showed a more significant reduction in depressive scores (MADRS) as compared to control (between-group mean difference = 10.08 ± 9.41; P = 0.026) after 3 weeks training. The exercise group also demonstrated a significant improvement in flexibility (between-group mean difference = 4.4 ± 6.13; P = 0.02). Limitations. There was lack of longitudinal followup to examine the long-term effect of aerobic exercise on patients with depression. Conclusions. Aerobic exercise in addition to pharmacological intervention can have a synergistic effect in reducing depressive symptoms and increasing flexibility among Chinese population with mild to moderate depression. Early introduction of exercise training in in-patient phase can help to bridge the gap of therapeutic latency of antidepressants during its nonresponse period.

Moderating Effects of Exercise Duration and Intensity in Neuromuscular vs. Endurance Exercise Interventions for the Treatment of Depression: A Meta-Analytical Review

“…Training session duration differed from 20 min ( 31 ) to 120 min ( 34 ). Training intensity was described with the Borg Scale in several studies ( 33 , 44 , 45 ), described in MET ( 50 ), described as a percentage of the one repetition maximum ( 38 , 39 ), as a percentage of maximal heart rate ( 29 , 42 , 46 , 48 , 53 ), resting heart rate ( 40 , 41 , 47 ), or percentage of max. oxygen uptake ( 28 , 49 , 51 , 52 , 54 ).…”

Evaluation of the effect of insulin sensitivity-enhancing lifestyle- and dietary-related adjuncts on antidepressant treatment response: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…All were published between 1999 and 2018. Of the twenty-six included studies, seven were conducted in Iran ( Jahangard et al., 2018 ; Jazayeri et al., 2008 ; Khoraminya et al., 2013 ; Mozaffari-Khosravi et al., 2013 ; Nazarinasab et al., 2017 ; Ranjbar et al., 2013 ; Zeinab et al., 2018 ), four in Poland ( Nowak et al., 2003 ; Rudzki et al., 2018 ; Ryszewska-Pokrasniewicz et al., 2018 ; Siwek et al., 2009 ), three in USA ( Blumenthal et al., 1999 ; Gertsik et al., 2012 ; Lavretsky et al., 2011 ), two in Israel ( Nemets et al., 2002 ; Shachar-Malach et al., 2015 ), two in Italy ( Belvederi et al., 2015 ; Pilu et al., 2007 ), two in Portugal ( Carneiro et al., 2015 ; Mota-Pereira et al., 2011 ), two in the UK ( Mather et al., 2002 ; Peet and Horrobin, 2002 ) while the remaining four were conducted in Brazil ( Siqueira et al., 2016 ), Hong-Kong ( Ho et al., 2014 ), Japan ( Miyaoka et al., 2018 ) and Sweden ( Danielsson et al., 2014 ).…”

“…(2012) USA Outpatients Mean age: 40.5 (10.2) No detail of % female HAM-D 21 ≥ 17 42 (40): modified ITT Citalopram Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementation; TAU 2 capsules (each containing 450 mg EPA, 100 mg DHA & 50 mg other omega-3 fatty acids) twice daily. 8 weeks Ho et al. (2014) Hong kong Inpatients Mean age: 46.2 67.3% female BDI ≥9 52 (52) Not specified.…”

“…Trials ( Belvederi et al., 2015 ; Carneiro et al., 2015 ; Danielsson et al., 2014 ; Lavretsky et al., 2011 ; Mota-Pereira et al., 2011 ; Ryszewska-Pokrasniewicz et al., 2018 ) which allowed the use of other reported psychotropics (anxiolytics/sedatives/hypnotics), apart from antidepressant, were also included. Moreover, we also included two trials ( Ho et al., 2014 ; Shachar-Malach et al., 2015 ) with a study duration of 3 weeks as opposed to the minimum of 4 weeks stated in the protocol. Sensitivity analysis was carried out in each case excluding the affected studies, the results of the analysis did not change.…”

Physical Activity and Serum Cytokines Levels in Depressed Individuals - Gender Differences

“…On the scope of mental health, a great group of individuals with mental disorders, including depression, may benefit from the practice of physical activity [23,24]. Physical exercise may modulate inflammatory paths involved in the physiopathology of depression and it is a modality of treatment that avoids possible adverse effects resulting from pharmacological inter- centration of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) and a lower concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α).…”