The effects of aerobic, strength, or mixed exercise programs on schizophrenia symptomatology: a randomized clinical trial with a 10-month follow-up

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three different physical exercise programs on the symptomatology, body composition, and physical fitness of individuals with schizophrenia. A total of 432 patients were assessed for eligibility and 86 were randomized into the aerobic (n = 28), strength (n = 29) or mixed (n = 29) groups. Positive, negative, and general symptoms of psychosis, body mass index (BMI), and physical fitness (6-minute walk test [6MWT] and hand-grip strength [HGS]) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (16 weeks), and at 10-months. Our results at 16 weeks showed significant improvements in all three groups in the negative, general, and total symptoms with moderate to large effect sizes (P < 0.01, ηp2 > 0.11), no change in the BMI or 6MWT, and a significant improvement in the HGS test in the strength and mixed groups (P ≤ 0.05, ηp2 > 0.08). Nonetheless, all the improvements had disappeared at 10 months. We concluded that 3 weekly sessions of a moderate to vigorous progressive exercise program for 16 weeks improved the symptomatology of schizophrenic patients, regardless the type of exercise they performed. However, the effects had declined to baseline levels by the 10-month follow-up, suggesting that exercise interventions should be maintained over time.