# Exercise May Not Lower Anxiety, Depression in Everyone



## Halo (Aug 11, 2008)

Exercise May Not Lower Anxiety, Depression in Everyone
by Marlene Busko

August 8, 2008 — New research shows that in some individuals exercise does not have a positive effect on mental health outcomes such as depression or anxiety. Nevertheless, researchers say its beneficial effect on physical health is not in dispute, and patients should be encouraged to stay physically active. 

According to investigators at the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, the study's findings suggest an individual's psychological response to exercise may, at least in part, be predicted by genetics. 

A large, longitudinal population-based study in identical twins found the twin who exercised more did not display fewer anxious or depressive symptoms than the twin who exercised less. 

Further, longitudinal analyses showed that increase in exercise participation did not predict decreases in anxious and depressive symptoms. 

"The findings do not mean that exercise has no effect on anxiety and depression, but we think that this effect may not be the same for everyone; some people may respond positively toward exercise, while in others it may not improve their mood much," first author Marleen H.M. De Moor, from the University of Amsterdam, told Medscape Psychiatry. 

The study is published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

*Conventional Wisdom*
Epidemiological studies have consistently reported that lack of regular exercise is associated with depressive symptoms and anxiety. Some randomized controlled clinical investigations have suggested that exercise training causes a depression-lowering effect that is comparable to antidepressant use.

While it may be tempting to interpret these findings as supporting the conventional wisdom that exercise decreases depression and anxiety symptoms, the researchers note that results from experimental studies cannot always be extrapolated to the general population. 

According to the study, genetic factors may play a role, since they account for about 50% to 60% of variations in exercise behavior and about 40% to 50% of variations in symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Taking this potential genetic confounding into account, the investigators examined a large population to see whether changes in voluntary exercise led to changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

They analyzed data from an ongoing study in adult twins who voluntarily registered with the Netherlands Twin Register. 

This included information on individuals aged 18 to 50 years from 1991 to 2002. The participants included 5952 twins, 1357 siblings, and 1249 parents. Data from self-reported replies to questionnaires about exercise behavior, including the type, frequency, and duration, and symptoms of anxiety and depression were available at baseline and 2, 4, 7, 9, and 11 years later. 

The researchers focused specifically on leisure-time exercise. Non–leisure-time activities such as walking or biking to work, which are very common in the Netherlands, were not counted as exercise. "We were really interested in physical activity that people choose themselves," said De Moor.

Anxious and depressive symptoms were measured using continuous scales for depression, anxiety, somatic anxiety, and neuroticism. 

*Exercise Still Beneficial*
Cross-sectional and longitudinal tests were conducted to determine whether there was a causal relationship between exercise and symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

The analysis showed that exercise behavior was associated with decreased anxious and depressive symptoms. 

However, rather than an effect of the exercise itself, the researchers note the reduction in these conditions is more likely due to common genetic factors. 

For instance, although in the case of identical twins where, when 1 was physically active and 1 was sedentary, the researchers saw no difference in anxiety and depression, this was not the case with fraternal twins.

Longitudinal data showed that individuals who increased their exercise levels during the 11-year follow-up period did not become less anxious or depressed. 

Over the same time period, participants who stopped exercising did not become more anxious and depressed. 

The findings do not detract from beneficial effects of regular exercise on cardiovascular health, but they suggest that cross-sectional studies showing exercise and mental health correlations should be interpreted cautiously, the researchers note. 

According to Ms. De Moor, it is important to replicate these findings and obtain more insight into when exercise does and does not work to improve mental health outcomes and to determine the types of exercise that might be most beneficial. 

"Exercise may help [mental health], but exercise may not help everyone, and certain types of exercise may be better than others," she said.

No financial disclosure was reported. This study was supported by the Stanley Medical Research Institute and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

_Arch Gen Psychiatry_. 2008;65:955-960.


----------



## ladylore (Aug 11, 2008)

:agree: What exercise has helped me with is to get out of the house and to burn off energy. It may not help my depression but at least I am not in the freeze position.


----------



## Daniel (Aug 11, 2008)

This does not bode well for another area of depression research, neurogenesis:

Antidepressant effects of exercise: Evidence for an adult-neurogenesis hypothesis?


----------



## Halo (Aug 11, 2008)

I think the key point in the above article was this:



> "Exercise may help [mental health], but exercise may not help everyone, and certain types of exercise may be better than others," she said.


----------



## Daniel (Aug 11, 2008)

And the study is about voluntary, leisure exercise, which I assume would not include exercise being regimented by a personal trainer.


----------



## prayerbear (Aug 12, 2008)

Excercise sure works for me!I walk a few miles a day 6 days a week and have normal cholesterol, lost 30 pounds and experience relief from OCD anxiety. I used to walk a lot more than that when I was not taking meds for anxiety and it worked just as well as meds, but meds plus exercise for me makes me feel great!
   It could be because of how long they spend excercising!

                                                                      prayerbear


----------



## Adam777 (Aug 13, 2008)

Yeah, of course, everyone is different, but it sure does work for me.


----------



## BittersweetMisery (Aug 13, 2008)

Like ladylore, it gets me out of the house (less now that theres wii fit), but I find if I'm having a lot of trouble with my anxiety, when I start exercising and my heart rate goes up, it reminds me of palpitations and makes me panic.


----------



## ladylore (Aug 13, 2008)

:agree: Bittersweet,

It doesn't usually do that these days. Even today, I had some trouble with a bus driver so I chose to take another bus which made me have too really boot it to my appointment. I went as fast as I could, 10 minutes late. My therapist took it very well but it took about 5 minutes to stop shaking. Normal exercise does that too at times. Its like my body doesn't recognise the difference between going fast for exercise and fight or flight.


----------



## BittersweetMisery (Aug 13, 2008)

I agree, it's like subconsciously associating the feeling with "fight or flight". I've notice it happen with other things too, activities when one happened, etc.


----------



## BluMac81 (Aug 15, 2008)

Interesting finding.   I'm thinking that the endorphins created during cardio exercise perhaps grow in tolerance much like a psychotropic drug would in your brain, so the more exercise a depressed person does, the more they will need.  

Also exercise is used in different ways to combat depression, like some use it to simply distract themselves (DBT), and I can understand how that can do just as bad as it does good, like the workaholic making lots of money but having a crumbling marriage.  

Moderation in everything!


----------



## Daniel (Aug 15, 2008)

A response to this research:



> Exercise does help patients, said Susan Evans, director of the stress-reduction program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. "Gold standard" research last year from Duke University linked exercise and mood, she said.
> 
> "The reality is that many of us who have been treating patients for years have prescribed exercise for mood and anxiety, and people who do it report feeling better," Evans said in a telephone interview yesterday.
> 
> ...



From the Duke study mentioned in the excerpt above:



> Patients receiving active treatments tended to have higher remission rates than the placebo controls: supervised exercise = 45%; home-based exercise = 40%; medication = 47%; placebo = 31% (p = .057).
> 
> http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/content/abstract/PSY.0b013e318148c19av1


----------



## moonriver (Aug 15, 2008)

Interesting, I have been feeling very keyed up and anxious lately and I have been exercising like crazy this week because I booked the week off work to try and help me get back on track. I might have taken it to an extreme with my daily walks, runs, swimming and roller blading but I have to say I feel alot better already, more like my old self almost.  It was like a week long boot camp. I guess different things help different people, for some its relaxing in a hot bath and reading for others maybe it is exercise. What ever works I guess!


----------



## ladylore (Aug 15, 2008)

It is whatever works Moonriver.


----------



## Into The Light (Aug 16, 2008)

good to hear you are feeling more like yourself :goodjob:


----------



## ExerciseGuy (Sep 10, 2010)

I think for the most part, exercise will help. 
At least it's worth a shot.


----------

