Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Role of Depression in Short-Term Mood and Fatigue Responses to Acute Exercise

  • Published:
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Depression is associated with reduced physical activity levels, but little is known about the mechanisms accounting for the sedentary lifestyle among depressed individuals. Acute exercise is associated with positive mood in healthy individuals but may evoke negative mood in depressed individuals, which would further reduce the initiation and maintenance of regular exercise.

Purpose

The present study examined the effects of acute exercise on depressed mood and fatigue in individuals with depression and nondepressed participants.

Method

Participants with diagnosed Major (n = 12) or Minor Depressive Disorder (n = 2; n = 14, mean age of 41.7 ± 9.6 years, 50% women) and control participants (n = 16, mean age of 38.1 ± 6.1 years, 50% women), engaged in treadmill exercise. Mood and fatigue were measured before and after the acute bout of exercise.

Results

Immediately following exercise, depressed individuals displayed improvements in depressed mood (Δ from baseline: p = 0.02), but subsequently exhibited increased depressed mood (Δ from baseline: p = 0.05) and fatigue (Δ from baseline: p = 0.005) at 30 min post-exercise. These delayed increases in depressed mood (p = 0.05) and fatigue (p = 0.007) were higher in depressed participants compared to controls.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that depressed individuals have increased negative mood 30 min post-exercise which may partially explain reduced initiation and adherence to exercise programs in depression.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, Nelson CB, Hughes M, Eshleman S, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994;51:8–19.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Greenberg PE, Kessler RC, Birnbaum HG, Leong SA, Lowe SW, Berglund PA, et al. The economic burden of depression in the United States: how did it change between 1990 and 2000? J Clin Psychiatry. 2003;64:1465–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Martinsen EW. Benefits of exercise for the treatment of depression. Sports Med. 1990;9:380–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bhui K, Fletcher A. Common mood and anxiety states: gender differences in the protective effect of physical activity. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2000;35:28–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Barbour KA, Edenfield TM, Blumenthal JA. Exercise as a treatment for depression and other psychiatric disorders: a review. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2007;27:359–67.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Doraiswamy PM, Watkins L, Hoffman BM, Barbour KA, et al. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med. 2007;69:587–96.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ekkekakis P, Petruzzello SJ. Acute aerobic exercise and affect: current status, problems and prospects regarding dose-response. Sports Med. 1999;28:337–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Reed J, Berg KE, Latin RW, La Voie JP. Affective responses of physically active and sedentary individuals during and after moderate aerobic exercise. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1998;38:272–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hoffman MD, Hoffman DR. Exercisers achieve greater acute exercise-induced mood enhancement than nonexercisers. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:358–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Blackwood SK, MacHale SM, Power MJ, Goodwin GM, Lawrie SM. Effects of exercise on cognitive and motor function in chronic fatigue syndrome and depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1998;65:541–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bartholomew JB, Morrison D, Ciccolo JT. Effects of acute exercise on mood and well-being in patients with major depressive disorder. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005;37:2032–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Focht BC, Knapp DJ, Gavin TP, Raedeke TD, Hickner RC. Affective and self-efficacy responses to acute aerobic exercise in sedentary older and younger adults. J Aging Phys Act. 2007;15:123–38.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Herman S, Blumenthal JA, Babyak M, Khatri P, Craighead WE, Krishnan KR, et al. Exercise therapy for depression in middle-aged and older adults: predictors of early dropout and treatment failure. Health Psychol. 2002;21:553–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. First MB, Spitzer RL, Williams JB, Gibbon M. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kohl HW, Blair SN, Paffenbarger RS Jr, Macera CA, Kronenfeld JJ. A mail survey of physical activity habits as related to measured physical fitness. Am J Epidemiol. 1988;127:1228–39.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Luger A, Deuster PA, Kyle SB, Gallucci WT, Montgomery LC, Gold PW, et al. Acute hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to the stress of treadmill exercise. Physiologic adaptations to physical training. N Engl J Med. 1987;316:1309–15.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Yeung RR. The acute effects of exercise on mood state. J Psychosom Res. 1996;40:123–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Borg GA. Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1982;14:377–81.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Beck AT, Steer RA, Brown C. The Beck Depression Inventory Manual. Secondth ed. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation; 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  21. McNair DM, Lorr M, Droppleman LF. Manual for the Profile of Mood States. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service; 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Cohen J, Lawrence Earlbaum A. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. 1988.

  23. Kovacs M, Beck AT. Maladaptive cognitive structures in depression. Am J Psychiatry. 1978;135:525–33.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Donaldson C, Lam D, Mathews A. Rumination and attention in major depression. Behav Res Ther. 2007;45:2664–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hackshaw A. Small studies: strengths and limitations. Eur Respir J. 2008;32:1141–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Chronic Illness and Disability, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 5B7, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Ali A. Weinstein

  2. Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Ali A. Weinstein, Jennifer L. Francis & Willem J. Kop

  3. Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Patricia A. Deuster & Charles Beadling

  4. Division of Cardiology, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Willem J. Kop

Authors
  1. Ali A. Weinstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patricia A. Deuster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer L. Francis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Charles Beadling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Willem J. Kop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali A. Weinstein.

Additional information

The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as reflecting the views of the USUHS or the US Department of Defense

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weinstein, A.A., Deuster, P.A., Francis, J.L. et al. The Role of Depression in Short-Term Mood and Fatigue Responses to Acute Exercise. Int.J. Behav. Med. 17, 51–57 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-009-9046-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-009-9046-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation