The role of depression in short-term mood and fatigue responses to acute exercise

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.

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

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.

Immediately following exercise, depressed individuals displayed improvements in depressed mood (Delta from baseline: p = 0.02), but subsequently exhibited increased depressed mood (Delta from baseline: p = 0.05) and fatigue (Delta 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.

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.