Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
The effects of exercise interventions on substance-use outcomes: A meta-analytic and systematic review
Hannah N Carlson1, Mark A Smith1, Justin C Strickland2
1Department of Psychology, Davidson College.
Abstract:
A number of studies have been conducted to assess the efficacy of exercise-based interventions for substance-use disorders. Nicotine use has been overrepresented in prior meta-analytic and systematic reviews, potentially obscuring the effects of exercise on outcomes related to other drugs. The aim of this meta-analysis and systematic review was to offer an updated account of the impact of exercise on substance-use outcomes for drugs other than nicotine. Eligible studies included peer reviewed articles published before August 2023 describing randomized controlled trials or clinical trials involving adults in which exercise served as the primary treatment intervention and substance use and/or craving outcomes were assessed for drugs other than nicotine. In addition to omnibus effects, meta-regression models were conducted to assess study design (within vs. between), data collection (acute vs. long-term), and outcome measure (drug craving vs. drug use) as potential moderating variables. A total of 19 articles describing 17 unique studies were selected for analysis, including data from 1,363 individual participants. An omnibus robust variance estimation meta-analysis indicated a significant reduction in substance-use outcomes following exercise intervention. The moderator analysis additionally indicated a significant effect of design type such that between-subject designs displayed smaller magnitude reductions than within-subject designs. Other potential moderators were not significant. These findings indicate that a variety of exercise-based interventions produce moderate improvements in substance use and craving for people using nonmedical drugs and corroborate prior reports that exercise is effective as an adjunctive or standalone treatment for substance-use disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Related Concept Videos
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Drug Dependence
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...

