The effects of aerobic exercise for depression: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Abstract

Objective: This review aims to determine whether aerobic exercise is beneficial in treating depression in adults in general.

Methods: Review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to RCTs. PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane databases of systematic reviews were searched extensively between September 2009 and September 2023. An extensive search was conducted using MeSH terms, including ''depression'', ''depressive disorder'', ''depressive symptoms'', ''exercise'', ''aerobic exercise'', ''aerobic training'', ''walking'', ''running'', ''jogging'', ''bicycling'', ''physical activity'', ''adult (limiters 18-65 years)'', ''meta-analyses'' and ''systematic reviews''.

Result: In the initial search of the titles and abstracts of reviews, 2345 articles were found. 46 full-text reviews were selected for carefully scrutinized. A total of seven reviews were included in the analysis, and two of them were meta-analyses, which included 42 RCTs. The results of four reviews evaluated the effectiveness of aerobic exercise on depression. Moreover, two reviews examined the efficacy of aerobic exercise as an add-on intervention for depression treatment, one of which was a subgroup analysis. According to two reviews, aerobic exercise improved CRF in people with depression and affected people with MDD from a neurobiological standpoint.

Conclusion: This umbrella review systematically evaluated the efficacy of aerobic exercise in treating adult depression, revealing substantial evidence that supports its potential to alleviate depressive symptoms. The positive synthesis of findings advocates for integrating aerobic exercise as a non-pharmacological treatment option. Nevertheless, additional research is essential to confirm these benefits and optimize exercise protocols for depression management.

Keywords: Adult; Aerobic exercise; Depression; Systematic review.