Cortisol and Quality of Life Responses to Endurance Versus Resistive Exercises in Young Depressed Elderly

Objective: To compare the effect of endurance versus resistive exercise on cortisol and its reflect on quality of life and depression scale in young depressed elderly.Background: Exercise has been suggested to be a viable treatment for depression. This study compared the effect of endurance versus resistive exercise on cortisol and its reflect on quality of life and depression scale in young elderly in order to help elderly to be more active.Subject and Methods: Thirty subjects (13 men, 17 women) were randomly assigned into two groups equal in number. Group (A) Fifteen subjects (7 men, 8 women) received Mod-erate intensity endurance (aerobic) exercise (50 to 70) % of their maximum heart rate. Group (B) Fifteen subjects (6 men, 9 women) received resistance exercise composed of 6 stations of weight lifting with moderate intensity (30% to 40% of 1 RM for upper body exercises and 50% to 60% of 1 RM for lower body exercise). The program duration for both groups was 3 times/week for 12 weeks.Results: Showed that 12 weeks of endurance or resistance exercise for depressed young elderly subjects caused a statis-tical significant improvement in Hamilton Depression Scale (16.86% for Group A and 17.97% for Group B) and Older People Quality of Life Questionnaire (29.94% for Group A and 20.37% for Group B) and a significant decrease in cortisol level (20.81% for Group A and 15.6% for Group B) at the end of rehabilitation program with the favor of aerobic regard-ing cortisol level and quality of life. On the other hand resistive exercise has more effect on Hamilton Depression Scale.Conclusions: Both endurance and resistance exercise are effective non-pharmacological adjuvant treatment for depres-sion and improvement of quality of life in young elderly.