Key result
Six weeks of aerobic exercise reduced anxiety scores and left frontal theta/beta ratio, whereas resistance exercise reduced depression scores compared to control.
Why the study?
Although exercise reduces anxiety and depression symptoms, the disparate effects of specific exercise modalities on mood symptoms and electroencephalography activity remain to be elucidated.
Does aerobic and resistance exercise reduce anxiety and depression symptoms and alter EEG activity in healthy adults?
RCT (n=28)
Single-blind (assessors blinded to EEG signals)
Randomly divided into three groups
No
Does aerobic and resistance exercise reduce anxiety and depression symptoms and alter EEG activity in healthy adults?
Aerobic exercise specifically alleviates anxiety symptoms and alters frontal theta/beta ratio, whereas resistance exercise specifically improves depressive symptoms, suggesting the need for personalized exercise prescriptions for mental health.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Aerobic exercise may preferentially ease anxiety and resistance target depression; leaves open confirmation via larger RCTs with EEG biomarkers.
Introduction: Anxiety and depression are psychiatric disorders that have a deleterious effect on human mental health. Meanwhile, various forms of exercise have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on the reduction of symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, the disparate effects of each exercise on mood symptoms remain to be elucidated. This research examines the different effects of each type of exercise on mood symptoms and electroencephalography (EEG) activity. Methods: Accordingly, subjects engaged in six weeks of aerobic and resistance exercises with a 3-week washout period between each intervention. The Score of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was employed to assess the severity of both anxiety and depression. For the purposes of EEG analysis, we calculated the values of theta/beta ratio (TBR), Higuchi Fractal Dimension (HFD), and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Results: Both types of exercise resulted in the alleviation of both anxiety and depression. Notably, aerobic exercise significantly decreased the score of HADS-A (anxiety), while resistance exercise significantly improved HADS-D (depression). In the context of EEG analysis, a significant decrease of TBR in the left frontal region was observed after aerobic exercise. Discussion: Therefore, these findings emphasize the importance of personalized exercise strategies for those suffering from anxiety and depression. Furthermore, further investigation into the impact of exercise on brain wave activities associated with anxiety and depression are needed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Yuk et al. (2025) conducted an RCT in Healthy adults (assessing mood-related symptoms) (n=28). Aerobic and resistance exercise vs. Non-exercise control group was evaluated on Change in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores (p=0.025 for anxiety (aerobic vs control); 0.044 for depression (resistance vs control)). Six weeks of aerobic exercise reduced anxiety scores and left frontal theta/beta ratio, whereas resistance exercise reduced depression scores compared to control.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: