Associations between exercise, inflammation and symptom severity in those with mental health disorders

• Published in: Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 146; p. 155648
• Main Authors: Hartmann, Tegan E., Robertson, Caroline V., Miller, Timothy D., Hunter, Jayden R., Skein, Melissa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2021
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - blood; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - blood; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cycling; Depression; Depression - blood; Exercise - physiology; Female; Humans; Inflammation - blood; Inflammation - pathology; Male; Mental Disorders - blood; Mental Disorders - pathology; Mental Health; Middle Aged; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein - blood; Severity of Illness Index; Stress, Psychological - blood; Symptom severity; TNF-α; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - blood; Young Adult; Depression; Cycling; Anxiety; TNF-α; Symptom severity
• ISSN: 1043-4666; 1096-0023
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155648

•Aerobic exercise reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological distress.•Improvements in aerobic capacity in those with mental health disorders were also observed.•Concentrations of CRP were correlated with depression, anxiety and adiposity.•Aerobic capacity was negatively correlated with adiposity, depression and anxiety. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 6-weeks of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on markers of inflammation and symptom severity in those undergoing management of a mental health disorder. Twenty six participants were allocated into two groups, those reporting as apparently healthy (AH, n = 13) or those undergoing the management of a mental health disorder (MI, n = 13). Following a baseline testing and familiarization session, participants commenced the 6-week aerobic training intervention, involving stationary cycling at 65% heart rate reserve for 35 min progressing to 70% for 40 min. Measures of aerobic fitness (VO2peak), anthropometric variables, symptom questionnaires and venous blood were collect pre- and post-intervention. Venous blood was assessed for nod-like receptor pyrin containing-3, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-1β, C-reactive protein (CRP) and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). There were no baseline differences between groups, however following the intervention the AH demonstrated lower TNF-α (p = 0.049) than the MI group. Within change was observed for the MI group with an increase in VO2peak (p = 0.049) and declines in symptom severity (p = 0.00–0.005). Significant correlations between variables indicated a positive association between body fat, body fat percentage, CRP and symptom severity (p = 0.01–0.04). Conversely, symptom severity and CRP were inversely associated with VO2peak values (p = 0.02–0.04). Six-weeks of moderate intensity aerobic exercise increases VO2peak and reduces symptom severity in those currently undergoing management of a mental health disorder. Further, there may be a physiological link between aerobic capacity, symptom severity, inflammation and adiposity, however greater exploration is required.