← All sources
Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-analysis and Meta-regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Meta-analysis of 33 RCTs (n=1,877) found resistance exercise training associated with a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms versus inactive controls (positive Hedges g 0.66) with high heterogeneity, calling for higher-quality comparisons versus established treatments.
Design
- Meta-analysis + meta-regression of RCTs through Aug 2017
- Eligible contrast: RET vs nonactive control (33 trials; 54 effect sizes; n = 1,877)
- Outcome: validated depressive symptom scales at baseline and mid/post intervention
Pooled effect
- Random-effects mean Hedges g = 0.66 (95% CI 0.48–0.83; z = 7.35; P < 0.001) favouring RET for lower depressive symptoms versus inactive controls
- Heterogeneity: I² = 76% (95% CI 72.7–79.0%); authors note sampling error explained ~32.9% of observed variance
Moderators (headline)
- Authors report benefit across health vs mental/physical illness populations and across prescribed RET volumes in their models—still read risk-of-bias strata.
Evidence hygiene
- Inactive control contrasts can inflate apparent effects versus evidence-based comparators (psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy).
- Not a hypertrophy endpoint review—this row is filed for mental-health outcomes of resistance training.
Publication
Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, et al. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018 Jun 1;75(6):566–576. PMID 29800984.
Outcomes
- Effect Size (Cohen's d / SMD)0.66d (Cohen's d)
- High heterogeneity: I² = 76% (95% CI 72.7–79.0%) across 54 effect sizes; authors call for better blinded trials versus active treatments.