Impact of physical exercise on substance use disorders: a meta-analysis

Dongshi Wang; Yanqiu Wang; Yingying Wang; Rena Li; Chenglin Zhou

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110728

Impact of physical exercise on substance use disorders: a meta-analysis

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 16;9(10):e110728. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110728. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Dongshi Wang¹, Yanqiu Wang¹, Yingying Wang¹, Rena Li², Chenglin Zhou¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sport Psychology, School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Sport Psychology, School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China; Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America.

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this meta-analysis was to examine whether long-term physical exercise could be a potential effective treatment for substance use disorders (SUD).

Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, CNKI and China Info were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) studies in regards to the effects of physical exercise on SUD between the years 1990 and 2013. Four main outcome measures including abstinence rate, withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and depression were evaluated.

Results: Twenty-two studies were integrated in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that physical exercise can effectively increase the abstinence rate (OR = 1.69 (95% CI: 1.44, 1.99), z = 6.33, p < 0.001), ease withdrawal symptoms (SMD = -1.24 (95% CI: -2.46, -0.02), z = -2, p<0.05), and reduce anxiety (SMD = -0.31 (95% CI: -0.45, -0.16), z = -4.12, p < 0.001) and depression (SMD = -0.47 (95% CI: -0.80, -0.14), z = -2.76, p<0.01). The physical exercise can more ease the depression symptoms on alcohol and illicit drug abusers than nicotine abusers, and more improve the abstinence rate on illicit drug abusers than the others. Similar treatment effects were found in three categories: exercise intensity, types of exercise, and follow-up periods.

Conclusions: The moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercises, designed according to the Guidelines of American College of Sports Medicine, and the mind-body exercises can be an effective and persistent treatment for those with SUD.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alcoholism / epidemiology
Alcoholism / pathology
Alcoholism / therapy*
China
Exercise Therapy
Exercise*
Humans
Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders / pathology
Substance-Related Disorders / therapy*
Tobacco Use Disorder / epidemiology
Tobacco Use Disorder / pathology
Tobacco Use Disorder / therapy*
Treatment Outcome

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the ISP grant (No. 13490503600) from Scientific and Technological Commission of Shanghai, National Science Foundation of China (No. 31171004), and the Project of Scientific and Technological Innovation grant (No. yjscx201324) from Shanghai University of Sport. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.