The Altmetric Top 100 is an annual list of the most discussed research that captured the public’s imagination each year. Altmetric collates sources such as the mainstream media, policy documents, social networks, blogs, and other scholarly and non-scholarly forums.
Out of over 2.8 million research outputs published in the past year, the publication “Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms” authored by PhD scholars Brett Gordon and Cillian McDowell (Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick) along with their supervisors Dr. Mark Lyons and Dr. Matthew Herring and a number of international colleagues was the 94th most-mentioned scholarly article published in 2018. This meta-analysis study of strength training effects on depressive symptoms was featured in the PESS Blog earlier this year. Below is a reminder of the research impact of this paper.
Although the benefits of aerobic exercise training for depressive symptoms is established, less is known regarding the effects of resistance exercise training (RET) on depressive symptoms. This systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression analysis is the first quantitative synthesis of the anti-depressant effects of RET, and key sources of variability in the overall effect. RET significantly reduced depressive symptoms by a moderate-sized mean effect ∆ of 0.66 (95%CI: 0.48-0.83). Total volume of prescribed RET, participant health status, and strength improvements were not significantly associated with the antidepressant effect. These findings demonstrate RET significantly reduces depressive symptoms in otherwise healthy participants and those with a physical or mental illness, providing further support for RET as an alternate and/or adjuvant treatment for depressive symptoms.
Brett Gordon is a PhD Scholar in the Physical Education and Sport Sciences Department at the University of Limerick. View Brett’s profile here. Contact Brett at brett.gordon@ul.ie
Cillian McDowell is a postgraduate student in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick. View Cillian’s profile here! Contact Cillian on: cillian.mcdowell@ul.ie
Dr. Matthew Herring is a Lecturer in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick. His primary research interests focus on the effects of exercise on mental health outcomes, particularly anxiety and depression, among otherwise healthy adults and patients with cardiometabolic disorders, cancer, chronic pain, and/or obesity, as well as the putative mechanisms (e.g., neurobiological, inflammatory) of exercise adoption, response, and adherence. Contact Dr Herring by email matthew.herring@ul.ie or view his profile on twitter: @mph8, scopus; orcid, google scholar
Dr Mark Lyons is Course Director for the MSc Sports Performance programme in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick. Dr Lyons current research interests include strength and conditioning, fatigue effects on sports performance, match demands in Gaelic Games and physical activity and obesity in youth. You can view Marks research profile on Researchgate
PESS News & Information 