Exercise treatment for depression: Efficacy and dose response

Participant flow from enrollment to analysis. LD, low dose; PHD, public health dose.

Weekly 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression by energy expenditure. All groups—control, low dose (LD), and public health dose (PHD)—had reductions in symptoms during the 12 weeks of treatment. Energy expenditure had an independent effect on reduction of symptoms. The greatest reduction in symptoms was for the PHD group.

Weekly 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression by exercise frequency. All groups—control, 3 days/week, and 5 days/week—had reductions in symptoms during the 12 weeks of treatment. There was no independent effect of frequency on reduction of symptoms.

Twelve-week responses by total energy expenditure. Results for combined low dose (LD) and public health dose (PHD) indicated a significant difference between the control group and PHD (p =0.03), and between low-dose (LD) and PHD groups (p =0.04). There was no significant difference between the control and LD groups.

Twelve-week response by exercise frequency. Results for combined 3 days per week and 5 days per week indicated no differences between the control group and 3 days per week and 5 days per week.