An exploratory analysis of changes in mood, anxiety and craving from pre- to post-single sessions of exercise, over 12 weeks, among patients with alcohol dependence

Abstract

Aerobic exercise is currently being studied as a relapse prevention strategy for individuals with alcohol use disorders. Negative affect and cravings predict relapse. The acute effects of moderate-intensity exercise have been shown to improve mood and reduce craving. The current study examined the acute effects of exercise on changes in mood, anxiety, and craving from pre- to post-exercise at each week of a 12-week moderate intensity exercise intervention with sedentary alcohol dependent adults. Twenty-six participants in the exercise condition of a larger randomized clinical trial (Brown et al., 2014) exercised in small groups at moderate intensity for 20 to 40 minutes per session. Participants rated mood, anxiety, and cravings in the present moment before and after each exercise session over the course of the 12-week intervention. Data analyses focused on effect size and interval estimation. Joinpoint analysis was used to model longitudinal trends. Increases in mood and decreases in anxiety and craving were apparent at every session. Effect size estimates revealed that average change from pre- to post-exercise was in the small to medium range with some individual sessions reaching the large range. Joinpoint analyses revealed that the pre-post exercise changes in mood increased, anxiety remained stable, and craving diminished across the 12 weeks. This study provides provisional support for a change in mood, anxiety and alcohol cravings for the role of exercise in the early recovery period for alcohol dependence. Acute single bouts of moderate-intensity exercise may help individuals with alcohol dependence manage mood, anxiety, and craving thereby reducing relapse risk, but further research is needed with a more rigorous study design.

Exercise as treatment for alcohol use disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis

“…In both studies, the ‘urge’ to drink alcohol reduced following bouts of aerobic exercise lasting 10 and 30 min, respectively. In a recently published study, Brown et al 70 reported that alcohol cravings diminished pre to post exercise across a 12-week intervention with repeated assessments of moderate intensity exercise lasting 20–40 min. Improvements in mood and reduced anxiety were also reported at each session.…”

The role of physical activity enjoyment on the acute mood experience of exercise among smokers with elevated depressive symptoms

“…Future studies should employ a prospective design. Also, while we have utilized these mood and anxiety ratings in prior studies (Abrantes et al, 2009; Brown et al, 2016) to examine acute changes due to a bout of exercise, more commonly employed measures of mood/affect (Lox et al, 2000) could have resulted in different findings. Lastly, our sample lacked racial and ethnic heterogeneity, was primarily female, and were interested in an exercise study for smoking cessation.…”

Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Affect and Smoking Craving in the Weeks Before and After a Cessation Attempt

“…The National Institute of Mental Health self-rating scale has been used to capture acute changes in mood, anxiety, and craving as a function of AE in previous studies. 37,38 At every AE and HEC intervention visit, participants were asked to rate, on a 10-point Likert-type scale, mood (0 = Feel worst ever to 10 = Feel best ever), anxiety (0 = No anxiety to 10 = Extreme anxiety), and craving to smoke (0 = No urge to 10 = Extreme urge) just prior to and again immediately following either the AE or the HEC session.…”