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Studies Link Resistance Training to an Increase in Mood-Enhancing Chemicals

woman and man going through resistance trainingExercising has immense health benefits. It keeps your body in great shape, enhances your energy levels, promotes better sleep, increases flexibility, and supports a healthy heart and body. Extensive studies suggest that resistance training brings the physical benefits of a stronger body and bones, and prevents several chronic conditions. The most compelling part of this exercise is that you can do it from the comfort of your home. Further, researchers suggest that resistance workouts could work as a frontline therapy for depression and behavioral disorders.

What Is Resistance Training?

This form of training involves working the muscles and skeleton against a large force induced either by gravity, self-weight, or external resistance such as bands, barbells, exercise machines, or any other object. Resistance exercise tends to be anaerobic in nature and focuses more on power. There are various forms of resistance training among which weightlifting is considered to deliver the most remarkable effects. Resistance exercise causes microscopic damage to your muscles which your body repairs rapidly. This tissue regeneration results in the development of stronger muscles. Most importantly, to ensure recovery, make sure to leave time between your workout sessions as your muscles heal and grow when you are not exercising.

Research Links Resistance Training to Reduced Depressive Symptoms

According to the latest review of more than thirty previously published studies, resistance exercise is good for the body and mind. Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the paper suggests that resistance training can provide considerable reduction in depressive symptoms besides promoting stronger bones and preventing chronic conditions.

Other research suggests that resistance workout increases blood flow to your brain which alters the function and structure of the brain, creates new brain cells, and triggers release of mood-enhancing chemicals like endorphins. This makes resistance exercise an effective holistic approach to enhancing mood, alleviating stress, and correcting depression.

Brett Gordon, a graduate researcher at the Ireland University of Limerick and first author of the paper, states that strengthening exercise is compelling as it is both accessible and affordable. During the study, Gordon and the research team analyzed over 33 clinical trials in about 2,000 individuals to examine the effect of resistance exercise on symptoms of depression. The team found that resistance exercise significantly helped in improving depressive symptoms such as loss of interest in activities, feeling worthless, mood swings, and low self-confidence, regardless of the individual’s sex, age, and health. Interestingly, significant improvements were observed in people with depressive symptoms ranging from mild to moderate in comparison to adults without depression. This suggests that resistance exercise is particularly effective for people with greater depressive symptoms.

As the researchers observed improvements in various range of resistance workout programs, it was difficult to suggest a specific exercise for mental health. However, adhering to the guideline from the American College of Sports Medicine could prove helpful. The guideline emphasizes practicing strength training at least twice per week by doing eight to twelve repetitions of around eight to ten different strength-building workouts each time.

While the present review specifically focuses on examining resistance training, there is evidence which suggests various physical workouts such as yoga, cardio, and aerobic exercise could also help improve mood and depressive symptoms. Further, secondary analysis mentioned in the JAMA paper observed no considerable variance in the effect of resistance exercise versus aerobic workout for improving depressive symptoms. Doing resistance exercise can serve as a powerful tool for enhancing mental health. However, it is important to understand that factors related to mental health are complicated. Therefore, weightlifting alone might not be adequate in alleviating depressive symptoms fully.

Resistance Exercise For Stress

Resistance workout can prove significantly helpful in providing relief from stress by activating the mood-enhancing chemicals in your brain. Your body is equipped with the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response system which is a delicate network of various organs and six circuits including the neuroaffective circuit that works in a close unison to help fight stress. When stressful situations arise, the NEM signals your adrenals, a pair of walnut-shaped glands present on the top of your kidneys, to secrete the anti-stress hormone cortisol.

However, constant stress can overburden your adrenal glands causing a decrease in cortisol secretion. This reduces your body’s stress-fighting capacity which then leads to adrenal fatigue, and you frequently experience extreme fatigue along with symptoms of anxiety, low energy levels, insomnia, difficulty in waking up, brain fog, constipation, stubborn weight gain, and craving for salty and fatty foods.

The neuroaffective circuit of the NEM system includes the brain, autonomic nervous system, and gut microbiome. Any imbalance in this circuit can lead to insomnia, mood swings, anxiety, and low concentration level which are also symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome (AFS). Resistance exercise can provide relief from these symptoms by directly activating the mood-enhancing chemicals in your brain. Therefore, people with AFS should consider including this form of exercise as a part of their workout plan.

However, AFS sufferers have a weak body and experience low energy levels. Therefore, they should consider taking extra care while exercising as any strenuous workout can trigger stress, further worsening the symptoms. Exclusive adrenal restorative exercises are designed especially for AFS sufferers keeping their body condition in mind. These exercises focus on healing the adrenals without exerting much pressure on the body. Strategically incorporating resistance exercise based on the stage of adrenal fatigue and energy reserve can significantly help alleviate AFS symptoms. However, make sure to keep your resistance training duration short and have adequate rest in between the workouts.

Remarkable Benefits Of Resistance Exercise

main being weighed down by emotion and stress can benefit from resistance trainingFor many of you, resistance exercise might not be a part of your fitness routine. But now it’s time to incorporate this workout.
Resistance training, whether you are doing yoga moves, bodyweight exercise, or lifting weights, greatly helps strengthen muscles and bones which are especially important as you age. With stronger muscles, you burn more calories effectively after workouts and also prevent injuries. Further, strong bones reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Here are the benefits resistance exercise offers:

Boosts Brain Power

Research shows that resistance exercise helps improve cognitive ability, and reduces the risk of dementia by enhancing blood flow to the brain and altering the brain cells. One Italian study on 80 senior people found that twelve weeks of strength workout improved practical skills in comparison to cardio exercise that enhanced analytical tasks.

Strengthening and Toning

Incorporating resistance exercise into your fitness regime strengthens and tones your muscles, thus making your body stronger and tighter which enhances endurance and reduces the risk of injury.

Reduces Abdominal Fat

Besides burning calories, resistance exercise increases lean muscle mass which helps stimulate your metabolism. According to a study published in the research journal Obesity, strength training is more effective in reducing abdominal fat than cardiovascular workouts. Light to moderate resistance exercise can prove especially helpful for AFS sufferers having stubborn weight.

Reduces Cancer Risk

Visceral fat raises the risk of several health issues including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. A study from the journal Oncogene has linked visceral fat with a rise in the level of the cancer-triggering protein fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2). Another study, published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, suggests that muscle mass plays a strong role in cancer treatment outcomes. Muscle mass wastage raises the risk of complications in cancer treatment and lowers the survival rate. Resistance training helps reduce visceral fat and increases muscle mass.

Increases Lifespan

Resistance workout promotes a healthy body and mind resulting in an increased lifespan. It also reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis and other chronic health conditions.

Conclusion

team of people practicing resistance training and rooting for each otherResistance training involves working your body against force or resistance for strength enhancement. The resistance could be from any object ranging from bands to dumbbells, exercising machines, or even your own body weight. The main aim of applying resistance is to allow your muscles to contract. Studies show that resistance exercise can significantly reduce depressive symptoms by directly working on the brain for the release of mood-enhancing chemicals.

Incorporating resistance workout in your fitness regime offers immense health benefits including an increase in muscle and bone strength, enhanced flexibility, improved mood, boosted brain power, reduced abdominal fat, reduced cancer risk, increased lifespan, and minimized symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Practicing resistance exercise significantly strengthens your bones and muscles, enhances mood, and reduces stress resulting in a well-toned, leaner, tighter, and stronger body as well as a healthy mind.

 
© Copyright 2019 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.


Dr. Lam's Key Question

There are certain important things to consider in resistance training. During weight lifting, make sure not to train the same muscles every day. Consider working on your upper body then focus on your lower part the following day. Make sure to maintain time between training sessions for recovery to allow your muscles to heal. Any strenuous training should be avoided in AFS.

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