Effectiveness of exercise intervention in improving physical and mental status of patients with alcohol use disorders

A meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of an exercise intervention on alcohol dependence and physical and mental states in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Following a search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and Embase, randomised controlled trials published in English from the inception of the database until June 30, 2024, were included in the study, covering all forms of exercise intervention (aerobic, resistance, yoga, mixed exercise, etc.), using an exercise intervention for patients with AUD and a non-exercise control group.
Seventeen RCTs with a total of 1,905 patients with alcohol use disorders were included as subjects, and the results revealed that the exercise intervention had a significant effect on alcohol dependence, the number of drinks per day and the AUDIT score. The exercise intervention also had a significant effect on physical and mental status, maximal oxygen consumption, the resting heart rate, the anxiety state, the depression state, and the stress level
Exercise intervention can effectively reduce alcohol dependence and significantly improve the physical and mental states of AUD patients, and exercise intervention as an adjunct to the treatment of AUD patients is significantly effective.
Source: Li J, Zhou Z, Gao G, Zang L Effectiveness of exercise intervention in improving physical and mental status of patients with alcohol use disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 19(10): e0311166. 2024 doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311166