Scientific Update: Exercise, Mood, and Bipolar Disorder

Exercise is well-known to influence both physical and mental health. The articles reviewed in this post are specific to the impact of exercise on mental health and the symptoms of bipolar disorder. These articles show that people living with bipolar disorder are more likely to be overweight and to have poor eating habits. The implications of these studies is that people living with bipolar disorder must develop good eating habits and a routing habit of physical activity.

Kilbourne, Amy M., Dana L. Rofey, John F. McCarthy, Edward P. Post, Deborah Welsh, and Frederic C. Blow. 2007. "Nutrition and exercise behavior among patients with bipolar disorder." Bipolar Disorders 9, no. 5: 443-452.

Objectives: There have been few comprehensive studies of nutrition and exercise behaviors among patients with bipolar disorder (BPD). Based on a national sample of patients receiving care in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, we compared nutrition and exercise behaviors among individuals diagnosed with BPD, others diagnosed with schizophrenia, and others who did not receive diagnoses of serious mental illness (SMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients who completed the VA's Large Health Survey of Veteran Enrollees section on health and nutrition in fiscal year (FY) 1999 and who either received a diagnosis of BPD (n = 2,032) or schizophrenia (n = 1,895), or were included in a random sample of non-SMI VA patients (n = 3,065). The groups were compared about nutrition and exercise behaviors Results: Patients with BPD were more likely to report poor exercise habits, including infrequent walking or strength exercises than those with no SMI. They were also more likely to self-report suboptimal eating behaviors, including having fewer than two daily meals. 

Piri, Mohsen, Shirin Zardoshtian, Shahrzad Khazaee, and Roghieh Piri. 2012. "The Effect of Eight Weeks of Aerobic Training on Reducing Mood Disorders, Depression And Mania in High School Students High School Boys." International Journal Of Academic Research In Business & Social Sciences 2, no. 1: 267-273.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to consider the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training on the reduction of mood disorders, depression and mania in boys' high school in Ilam-Iran. This was a quasi-experimental and field research taking the experimental and control groups into consideration. In this study, 60 students were randomly selected as the sample. In order to measure students' Depression and mania, multifaceted Minnesota questionnaire (MMPI-2) and depression and mania sub-scales were used. We applied both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software for statistical analysis of data. The results showed that eight weeks of aerobic exercise had a significant effect on students` depressive disorders and mania. Eight weeks of aerobic exercise reduced depression and mania in experimental group of students. [Edited from the abstract written by the author]

Eriksson, Sebastian, and Gunvor Gard. 2011. "Physical exercise and depression." Physical Therapy Reviews 16, no. 4: 261-268.

Objectives: The objective was to review studies which used physical exercise as an intervention to treat major depression, focusing on methodology, mechanisms of action, types of physical exercise and treatment outcomes. Methods: A literature review from PsycInfo and PubMed databases from 2000-2010 using the key words 'major depression', 'exercise', 'outcome', 'physical activity' and 'aerobic training' as search terms. Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven of the eight studies showed significantly improved mood and reduced depression. Three studies measured an increase in aerobic capacity, two with correlated mood improvements. One showed a correlation between increased muscle strength and reduced feelings of depression. Conclusion: Physical exercise can be an effective treatment against depression. A mood enhancing effect of exercise was identified in the interventions regardless of the mechanism of action.  [Edited from the abstract from the author]