Background: Nowadays, one in four adolescents have a prevalence for depression. In addition to psychotherapy and antidepressants, more and more studies are showing that moderate to vigorous exercise can have the same effects on adolescents with depression as the previously mentioned treatment options. However, further research is needed on the effects of supervised, heart rate (HR)-based group exercises on mild to moderate depression in adolescents. Aim: The first aim was to investigate the effects of either supervised, HR-based group exercises or supervised, leisure group activities in adolescents with mild to moderate depression on body composition, cardiorespiratory capacity, strength and, in a subgroup, self-reported depression after 12 weeks of intervention. The second aim was to investigate whether the results differed within the training group depending on the average (avg) HR during training sessions and the training time in the different HR zones. Method: A randomized controlled trial including (n=28) adolescents of the age 13-17 years. Body composition (body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), percent body fat (PBF) and visceral fat area), cardiorespiratory capacity (VO2max), strength (max. lower body strength and handgrip strength) and, in a subgroup, self-reported depression were measured before and after the intervention. The participants were randomly assigned to either the supervised, HR-based exercise (EX) group (n=14) or the supervised, leisure activity (LA) group (n=14). Both groups participated in the intervention for one hour three times a week for 12 weeks. The results were analysed and compared between and within the groups by parametric ANOVA statistics and regression analyses. Results: Twenty-eight participants, with a mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of 15.3 ± 1.4 years, completed the 12 weeks intervention. A significant difference was shown in absolute VO2max in the EX group (ES=0.8, p = 0.01), with no significant difference in the LA group. In addition, a large and significant correlation was found between avg %HRmax and change (∆) in relative VO2max (r=0.532; p=0.05), and between training time in the moderate-maximal HR zones and ∆ in relative VO2max (r=0.584; p=0.028) in the EX group. No significant difference was found from pre- to post-intervention for BMI, PBF, SMM, visceral fat area, IMTP, handgrip strength, and self-reported depression. Conclusion: After a 12-week moderate to vigorous exercise intervention the EX group significantly improved their absolute VO2max, compared with the LA group, which did not improve significantly. In addition, it was shown that the longer the adolescents in the EX group trained at a higher avg %HRmax and correspondingly longer in the moderate to maximal HR zones, the greater their ∆ in relative VO2max from the start of group training to after 12 weeks. However, further research is needed, particularly about training intensity and training model, to determine how different intensities and training models affect depression in adolescents.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hh-50567 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Kunczke, Maria |
| Publisher | Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för företagande, innovation och hållbarhet |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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