Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.
Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Behav Genet. 2020 Sep;50(5):346-362. doi: 10.1007/s10519-020-10009-9. Epub 2020 Aug 14.
Studies often report beneficial effects of physical exercise on depression symptomatology, both in clinical and community samples. In clinical samples, effects are observed using physical exercise as primary treatment and supplement to antidepressant medications and/or psychotherapies. Magnitudes vary with sample characteristics, exercise measure, and study rigor. Both propensity to exercise and vulnerability to depression show genetic influences, suggesting gene-environment interplay. We investigated this in a Danish Twin Registry-based community sample who completed a cycle fitness test and detailed assessments of depression symptomatology and regular exercise engagement that enabled estimates of typical total, intentional exercise-specific, and other metabolic equivalent (MET) expenditures. All exercise-related measures correlated negatively with depression symptomatology (- .07 to - .19). Genetic variance was lower at higher levels of cycle fitness, with genetic and shared environmental correlations of - .50 and 1.0, respectively. Nonshared environmental variance in depression was lower at higher levels of total MET, with no indications of genetic or environmental covariance. Being physically active and/or fit tended to prevent depression, apparently because fewer participants with higher levels of activity and fitness reported high depression symptomatology. This was driven by nonshared environmental influences on activity but genetic influences on physical fitness. Genetic correlation suggested people less genetically inclined toward physical fitness may also be genetically vulnerable to depression, possibly because inertia impedes activity but also possibly due to social pressures to be fit. Exercise programs for general well-being should emphasize participation, not performance level or fitness. We discuss possible interrelations between fitness aptitude and metabolism.
研究经常报告体育锻炼对抑郁症状的有益影响，无论是在临床和社区样本中。在临床样本中，观察到的效果是使用体育锻炼作为主要治疗方法，并补充抗抑郁药物和/或心理疗法。幅度随样本特征、运动测量和研究严谨性而变化。运动倾向和抑郁易感性都表现出遗传影响，表明基因-环境相互作用。我们在一个基于丹麦双胞胎登记处的社区样本中对此进行了调查，该样本完成了循环健身测试以及对抑郁症状和定期运动参与的详细评估，这使我们能够估计典型的总、有意运动特异性和其他代谢当量 (MET) 支出。所有与运动相关的测量指标与抑郁症状呈负相关（-0.07 至-0.19）。循环健身水平越高，遗传方差越低，分别为-0.50 和 1.0 的遗传和共同环境相关性。在更高水平的总 MET 时，抑郁的非共享环境方差较低，没有遗传或环境协方差的迹象。身体活跃和/或健康往往可以预防抑郁，这显然是因为较高水平的活动和健康水平的参与者中报告高抑郁症状的人数较少。这是由活动的非共享环境影响驱动的，但对身体健身的遗传影响。遗传相关性表明，那些不太倾向于身体健康的人也可能在遗传上容易患上抑郁症，这可能是因为惯性阻碍了活动，但也可能是由于适应社会压力的原因。用于一般健康的锻炼计划应强调参与度，而不是表现水平或健身水平。我们讨论了健身能力和新陈代谢之间可能存在的相互关系。
