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By Amy Norton
NEW YORK, Mar 19 (Reuters Health) - Although regular exercise is believed to boost older people's moods, it may not have long-term antidepression power. New research suggests that once the elderly stop being active, the psychological benefits wane.
In a study that followed more than 900 older adults for up to 11 years, investigators found that those who exercised regularly at the study's start but later quit were more likely to develop depression compared with those who stayed active. These individuals and those who never exercised during the study had the highest scores on tests of depressive mood at the study's end.
In contrast, men and women who were consistently active and those who took up exercise during the study had the lowest depression scores. The tests gauged depressed mood, not clinical depression.
Dr. Donna Kritz-Silverstein and her colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, report the findings in the March 15th issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
There is substantial evidence that exercise elevates people's moods and may even improve clinical depression. In one study of older men and women diagnosed with depression, researchers found that 4 months of aerobic exercise worked as well as antidepressant drugs in treating patients' symptoms.
Theories on why exercise improves mood range from the feelings of control it gives people to the effects of hormones that are released during activity.
But when it comes to the question of whether regular exercise has lasting effects on mood, studies have yielded inconsistent results, Kritz-Silverstein told Reuters Health.
This study, she said, "shows there's a beneficial effect, but to reap the benefits you have to keep exercising."
Specifically, the mood benefits were seen among study participants who regularly engaged in activity that caused them to "break a sweat," such as brisk walking. In addition, people who exercised at all three times per week were less likely to have depressed moods.
One of the interesting findings from this study, Kritz-Silverstein noted, is that older men and women who took up exercise during the study got a mood boost similar to those who had exercised throughout. The average age of participants at the study's start was 70.
"So," she said, "starting exercise at an older age can be just as beneficial."
However, older people who want to take up an exercise plan should consult their doctors first.
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology 2001;153.
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