Exercise Interventions Improve Drug Abstinence at an In-Patient Rehabilitation Center

Document Type

Conference Presentation

Department

Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences Department

Conference Title

American College of Sports Medicine - Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise conference

Organization

American College of Sports Medicine

Location

Orlando, FL

Date of Presentation

5-30-2019

Journal Publication

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

ISSN

0195-9131

DOI

10.1249/01.mss.0000561810.57616.86

Volume

51

Issue

6S

First Page

437

Abstract

Exercise training likely enhances coping skills and sobriety among patients with substance use disorder. Better examination of the mechanisms producing these changes may help identify more effective interventions. PURPOSE: To test the effect of a vigorous exercise prescription on drug abstinence in voluntary rehabilitation patients. METHODS: 25 male subjects in a drug treatment program underwent a 12-week intervention, which included cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and supportive psychotherapy. Five days a week, subjects were asked to participate in either yoga with mindfulness practices or action-based induction therapy lasting two hours; there was also a 90-minute exercise boot camp. Data collected were exercise adherence, exercise performance, sobriety and relapse rates, and an assessment of emotional coping skills. Chi-squared tests and t-tests compared exercisers to non-exercisers; logistic and linear regressions tested the effect of exercise behavior on measurements of coping and sobriety. RESULTS: Subjects had experienced frequent relapse (5±8 episodes) prior to the current admission. Across the sample, 84% were sober on completion of the program, 8% relapsed during treatment, and 36% relapsed after treatment. During the program, 84% exercised regularly, 68% practiced yoga, and 60% followed a disciplined diet. Bench press max improved over the program (39%; p<0.001), as did squat max (55%; p<0.001) and deadlift max (70%; p<0.001). Among patients who exercised regularly, 91% were sober on completion compared to 50% of patients who did not engage in regular exercise (p=0.043). Owing to a small sample of patients who relapsed during treatment (N=2), the difference in exercisers who relapsed during treatment (5%) and non-exercisers who relapsed (25%) was not significant (p=0.171). Following treatment, 29% of exercisers and 75% of non-exercisers relapsed (p=0.076). The odds of successfully managing adverse emotional states when they arose increased 20-fold in subjects who exercised regularly (p=0.036). Each additional session of yoga per week predicted a 20-day increase in the longest duration of sobriety (p=0.016). CONCLUSION: Exercise appears to exert a positive effect on drug and alcohol sobriety and coping skills in a population that struggles with frequent relapse.

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