Acute effects of resistance exercise in a depressed HIV sample: The exercise for people who are immunocompromised (EPIC) study

- Effects of bodyweight resistance exercise were examined in a depressed HIV sample.
- Affect improved immediately following exercise and after a delay.
- Perceived arousal improved throughout exercise and after a delay.
- Bodyweight resistance exercise may help reduce acute depressive states for those with HIV.

Depression is highly prevalent among people living with HIV (PLWH). It can negatively impact quality of life, medication adherence, and clinical progression of the disease. This study tested the effect of a single bout of bodyweight resistance exercise on affective valence and perceived activation (i.e., perceived fatigue) in PLWH with depressive symptoms. Using a within-subject design, 10 participants ages 33-61 with a Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale (CES-D) score of ≥10 completed two 20-min randomized cross-over sessions separated by one week: (1) a 20-min bout of bodyweight resistance exercise; and (2) a 20-min informational video control. Affective valence and perceived activation were measured with the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale, respectively. Both were administered at baseline, during exercise, immediately post, and after a 10-min delay. Changes were analyzed using repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with significance level set at 0.05. Significant differences over time were found in both affect (F = 2.63, p = 0.05) and perceived activation (F = 7.40, p < 0.001) between the two conditions, with greater improvements in resistance exercise compared to the control. The effect sizes were moderate for affect (η2 = 0.06) and large for perceived activation (η2 = 0.10). This is the first study to show that a single bout of bodyweight resistance exercise has positive effects on affect and perceived activation in PLWH who report having depressive symptoms. Future research exploring the practical utility of bodyweight resistance exercise for the management of negative mood states and depression-associated fatigue in this population is warranted.