Strength Training and Depressive Symptoms: What the Trials Show
A meta-analysis of randomised trials found resistance exercise training was associated with a meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms — regardless of how much stronger people actually got.
Study title: Strength Training and Depressive Symptoms: What the Trials Show — Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, Meyer JD, Lyons M, Herring MP, JAMA Psychiatry, 2018
- Study type
- Meta-analysis
- Population
- Pooled data from 33 randomised controlled trials of resistance exercise training, various adult populations
- Published
- 2018
- Evidence confidence
- Moderate confidence
The short version
Pooling 33 trials, resistance training was linked to meaningfully lower depressive symptoms, and the effect didn't hinge on actual strength gains.
Why it matters
Resistance training may support mood in a way that isn't purely explained by physical strength gains, but this is a pooled result across varied studies rather than proof for any one individual or type of depression.
01
The question
02
How it was studied
03
What they found
04
Limitations
05
What it may mean
In real life
If lifting weights has never felt urgent because you're not trying to 'get strong,' this evidence suggests the mood-related association shows up even for people whose strength barely changes.
Try this
If you're curious, try two short sessions of resistance-type movement a week (bodyweight, bands or weights) for a month and notice mood alongside — not instead of — anything else you're already doing for it.
Evidence confidence
Moderate confidence
A well-conducted meta-analysis with a reasonably large trial pool, but individual trial quality is mixed and effect sizes in this field are prone to inflation from smaller, less rigorous studies.
Source
Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, Meyer JD, Lyons M, Herring MP (2018). Strength Training and Depressive Symptoms: What the Trials Show. JAMA Psychiatry.
Peer-reviewed · Free full text available · Last reviewed 2026-08-14
Read the original research →One study isn't the whole storyOne study gives us a piece of the picture. Selfey looks for patterns across the broader evidence rather than treating a single finding as a rule.
Read this in everyday terms
Strength as a Self-Care Practice in MidlifeSelfey research briefs are educational summaries, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Research describes patterns across groups; it cannot tell you what is right for your situation.
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