Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Association between muscular strength and depressive symptoms

A narrative review

Assoziation zwischen Muskelkraft und depressiven Symptomen

Ein narrativer Review

  • main topic
  • Published:
Wiener klinische Wochenschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

There is increasing evidence for an association between low muscular strength and depressive symptoms. In this review the existing literature on the association between muscular strength and depression particularly in older people as reported in epidemiological studies is summarized. From the literature search, conducted in PubMed (January 1980–May 2018), 17 papers (8 cross-sectional and 9 longitudinal studies) were selected. All cross-sectional studies reported significantly lower odds of having depressive symptoms with increased levels of muscular strength and this association persisted even after adjusting for several confounders including the level of physical activity. The majority of the longitudinal studies also reported that low muscular strength was independently associated with a higher risk of developing depression but more studies are needed to confirm this evidence. Furthermore, future investigations are needed to explore the exact mechanisms of muscular strength in relation to depression. Low muscular strength is a modifiable factor for depression, which is of great public health interest.

Zusammenfassung

Es gibt zunehmend wissenschaftliche Hinweise auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen niedriger Muskelkraft und depressiven Symptomen. Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit ist eine Zusammenfassung der Daten zum Zusammenhang von Muskelkraft und Depressionsrisiko vor allem bei älteren Menschen. Die Literaturrecherche, die in PubMed durchgeführt wurde (Januar 1980 bis Mai 2018), erbrachte 17 Veröffentlichungen (8 Quer- und 9 Längsschnittstudien). In allen Querschnittstudien wurde eine signifikant geringere Wahrscheinlichkeit für depressive Symptome mit erhöhter Muskelkraft beobachtet, und diese Assoziation blieb auch nach Adjustierung für verschiedene Störfaktoren, einschließlich der körperlichen Aktivität, bestehen. In der Mehrzahl der Längsschnittstudien wurde berichtet, dass eine niedrige Muskelkraft mit einem höheren Risiko für die Entstehung einer Depression einhergeht, jedoch sind weitere Studien erforderlich, um diese Evidenz weiter zu belegen. Zusammenfassend lässt sich ableiten, dass Muskelkraft als ein modifizierbarer Risikofaktor im Zusammenhang mit der Entstehung von Depressionen zu verstehen ist, was von großem Interesse für die öffentliche Gesundheit ist. Zukünftige Studien sind erforderlich, um die genauen Mechanismen der Muskelkraft in Bezug auf Depressionen zu untersuchen.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Larson SL, Owens PL, Ford D, et al. Depressive disorder, dysthymia, and risk of stroke: thirteen-year follow-up from the Baltimore epidemiologic catchment area study. Stroke. 2001;32:1979–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Rodda J, Walker Z, Carter J. Depression in older adults. BMJ. 2011;343:d5219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Wang J, Wu X, Lai W, et al. Prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms among outpatients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2017;7(8):e17173.

    Google Scholar 

  4. WHO. The world heath report 2001: mental health: now understanding, new hope. Geneva: Office of Publications; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cole M, Dendukuri N. Risk factors for depression among elderly community subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160:1147–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hoelzel L, Haerter M, Reese C, et al. Risk factors for chronic depression: a systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2011;129(1–3):1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Sui X, Laditka JN, Church TS, et al. Prospective study of cardiorespiratory fitness and depressive symptoms in women and men. J Psychiatr Res. 2009;43(5):546–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Aberg MA, Waern M, Nyberg J, et al. Cardiovascular fitness in males at age 18 and risk of serious depression in adulthood: Swedish prospective population-based study. Br J Psychiatry. 2012;201(5):352–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Diegelmann M, Jansen CP, Wahl HW, et al. Does a physical activity program in the nursing home impact on depressive symptoms; A generalized linear mixed-model approach. Aging Ment Health. 2018;22(6):784–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Blake H, Mo P, Malik S, Thomas S. How effective are physical activity interventions for alleviating depressive symptoms in older people? A systematic review. Clin Rehabil. 2009;23:873–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Silventoinen K, Magnusson PK, Tynelius P, Batty GD, Rasmussen F. Association of body size and muscle strength with incidence of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases: a population-based cohort study of one million Swedish men. Int J Epidemiol. 2009;38:110–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Shrier I. Muscle strength and body size and later cerebrovascular and coronary heart disease. Clin J Sport Med. 2010;20:131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Grøntved A, Pan A, Mekary RA, Stampfer M, Willett WC, Manson JE, et al. Muscle-strengthening and conditioning activities and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective study in two cohorts of US Women. Plos Med. 2014;11:e1001587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Volaklis KA, Halle M, Thorand B, Peters A, Ladwig KH, Schulz H, et al. Handgrip strength is inversely and independently associated with multimorbidity among older women: Results from the KORA-Age study. Eur J Intern Med. 2016;31:35–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gustafsson H, Aasly J, Stråhle S, Nordström A, Nordström P. Low muscle strength in late adolescence and Parkinson disease later in life. Neurology. 2005;84:1862–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Alfaro-Acha A, Al Snih S, Raji MA, Kuo YF, Markides KS, Ottenbacher KJ. Handgrip strength and cognitive decline in older Mexican-Americans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006;61:859–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Buchman AS, Wilson RS, Boyle PA, Bienias JL, Bennett DA. Grip strength and the risk of incident Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroepidemiology. 2007;29:66–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Boyle PA, Buchman AS, Wilson RS, Leurgans SE, Bennett DA. Association of muscle strength with the risk of Alzheimer disease and the rate of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older persons. Arch Neurol. 2009;66:1339–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Wells GA, Shea B, O’Conell D, et al. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of non-randomized studies in meta-analyses.. http://www.ohri.ca/programs/clinical_epidemiology/oxford.asp. Accessed: 10 December 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Van Milligen BA, Vogelzangs N, Smit JH, et al. Objective physical functioning in patients with depressive and /or anxietydisorders. JAffectDisord. 2012;136:828–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Suija K, Timonen M, Suviola M, Jokelainen J, Järvelin MR, Tammelin T. The association between physical fitness and depressive symptoms among young adults: results of the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1):1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fukumori, et al. Association between handgrip strength and depressive symptoms: Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcomes in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS). Age Ageing. 2015;44:592–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Gale C, Sayer A. Factors associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in five cohorts of community-based older people: the HALCyon (Healthy Ageing across the Life Course). Psychol Med. 2011;41(10):2057–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. McDowell CP, Gordon BR, Herring MP. Sex-related differences in the association between grip strength and depression: Results from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Exp Gerontol. 2018;104:147–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Gariballa S, Alessa A. Association between muscle function, cognitive state, depression symptoms and quality of life of older people: evidence from clinical practice. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2018;30(4):351–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Taekema DG, Gussekloo J, Maier AB, Westendorp RGJ, de Craen AJM. Handgrip strength as a predictor of functional, psychological and social health. A prospective population-based study among the oldest old. Age Ageing. 2010;39(3):331–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Stessman J, Rottenberg Y, Fischer M, Hammerman-Rozenberg A, Jacobs JM. Handgrip strength in old and very old adults: mood, cognition, function, and mortality. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017;65(3):526–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Veronese N, Stubbs B, Trevisan C, et al. Poor physical performance predicts future onset of depression in elderly people: the Progetto Veneto Anziani Longitudinal Study. Phys Ther. 2017;97(6):659–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Hamer M, Batty GD, Kivimaki M. Sarcopenic obesity and risk of new onset depressive symptoms in older adults: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Int J Obes. 2015;39(12):1717–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Lever-van Milligen BA, Lamers F, Smit JH, Penninx BW. Six-year trajectory of objective physical function in persons with depressive and anxiety disorders. Depress Anxiety 2017;34(2):188–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Baumann CW, Kwak D, Liu HM, et al. Age-induced oxidative stress: how does it influence skeletal quantity and quality? J Appl Physiol. 1985;121(5):1047–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Volaklis KA, Halle M, Koenig W, et al. Association between muscular strength and inflammatory markers among elderly persons with cardiac disease: results from the KORA-Age study. Clin Res Cardiol. 2015;104(11):982–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Valkanova V, Ebmeier KP, Allan CL, et al. CRP, IL-6 and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. J Affect Disord. 2013;150:736–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Stubbs B, Stubbs J, Gnanaraj SD, et al. Falls in older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD): a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int Psychogeriatr. 2016;28:23–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Sastre I. Exercise, sarcopenia, cognition and mood. Nutr Aging (Amst). 2002;6:151–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Smoliner C, Norman K, Wagner KH, et al. Malnutrition and depression in the institutional elderly. Br J Nutr. 2009;102(11):1663–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Kim YS, Shin SK, Hong SB, Kim HJ. The effects of strength exercise on hippocampus volume and functional fitness of older women. Exp Gerontol. 2017;97:22–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. O’Brien JT, Lloyd A, McKeith I, et al. A longitudinal study of hippocampal volume, cortisol levels and cognition in older depressed adults. Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161:2081–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Kalyani R, Corriere M, Ferrucci L. Age-related and disease related muscle loss: the effect of diabetes, obesity and other diseases. Lancet. 2014;2(10):819–29.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Vancampfort D, Sienaert P, Wyckaert S, et al. Test-retest reliability, feasibility and clinical correlates of the Eurofit test battery in people with bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2015;228(3):620–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Ortega F, Silventoinen K, Tynelius P, et al. Muscular strength in male adolescents and premature death: cohort study of one million participants. Br Med J. 2012;345:e7279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Hsu YH, Liang CK, Chou MY, et al. Association of cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms and sarcopenia among healthy older men in the Veterans retirement community in southern Taiwan: a cross-sectional study. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2014;14:102–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Kim NH, Kim HS, Fun CR, et al. Depression is associated with sarcopenia, not central obesity, in elderly Korean men. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011;59(11):2062–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Ansai JH, Rebelatto JR. Effect of two physical exercise protocols on cognition and depressive symptoms in oldest-old people: a randomized controlled trial. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2015;15:1127–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Singh NA, Stavrinos TA, Scarbek Y, et al. A randomized controlled trial oh high versus low intensity weight training versus general practitioner care for clinical depression in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2005;60:768–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Wielopolski J, Reich K, Clepce M, et al. Physical activity and energy expenditure during depressive episodes of major depression. J Affect Disord. 2015;174:310–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Penninx BW, Guralnik JM, Mendes de Leon CF, et al. Cardiovascular events and mortality in newly and chronically depressed persons 〉70 years of age. Am J Cardiol. 1998;81(8):988–94.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Epidemiologie, LMU München am UNIKA-T, Neusaesser Str. 47, 86156, Augsburg, Germany

    Konstantinos Volaklis Ph.D., Temur Mamadjanov, Christa Meisinger & Jacob Linseisen

Authors
  1. Konstantinos Volaklis Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Temur Mamadjanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christa Meisinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jacob Linseisen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Konstantinos Volaklis Ph.D..

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

K. Volaklis, T. Mamadjanov, C. Meisinger, and J. Linseisen declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Volaklis, K., Mamadjanov, T., Meisinger, C. et al. Association between muscular strength and depressive symptoms. Wien Klin Wochenschr 131, 255–264 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-1491-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-1491-8

Keywords

Schlüsselwörter

Search

Navigation