Resistance training and combined resistance and aerobic training as a treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: To determine the treatment effect of resistance training in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in young people.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and PubMed for articles published in English from January 1980 to September 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCT) that included at least 4 weeks of resistance training, with participants aged 26 years or younger with clinically elevated anxiety and depression symptoms. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate a pooled effect size of resistance training pre-and post-intervention compared to control groups.