Effects of acute exercise on craving, mood and anxiety in non-treatment seeking adults with alcohol use disorder: An exploratory study.

Abstract Background Exercise is increasingly being used in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We examined the short-term effects of acute exercise on alcohol craving, mood states and state anxiety in physically inactive, non-treatment seeking adults with AUD. Methods Exploratory, single-arm study. In total, 140 adults with AUD (53.7 ± 11.8 years; 70 % female) were included in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to study effects of physical activity on alcohol consumption. This acute exercise study was nested within the larger RCT. The intervention was a 12-minute sub-maximal fitness test performed on a cycle ergometer. Participants self-rated their desire for alcohol (DAQ) and completed mood (POMS-Brief) and state anxiety (STAI-Y1) questionnaires 30-minutes before exercise, immediately before, immediately after, and 30-minutes post. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected. Effects of exercise were assessed using RM-ANOVA and dependent sample t-tests with effect sizes (Hedges g). Results In total, 70.6 % had mild or moderate AUD (DSM-5 criteria = 4.9 ± 2). The intervention was generally perceived as ‘strenuous’ (RPE = 16.1 ± 1.6). In the total sample, there was a main effect of time with reductions in alcohol craving [F(3,411) = 27.33, p Conclusion A short bout of aerobic exercise reduced alcohol craving and improved mood states in adults with AUD.