{"id":513568,"date":"2026-04-05T03:04:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T03:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/513568\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T03:04:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T03:04:17","slug":"new-study-suggests-building-muscle-might-help-with-depression-especially-in-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/513568\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Suggests Building Muscle Might Help with Depression\u2014Especially in Women"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated4 min read\"Caret<\/p>\n

A new study that looked at genetic predispositions to muscle strength vs. cardiorespiratory fitness found that those predisposed to have stronger muscles had a lower risk of depression.<\/p>\n

Researchers found a stronger link for women than for men.<\/p>\n

Experts say the takeaway is to focus on lifting and strength training, but emphasize that cardio is still important and offers health benefits.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s yet another reason strength training may be worth prioritizing: It could be linked to better mental health. That\u2019s the major takeaway from new research on the impact of different types of physical fitness on the risk of depression.<\/p>\n

The study, which was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders<\/a>, didn\u2019t find the same association for cardiorespiratory fitness, raising all kinds of questions. Of course, the research isn\u2019t suggesting that you ditch your current treatment for depression or cardio to focus exclusively on strength training. Instead, it can be an adjunct to what you\u2019re already doing.<\/p>\n

So, why might building muscle help combat symptoms of depression? Experts break it down.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Amy Taylor<\/a>, PhD, study co-author and senior research fellow in the Department of Surgery and Targeted Intervention at University College London; Michael Brustein<\/a>, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York City; and Thea Gallagher<\/a>, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health.<\/p>\n

What did the study find?<\/p>\n

For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 341,000 adults between the ages of 37 and 73 who participated in the UK Biobank, a long-term biomedical database.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

The researchers then used a technique called Mendelian randomization to use natural genetic differences between people to test for association. \u201cBecause these genetic differences are randomly assigned at birth, the method helps overcome common issues in observational studies, such as confounding (where other factors such as education or diet may explain an apparent link) and reverse causality (where it is unclear what the direction of the relationship is)\u201d explains Amy Taylor<\/a>, PhD, study co-author and senior research fellow in the Department of Surgery and Targeted Intervention at University College London. \u201cHere, we applied this approach to ask whether a genetic tendency towards greater muscle strength and better fitness is linked to mental health outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers specifically looked at genetic variants linked to cardiorespiratory fitness and genetic variants tied to grip strength, which was used as a proxy for overall muscle strength. The team also looked at depression based on the participants\u2019 self-reported history and hospital records, along with specific symptoms of depression (measured from a questionnaire), to get a better sense of the participants\u2019 mental health.<\/p>\n

More on Strength Training<\/p>\n

After analyzing the data, researchers found a significant association between having a higher grip strength and lower risk of depression. Specifically, for every 0.1 kilogram increase in grip strength per kilogram of body weight, participants were estimated to have a 14 percent lower risk of depression. They did not find a link between having genetic markers for cardiorespiratory fitness and a lower risk of depression or depressive symptoms.<\/p>\n

A higher grip strength was also linked with a lower risk of certain depression symptoms, such as reduced ability to experience pleasure and changes in appetite. People with higher grip strength also had a lower risk of depressed mood, extreme fatigue, and trouble concentrating, which are all linked to depression.<\/p>\n

There was a stronger link for women than men<\/p>\n

Interestingly, Taylor says her team found \u201cclear differences\u201d between women and men in how much muscle strength is linked to certain symptoms of depression.<\/p>\n

In women, an increase in grip strength of 0.1 kilograms per kilogram of body weight was linked to a 33 percent lower risk of an inability to find pleasure in activities, a 30 percent lower risk of depressed mood, and a 26 percent lower risk of issues with concentration. \u201cIn men, we did not see clear evidence that the same increase in grip strength was linked to these symptoms,\u201d Taylor says.<\/p>\n

Why might building muscle help with depression?<\/p>\n

Taylor says she was \u201csomewhat surprised\u201d to find little evidence that cardio could impact symptoms of depression in this specific study, given that previous studies<\/a> linked having better cardiorespiratory fitness with a lower risk of depression.<\/p>\n

She says it might reflect other things at play, like people getting more social support when they do cardio, which can protect against depression. Taylor also mentions that reverse causation may play a role, where being depressed makes you less likely to engage in physical activity and cardio.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

But it could also be that having muscle strength helps serve as a \u201cbiological buffer\u201d against feeling lethargic or not finding pleasure in activities you used to love, says Michael Brustein<\/a>, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cCardio is often a game of endurance\u2014the ability to withstand or \u2018get through\u2019 the day,\u201d he says. \u201cStrength is about agency\u2014the ability to exert force. For someone struggling with the psychic paralysis of depression, the tactile, immediate feedback of moving a heavy object provides a sense of self-efficacy that a long, slow walk cannot replicate.\u201d Being strong can also help people feel less like they\u2019re coping and more like they\u2019re capable, he says.<\/p>\n

What should the takeaway be?<\/p>\n

Hold up before you toss your cardio workout plans out the window. \u201cThis challenges the long-standing idea that cardiorespiratory fitness is a driver of depression risk,\u201d she says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t contradict the idea that cardio\u2014or all exercise\u2014is good for mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardio still offers plenty of mental health perks, including reducing rumination<\/a>. And, if you do cardio with other people, like a group fitness class or run club, you can also see mental health perks, Thea Gallagher<\/a>, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychology at NYU Langone Health, adds.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the findings make the case for strength training, but not at the expense of cardio. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t abandon cardio, but resistance training should be viewed as non-negotiable mental health hygiene,\u201d Brustein says. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to be a bodybuilder\u2014aim for two to three sessions of resistance training per week to maintain the neurological \u2018activation\u2019 of strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gallagher agrees. \u201cDon\u2019t completely get rid of cardio,\u201d she says. \u201cThere can be plenty of health benefits. But incorporate lifting into your routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women\u2019s Health. She has more than a decade\u2019s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health.<\/p>\n

She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women\u2019s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast\u2019s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter.<\/p>\n

Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read A new study that looked at genetic predispositions to muscle strength vs. cardiorespiratory fitness found…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513569,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[379,179512,381,102,179513,380,1906,6623,158699,179511,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-513568","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-content-type-news","9":"tag-contentid-b2266549-0294-4a4b-ad9e-30ac10559d2e","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-listen_time-397","13":"tag-locale-us","14":"tag-mental-health","15":"tag-mentalhealth","16":"tag-read_time-5","17":"tag-shorttitle-lifting-may-be-better-than-cardio-for-depression","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom","20":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}