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Exercise as a Prevention for Substance Use Disorder: a Review of Sex Differences and Neurobiological Mechanisms

  • Women and Addictions (CM Mazure and Y Zakiniaeiz, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This report provides an update on clinical and preclinical findings for the efficacy of exercise to prevent substance use disorder with a focus on recent evidence for sex differences and neurobiological mechanisms.

Recent Findings

Exercise/physical activity is associated with decreased drug use in humans. Preclinical results further indicate that exercise decreases vulnerability to drug use and the development of features of substance use disorder, and suggest that females have an enhanced sensitivity to its reward-substitution effects. However, certain exercise conditions may sensitize the reward pathway and enhance vulnerability suggesting that parallel observations in humans (e.g., increased prescription opioid misuse and heroin use in high-school athletes) may be biologically based.

Summary

Exercise is a promising prevention strategy for substance use disorder. Further work is needed to establish its efficacy as a sex-specific strategy using larger samples and to understand the exercise conditions that induce beneficial versus risk-enhancing effects.

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Funding

Wendy J Lynch is supported by grants from National Institute on Drug Abuse (grants no. R01DA024716 and R01DA039093). Mark A. Smith is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (grant no. DA031725).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Virginia, P.O. Box 801402, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-1402, USA

    Wendy J. Lynch & Jean Abel

  2. Davidson College, Box 7136, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA

    Andrea M. Robinson & Mark A. Smith

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  1. Wendy J. Lynch
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Correspondence to Wendy J. Lynch.

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Lynch, W.J., Robinson, A.M., Abel, J. et al. Exercise as a Prevention for Substance Use Disorder: a Review of Sex Differences and Neurobiological Mechanisms. Curr Addict Rep 4, 455–466 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-017-0178-3

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