Exercise-induced chronic adaptations and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1&#x3b2;, IL-6, and TNF-&#x3b1;) in patients with depression: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Zhengyang Mei; Chenyi Cai; Hansen Li; Tingfeng Wang; Chifong Lam; Yang Yang; Shi Luo

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117344

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Exercise-induced chronic adaptations and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in patients with depression: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Zhengyang Mei·Chenyi Cai·Hansen Li·Tingfeng Wang·Chifong Lam·Yang Yang·Shi Luo

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Although exercise has been shown to alleviate depressive symptoms, potentially by affecting the body's inflammatory response, evidence in this area remains inconsistent. This study synthesized the most recent evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the relationship between exercise-induced chronic adaptations and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with depression. METHODS: Eligible RCTs were identified from six electronic databases. Effect sizes were pooled using mean differences (MDs) and standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Two independent researchers assessed the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. RESULTS: The review included 21 RCTs involving 1572 participants, six of which were included in the meta-analysis. No evidence of efficacy was observed for the chronic effects of exercise on the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) (MD = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.06, 0.04], p = 0.79), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (SMD = -0.30, 95% CI [-0.64, 0.04], p = 0.08), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (SMD = -0.18, 95% CI [-0.50, 0.14], p = 0.27) in patients with depression. However, the pooled results for certain markers were not robust. The certainty of evidence for each outcome was very low owing to inconsistency, indirectness, and imprecision. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for exercise improving pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with depression during the chronic phase remains exploratory and uncertain. Well-designed, adequately powered studies incorporating a broader range of immune biomarkers and dynamic multi-time-point assessments are urgently needed to determine whether exercise-induced chronic adaptations can modulate inflammatory pathways in depression.

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Humans Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Depression Exercise Interleukin-6 Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Interleukin-1beta Adaptation, Physiological Cytokines Inflammation Pro-inflammatory cytokines Journal Article Systematic Review Meta-Analysis Review

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Zhengyang Mei, Chenyi Cai, Hansen Li, Tingfeng Wang, Chifong Lam, Yang Yang, Shi Luo. 2026-07-30. Exercise-induced chronic adaptations and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in patients with depression: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117344

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Adaptation, Physiological subject Cytokines subject Depression subject Exercise subject Humans subject Interleukin-6 subject Journal Article subject Journal Article; Systematic Review; Meta-Analysis; Review resource Meta-Analysis subject Systematic reviews study inflammation subject

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