Does Antidepressant Use Blunt Adaptations to Exercise?

Nearly one out of ten US adults over the age of 18 currently takes antidepressant medication, which can also treat other conditions such as anxiety. Combining pharmaceutical treatment with exercise may yield even greater benefits than using drugs alone, and this is commonly prescribed for depression. However, little is known about the drug-exercise interactions and their influence on metabolic health. A common side effect of antidepressant use is weight gain, particularly abdominal (visceral) fat, which is highly detrimental to overall health. Exercise is a well-known counter to abdominal fat accumulation. The aim of the proposed study is to compare the efficacy of 6 weeks of exercise training to reduce abdominal fat in healthy overweight/obese adults either taking or not taking antidepressant medication. Twenty-four inactive overweight/obese, but otherwise healthy, adults will complete 6 weeks of an exercise training intervention consisting of three days of aerobic exercise training per week. Participants will either not be taking antidepressant medication or will have been on their medication for at least 1 year. The primary outcome will be abdominal fat determined by waist circumference and dual x-ray absorptiometry, which is considered one of the optimal methods for assessment of abdominal fat.