Aerobic exercise enhances positive emotional reactivity in individuals with depressive symptoms: Evidence from neural responses to reward and emotional content

Reward sensitivity and emotional reactivity have been identified as two candidate mechanisms of anhedonia in depression. There is a paucity of research examining whether deficits in reward sensitivity and emotional reactivity can be modified through brief, behavioral interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the reward positivity (RewP) and late positive potential (LPP) among individuals reporting variable symptoms of depression. Using a within-subjects design, 66 young adults completed a 30-min session of aerobic exercise and seated rest on separate days. Reward sensitivity and emotional reactivity were assessed following each session using the RewP and LPP event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Results indicated that the LPP to positive stimuli was potentiated following exercise, while no effect on RewP was observed. Notably, individuals who experienced greater emotional reactivity to positive stimuli following exercise also exhibited increased sensitivity to rewards. Depressive symptom severity failed to moderate any effects, suggesting beneficial effects of acute exercise on positive emotional reactivity across depressive symptom profiles. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise increases emotional engagement to positive stimuli, which may have implications for resolving deficits in emotional reactivity to positive content in depression.