[Effectiveness of exercise as a complementary intervention in addictions: a review]. / Efectividad del ejercicio físico como intervención coadyuvante en las adicciones: una revisión.

Given the benefits that exercise brings to physical and mental health, several authors have investigated its effectiveness as a treatment for various pathologies such as addictive disorders. The aim of this paper is to review the literature regarding the effectiveness of exercise as a complementary intervention for treatment of psychoactive substance dependence. To achieve this aim, a bibliographic search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, The Cochrane Library, TESEO and TDX. Those articles which evaluated the effectiveness of exercise on craving, withdrawal symptoms and abstinence rates were selected. Regarding nicotine dependence, those studies which evaluated the effectiveness of exercise for reducing weight gain after quitting smoking were also chosen. Seventeen articles met the selection criteria. The usefulness of exercise as a complementary strategy along with habitual therapeutic treatments for psychoactive substance dependence seems to be demonstrated, especially in nicotine dependence for the following variables: achieving or maintaining abstinence, and reducing craving or withdrawal symptoms. Further studies are nevertheless required, especially on illegal psychoactive substance dependence to be able to achieve conclusive results. We must also equally note that this kind of intervention is widely accepted by the drug using community, fact that would make of it a particularly useful tool in treating people with addictive disorders.

Efectividad del ejercicio físico como intervención coadyuvante en las adicciones: una revisión / Effectiveness of exercise as a complementary intervention in addictions: a review

Dados los beneficios que aporta el ejercicio físico sobre la salud física y mental, varios autores han explorado la efectividad del mismo como tratamiento en diversas patologías, entre ellas los trastornos adictivos. El objetivo de este artículo fue revisar la literatura existente sobre la efectividad del ejercicio físico como intervención coadyuvante en el tratamiento de la dependencia de sustancias psicoactivas. Para conseguir dicho objetivo se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en las siguientes bases de datos: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, The Cochrane Library, TESEO y TDX. Se seleccionaron aquellos artículos que evaluaban la efectividad del ejercicio físico sobre el craving, la sintomatología de abstinencia, el mantenimiento de la abstinencia y en el caso de la dependencia de nicotina también aquellos que evaluaban el efecto del ejercicio sobre el aumento de peso al dejar de fumar. Diecisiete artículos cumplieron los criterios de selección. La utilidad del ejercicio físico como estrategia coadyuvante en los tratamientos habituales para la dependencia de sustancias psicoactivas parece demostrada, tanto para favorecer la reducción del consumo como para facilitar la disminución del craving y la sintomatología de abstinencia, especialmente en el caso de la dependencia de nicotina. Sin embargo, especialmente en el caso de la dependencia de sustancias psicoactivas ilegales, son necesarios más estudios para llegar a resultados concluyentes. Destacar igualmente que se trata de un tipo de intervención bien aceptada por parte de la población adicta, hecho que la convertiría en una herramienta especialmente útil en personas en tratamiento de su trastorno adictivo(AU)

Given the benefits that exercise brings to physical and mental health, several authors have investigated its effectiveness as a treatment for various pathologies such as addictive disorders. The aim of this paper is to review the literature regarding the effectiveness of exercise as a complementary intervention for treatment of psychoactive substance dependence. To achieve this aim, a bibliographic search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, The Cochrane Library, TESEO and TDX. Those articles which evaluated the effectiveness of exercise on craving, withdrawal symptoms and abstinence rates were selected. Regarding nicotine dependence, those studies which evaluated the effectiveness of exercise for reducing weight gain after quitting smoking were also chosen. Seventeen articles met the selection criteria. The usefulness of exercise as a complementary strategy along with habitual therapeutic treatments for psychoactive substance dependence seems to be demonstrated, especially in nicotine dependence for the following variables: achieving or maintaining abstinence, and reducing craving or withdrawal symptoms. Further studies are nevertheless required, especially on illegal psychoactive substance dependence to be able to achieve conclusive results. We must also equally note that this kind of intervention is widely accepted by the drug using community, fact that would make of it a particularly useful tool in treating people with addictive disorders(AU)