Study: Exercise can help with cocaine withdrawal

Exercise can help with cocaine addiction recovery. This is shown by new American research.

Falling in love with the coco

Peter Thanos from the University of Buffalo (Research Institute on Addictions and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology) explains: "Cocaine addiction is often characterized by periods of recovery and relapse with stress and negative emotions. This stress and emotions are often caused by the withdrawal itself and are important causes of relapse. Using animal models, Thanos discovered that one hour on the running wheel reduced the stress-induced craving for cocaine. Exercise also led to a different physical and psychological response to stress. People addicted to cocaine have an altered neural, physical, and psychological response to stress. Recent research by Thanos shows that exercise alters the mesolimbic dopamine system in the brain. This system acts as a reward system and reinforces drug-like properties such as cocaine. In addition, previous research has shown that exercise reduces stress hormones and improves mood. This could help alleviate tense excitement and negative emotions often associated with withdrawal.

From cocaine to cardio

Various studies have already demonstrated the positive effects of exercise on physical health. We have already written so much about this that I won't even bother to mention new research showing the positive effect on heart and vascular health [2]. Been there, done that. We know that by now. We have also described the psychological effects before. For example, based on research into the positive effect on depression. Or the negative effect on mental health when you stop exercising. According to Thanos, (cardio) training could therefore also be a good strategy to prevent relapse into cocaine addiction, as part of a comprehensive treatment program. Further research should determine if this also applies to other addictive substances. If only he could snap his fingers to solve the whole problem, that would of course be much easier.

References

Lisa S. Robison, Luke Alessi, Panayotis K. Thanos. Chronic forced exercise inhibits stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine conditioned place preference. Behavioural Brain Research, 2018; 353: 176
Ahmed Elhakeem Rachel Cooper Peter Whincup Soren Brage Diana Kuh Rebecca Hardy. Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers at Age 60 to 64 Years. JAHA, 2018