New Study Finds That Aerobic Exercise Reduces Craving and Improves Decision-Making in Men with Methamphetamine Use Disorder

A new study shows that even a single session of aerobic exercise, such as running, cycling, and swimming, can yield benefits for men with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). The research found that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise reduces cravings and improves decision-making functions often impaired by MUD.

The study included an assessment of the effectiveness of exercise as an intervention for MUD, a potentially important response to help alleviate the neurological damage and cognitive dysfunctions that often result from MUD (Mizoguchi & Yamada, 2019; Potvin et al., 2018; Sabrini et al., 2019).

The study was conducted by researchers at China’s Ningbo University and included thirty male participants utilizing a crossover design in which each participant completed both a 30-minute aerobic exercise session and a sedentary control session. Key cognitive functions—including impulsive decision-making, short-sighted decision-making, and risk-taking behavior—were assessed through standard tasks such as the Delay Discounting Task, Iowa Gambling Task, and Balloon Analogue Risk Task.

Dr. Ze-Hui Lyu, the study's lead author, noted: “Acute aerobic exercise not only reduces the intensity of craving but also reduced certain cognitive functions associated with impulsive and myopic decision-making. This suggests exercise can be a promising intervention for methamphetamine use disorder.”

Key Findings

• Participants reported lower craving levels during and immediately after the aerobic exercise session compared to the control session.

  
  

• Post-exercise assessments showed significant improvements in impulsive decision-making and myopic decision-making (short-sighted decision-making).

  
  

• By enhancing decision-making capacity and reducing craving, aerobic exercise may lower the risk of relapse in men with MUD.

  
  

Read More

References:

Lyu, Z.-H., Li, M.-Y., Zhu, T., Yang, Y.-F., & Wang, D.-S. (2025). Benefits of acute aerobic exercise to ameliorate craving and risky decision-making in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 274, 112735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112735

Mizoguchi, H., & Yamada, K. (2019). Methamphetamine use causes cognitive impairment and altered decision-making. Neurochemistry International, 124, 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2018.12.019

Potvin, S., Pelletier, J., Grot, S., Hébert, C., Barr, A. M., & Lecomte, T. (2018). Cognitive deficits in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder: A meta-analysis. Addictive behaviors, 80, 154–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.01.021

Sabrini, S., Wang, G. Y., Lin, J. C., Ian, J. K., & Curley, L. E. (2019). Methamphetamine use and cognitive function: A systematic review of neuroimaging research. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 194, 75–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.08.041