Introduction: Alcohol dependence is one of the most common mental disorders and represents an important public health problem. Alcohol dependence is associated with physical, psychological, and social consequences. Affected individuals often experience alcohol craving, withdrawal symptoms, higher levels of stress, reduced quality of life, and difficulties in social functioning. Treatment is often long-term and demanding; therefore, physical exercise is increasingly considered an adjunctive approach in the treatment process. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to review scientific and professional literature in order to determine the effects of physical exercise on withdrawal symptoms, alcohol craving, and quality of life in individuals with alcohol dependence. Methods: The literature search was conducted in the PubMed database. The following combination of keywords in English was used: (alcohol use disorder OR alcohol dependence OR alcoholism OR alcohol dependence syndrome) AND (exercise OR physical activity OR aerobic exercise OR yoga) AND (treatment OR adjunctive OR craving OR quality of life OR stress), with the terms limited to Title/Abstract search. Articles published from 2015 onward, available in full text, and written in English were included in the literature review. Results: Six studies were included in the literature review. These included randomized controlled trials, a non-randomized single-group study, and secondary analyses of randomized controlled trials. The exercise programs included aerobic exercise and yoga and ranged from a single 12-minute session to a 24-week program. The results showed mainly a positive effect of physical exercise on reducing alcohol craving and perceived stress, as well as on increasing physical activity. Less consistent effects were found on total alcohol consumption, heavy drinking days, and quality of life. Discussion and conclusion: Physical exercise is a promising adjunctive approach in the treatment of individuals with alcohol dependence, as it may have beneficial effects on important psychological and behavioral treatment outcomes. However, the comparability of the results is limited due to the methodological heterogeneity of the studies and the relatively small sample sizes. In the future, larger and more methodologically consistent studies with long-term follow-up are needed.
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