Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Kinesiology

Supervisor

Prapavessis, Harry

2nd Supervisor

Chavarria, Jesus

Co-Supervisor

Abstract

Alcohol Craving predicts alcohol seeking behaviours and these constructs can cause someone with problematic alcohol use to develop an alcohol use disorder. Current treatments are not effective or easily accessible to everyone, therefore exercise is a promising treatment modality. The present study compared 20-minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and 20-minutes of colouring on subjective measures related to alcohol craving as well as objectively assessed alcohol seeking behaviours and their relationship to craving following an alcohol induction. Heavy, social drinkers (N=33) were randomized to one of the experimental conditions. Findings suggest that when individuals responded to the alcohol induction, exercise may reduce craving more than colouring, but this finding is dependent on the craving measure used. There also is some evidence that exercise leads to less alcohol seeking behavior. Furthermore, there appears to be a positive relationship between reductions in craving and reductions in alcohol seeking behaviours. These findings are discussed.

Summary for Lay Audience

In Canada, alcohol use is the most used substance leading to an abundance of physical, mental, and social consequences. Alcohol craving has been shown to be a predictor of individual’s seeking out and consuming alcohol . Current treatments such as medications and behaviour counselling are not effective or easily accessible to everyone. Exercise is a promising treatment modality that is accessible and may help to mitigate cravings. Cravings were induced in participants through an alcohol priming procedure where participants were given an alcohol beverage intended to raise their blood alcohol concentration to 0.03g/dL which is equivalent to about 1-1.5 standard beverages. This present study compared 20-minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and 20-minutes of colouring on measures related to alcohol craving. This present study also assessed alcohol seeking behaviours by providing participants with three water beverages and three placebo alcohol beverages where they were told that they could consume as little or as much of the six beverages as they would like. Our findings suggest that when an individual is in an active state of craving, both exercise and colouring may have the ability to reduce cravings during the activity. Our findings also suggest the ability to successfully reduce craving may also reduce alcohol seeking behaviours. Future studies should focus on determining the optimal dose of alcohol to induce cravings and the optimal dose of exercise that is the most effective in reducing craving.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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