Resistance training does not alter voluntary alcohol consumption but differentially modulates anxiety-like behavior during chronic alcohol exposure and withdrawal in rats.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a major public health problem, and current treatments remain limited, with a high prevalence of relapse among abstinent individuals. Physical exercise is recognized as a safe and effective intervention for several health conditions, but its potential benefits for individuals with AUD are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of resistance training on voluntary alcohol consumption and anxiety-like behaviors in rats during chronic alcohol exposure and withdrawal conditions. Adult male Wistar rats were given free access to tap water and a voluntary alcohol solution (20% v/v) for four weeks. On day 28, animals were allocated to sedentary or trained conditions within control, alcohol, and withdrawal groups. Rats assigned to the training groups underwent a resistance training protocol based on vertical ladder climbing for two weeks. Voluntary alcohol consumption was monitored, and anxiety-like behavior was assessed using the light-dark test. Resistance training did not alter alcohol consumption but increased anxiety-like behavior in Alcohol-Trained rats. In contrast, no significant changes in anxiety-like behavior were observed in withdrawal rats following resistance training. These findings suggest that resistance training differentially modulates anxiety-like behavior depending on alcohol exposure status, with potential implications for its application across different stages of alcohol use disorder.