Acute Modulation of Physiological Tremor by Physical Exercise and Resistance-Based Protocols: A Meta-Analysis of Quantitative Neuromuscular Responses in Healthy Adults

This meta-analysis investigates the acute (immediate) pre–post changes in the modulation of physiological tremor in healthy adults following physical exercise, including resistance-based protocols. Physiological tremor is characterized by low-amplitude, high-frequency oscillations during posture or movement and reflects transient changes in neuromuscular control. Background/Objectives: Quantify the pooled effect of physical exercise on physiological tremor amplitude in healthy adults using magnitude-based metrics (RMS, peak power). A secondary objective was to synthesize evidence from acute resistance-based protocols separately. Methods: This meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines and followed the methodological framework outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Thirteen experimental studies met the inclusion criteria, with eleven included in the general exercise analysis and eight in the acute resistance-based subset. Results: Random-effects models revealed a moderate reduction in tremor amplitude following acute exercise (Hedges’ g = −0.42, p < 0.001). The resistance-based synthesis was restricted to acute single-session protocols only and indicated a directionally consistent reduction in tremor amplitude. Conclusions: These findings suggest that physical exertion is associated with transient suppression of physiological tremor amplitude. Acute single-session resistance-based exercise protocols showed a consistent direction of effect, although pooled estimates should be interpreted cautiously due to heterogeneity. Overall, physiological tremor may serve as a sensitive, non-invasive outcome measure reflecting short-term neuromuscular state.