Five minutes of jumping or thirty minutes on a treadmill or static bicycle were enough to produce appreciable improvements in inhibitory control or in cognitive and executive functions .
Benefits following exercise were also seen in other aspects such as reaction times and preparation for response , motor skills or brain activity .
CONCLUSION The findings make us optimistic that in the future physical exercise may become an alternative , or at least an effective complement , to the pharmacological treatments currently used for this pathology
BACKGROUND There are studies that show preliminary evidence of the benefits of physical exercise for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) .
The objective of the research being reported here was to carry out a systematic review of articles relating to the effects that exercise sessions have on children and adolescents with this pathology .
The effects of exercise on children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
PURPOSE The effects of exercise on children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) were evaluated by study ing the rate of spontaneous eye blinks , the acoustic startle eye blink response ( ASER ) , and motor impersistence among 8- to 12-yr-old children ( 10 boys and 8 girls ) meeting DSM-III-R criteria for ADHD . METHODS Children ceased methylpheni date medication 24 h before and during each of three daily conditions separated by 24 - 48 h. After a maximal treadmill walking test to determine cardiorespiratory fitness ( VO(2peak ) ) , each child was r and omly assigned to counterbalanced conditions of treadmill walking at an intensity of 65 - 75 % VO(2peak ) or quiet rest . Responses were compared with a group of control participants ( 11 boys and 14 girls ) equated with the ADHD group on several key variables . RESULTS Boys with ADHD had increased spontaneous blink rate , decreased ASER latency , and decreased motor impersistence after maximal exercise . Girls with ADHD had increased ASER amplitude and decreased ASER latency after submaximal exercise . CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest an interaction between sex and exercise intensity that is not explained by physical fitness , activity history , or selected personality attributes . The clinical meaning of the eye blink results is not clear , as improvements in motor impersistence occurred only for boys after maximal exercise . Nonetheless , these preliminary findings are sufficiently positive to encourage additional study to determine whether a session of vigorous exercise has efficacy as a dopaminergic adjuvant in the management of behavioral features of ADHD
Five minutes of jumping or thirty minutes on a treadmill or static bicycle were enough to produce appreciable improvements in inhibitory control or in cognitive and executive functions .
Benefits following exercise were also seen in other aspects such as reaction times and preparation for response , motor skills or brain activity .
CONCLUSION The findings make us optimistic that in the future physical exercise may become an alternative , or at least an effective complement , to the pharmacological treatments currently used for this pathology
BACKGROUND There are studies that show preliminary evidence of the benefits of physical exercise for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) .
The objective of the research being reported here was to carry out a systematic review of articles relating to the effects that exercise sessions have on children and adolescents with this pathology .