Is Physical Exercise Beneficial in Treating ADHD?

For Related material, see my books, Taking Charge of ADHD and Taking Charge of Adult ADHD.

In this brief video I discuss the findings from various reviews and meta-analyses of the literature on this topic dating back to 2015. With each passing year, more research was being done on this question, especially concerning children and adolescents with ADHD. Little if any research had been done back then with adults. The conclusion of these reviews is that routine, physical aerobic exercise (cardio) is of benefit to children and teens with ADHD in improving their executive functioning, inattention, and motor skills. There is inconsistent benefits for comorbid anxiety and depression and even less evidence for improved social functioning. Weaker results were found for non-cardio than cardio exercises.

There are only a few studies of the effects of physical exercise on adults with ADHD. Two studies are discussed here and both employed an acute episode of high intensity exercise. Both found post-exercise benefits on cognitive measures of attention but only in the group having ADHD. The non-ADHD groups did not show any such improvements. Clearly much more research is needed on the effect of physical exercise on adults with ADHD but results to date are promising.

Research reviewed in the video:

Christina Neudecker et al. (2015). Exercise Interventions in Children and Adolescents With ADHD: A Systematic Review. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054715584053

Ruta Vysniauske et al. (2016). The Effects of Physical Exercise on Functional Outcomes in the Treatment of ADHD: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Attention Disorders, 24(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054715627489

Anne E. Den Heijer et al. (2016), Sweat it out? The effects of physical exercise on cognition and behavior in children and adults with ADHD: a systematic literature review. Journal of Neural Transmission, 124, 3-26. https://link.springer.com/article/10....

Qin Xiang Ng et al. (2017). Managing childhood and adolescent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with exercise: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 34, 123-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.0...

Zang, Y. (2019). Impact of physical exercise on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders: Evidence through a meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 98(46), e17980. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000017980

Wenxin Sun et al. (2022). Effects of physical exercise on attention deficit and other major symptoms in children with ADHD: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.20...

Livia Welsch et al. (2021). The effect of physical activity interventions on executive functions in children with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2020.1...

Felipe Montalva-Valenzuela et al. (2022). Effects of Physical Activity, Exercise and Sport on Executive Function in Young People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review. Investigations in Health, Psychology and Education, 12(1), 61-76. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe12010006

Huan Huang et al. (2023). Chronic Exercise for Core Symptoms and Executive Functions in ADHD: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 151(1). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057745

Dastamooz, S. et al. (2023). The efficacy of physical exercise interventions on mental health, cognitive function, and ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD: an umbrella review. eClinical Medicine (Lancet). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023...

Aylin Mehren et al. (2022). Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Executive Function and Attention in Adult Patients With ADHD. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00132

Patrick A. LaCount et al. (2022). Acute effects of physical exercise on cognitive and psychological functioning in college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2022.1...