The effect of acute exercise on cognitive performance in children with and without ADHD

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder that affects approximately 11% of children in the United States. Research supports that a single session of exercise benefits cognitive performance by children, and a limited number of studies have demonstrated that these effects can also be realized by children with ADHD. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of acute exercise on cognitive performance by children with and without ADHD. Methods: Children with and without ADHD were asked to perform cognitive tasks on 2 days following treatment conditions that were assigned in a random, counterbalanced order. The treatment conditions consisted of a 30-min control condition on 1 day and a moderate intensity exercise condition on the other day.Results Exercise significantly benefited performance on all three conditions of the Stroop Task, but did not significantly affect performance on the Tower of London or the Trail Making Test. Conclusion: Children with and without ADHD realize benefits in speed of processing and inhibitory control in response to a session of acute exercise, but do not experience benefits in planning or set shifting.