Efficacy of physical activity for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

MVPA may serve as an alternative treatment for ADHD. New RCTs are needed to better understand the impact on frequency, intensity, type of MVPA intervention, and different effects on age groups.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547211017982

Commentary

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of regular, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Results showed that MVPA had a modest effect on overall core symptoms of ADHD. ( n = 11; g = -0.33; 95% CI [-0.63; -0.02]; p = 0.037)

This is the first meta-analysis to include only RCTs that investigated the effectiveness of MVPA interventions for ADHD, which also explains the methodological limitations.

First, only three studies reported blinding of outcome assessors. Then, the impact was small because it was compared to studies that performed a per-protocol analysis, and it is possible that participants stopped the intervention because they experienced inferior efficacy that would have skewed the results. It is also possible that the implementation of the MVPA intervention may present unique challenges because children and adolescents with ADHD exhibit higher rates of disqualification, aggression, and emotional reactions in sports.

Finally, it has also been shown that attempts to replicate these results are more effective when conducted by a professional trainer. Therefore, it seems that a reasonable amount of training needs to be done and a variety of training content needs to be practiced.