Effects of Exercise on Hyperactivity/Impulsivity and Inhibitory Control at Behavioral and Electrophysiological Levels...

This study aimed to assess the impact of exercise on hyperactivity/impulsivity, inhibitory control, and inhibition-related event-related potential (ERP) components in individuals with ADHD.

A systematic search identified relevant studies, and methodological quality was assessed using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I), with data analysis conducted using Stata software.

A total of 36 studies (38 comparisons) were included, comprising 10 acute and 26 chronic exercise interventions. Exercise yielded a small-to-moderate improvement in inhibitory control but showed no significant effects on hyperactivity/impulsivity or inhibition-related N2 and P3 components. Subgroup analyses of inhibitory control revealed significant moderating effects of age (children/adolescents), intervention type (chronic interventions), frequency (three sessions per week), control condition (sedentary or no-intervention groups), and study quality (studies with moderate or high risk of bias).

Exercise enhances inhibitory control in individuals with ADHD, with the effect being especially pronounced in children and adolescents. Chronic interventions and a frequency of three sessions per week appear to be most beneficial. However, it shows no significant effect on hyperactivity/impulsivity or inhibition-related N2 and P3 components. The impact of exercising should not be overestimated.