Exercise comparisons favored aerobic activity for inhibitory control in children with ADHD
A network meta-analysis reported differences between exercise approaches, but the abstract does not show how large the gains were or establish a ready-to-use program.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Aerobic exercise was reported to improve inhibitory control more than the other exercise categories compared in children with ADHD. The analysis also favored particular program lengths, frequencies and intensities. However, the abstract provides no effect sizes or uncertainty ranges, so it cannot show the practical size of these differences or establish an exercise prescription.
The authors note a limited number of studies. Without effect estimates, confidence intervals or details of direct comparisons, the rankings provide an incomplete basis for judging clinical importance.
A specific cognitive outcome
The outcome was inhibitory control, a specific aspect of executive function. Results on this measure do not establish improvement in every ADHD symptom or show how children functioned at school or home.
Rankings need supporting detail
Researchers compared exercise type, duration, frequency and intensity, then ranked the options. The abstract describes a preferred combination but does not say whether that complete package was directly tested against the alternatives.
The original publication
Is there an ideal exercise prescription? Network meta-analysis of the impact of exercise intervention on inhibitory control in children with ADHD.
Li H, Meng Q, Zhang P et al.
J Psychiatr Res · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41037973
- Record checked
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