Exercise improved inhibitory control in children with ADHD, with low-certainty evidence
A trial review found better performance on inhibitory-control measures with exercise, but study limitations weaken confidence and leave everyday benefits unresolved.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Children with ADHD in exercise groups performed better on measures of inhibitory control than children in control groups. This concerns the ability to hold back a response, rather than showing improvement in every ADHD symptom or in daily functioning. The pooled finding is promising, but the review rated the evidence as low quality.
Evidence quality was low because trials lacked blinding and preregistration. This abstract-based summary cannot assess the individual tests, control conditions or whether improvements carried over into daily life.
What researchers found
Inhibitory control versus control groups
The pooled standardized mean difference favored exercise across trial assessments; assessment timing was not reported in the abstract.
Understanding the effect size
The estimate puts differences across inhibitory-control measures onto a common statistical scale. It is not a percentage improvement, and the abstract does not translate it into an everyday change a child or family would notice.
No optimal schedule established
The analysis did not detect significant differences linked to training frequency, session length, intervention duration or gender balance. That does not establish that all exercise schedules work equally well or identify an optimal program.
The original publication
A multilevel meta-analysis of the effects of exercise interventions on inhibitory control in children with ADHD.
Wang H, Wang S, Cheng G
Front Psychiatry · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41783733
- Record checked
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