Physical exercise interventions for health outcomes in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: An umbrella review with meta-analysis.
Psychiatry ResJun 8, 2026 (epub)
Feilong Zhu, Xi Zhang, Yu Wu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This umbrella review and meta-analysis evaluated the impact of physical exercise interventions on health outcomes in children and adolescents with ADHD. It included 45 meta-analyses and found significant improvements in ADHD core symptoms (SMD = 0.50) and executive functions (SMD = 0.77). The evidence quality was low to very low across various outcomes.
Key findings
- Physical exercise significantly improved ADHD core symptoms with a standardized mean difference of 0.50.
- Executive functions showed a notable improvement with a standardized mean difference of 0.77.
- Cognitively engaging exercises and those conducted at least three times per week had larger effects on executive functions.
- No significant effects were observed for sleep quality, body mass index, or academic achievement.
Why it matters
Understanding the role of physical exercise as an adjunctive treatment for ADHD can help clinicians develop comprehensive management plans. However, the low certainty of evidence necessitates careful consideration before implementation.