Effect of a 12-week interval running program on female primary school students with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the prevalent disorders in child psychiatry with the potential of damage to mental talent evolution process and socio-emotional skills. This study aimed to examine the effect of an aerobic running program on ADHD among the primary school girls. In this clinical trial study, 120 female students with ADHD were purposefully selected from the primary schools in Kashan during 2011-12. The child symptom inventory-DSM-IV version (CSI-4) was completed by the student's teachers and parents and then 30 students with the severe ADHD were divided into the control and experimental groups using the randomized block method. The experimental group performed a 12-week interval running program, 3 times per week, with a maximum heart rate of 60-85%. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results showed that a 12-week interval running program had beneficial effects on ADHD in the experimental compared to the control group (P<0.001). It seems that an aerobic training as a non-invasive and non-drug alternative has a positive effect on the alleviation of ADHD.