The Effects of Endurance Training Along with Methylphenidate Consumption on Balance in Male Rats with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Aim and Deficiency in balance functions of individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been highlighted in the body of literature. There is also a close relationship between physical activities and alleviation in behavioral disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of endurance training along with methylphenidate consumption on balance in rats with ADHD.
Methods and Materials: The present study was a laboratory research. The samples were 35 Wistar rats (weight: 181.66 ± 8.69 g) which were randomly categorized into 5 groups (each group = 7 rats). To induce ADHD in the rats, they were injected 10 mg/kg of L-NAME for 8 weeks and 6 days per week based on the weight of the rats. The groups included 1 control group and 4 groups of ADHD (MPH consumption, endurance training, MPH consumption and endurance training, and ADHD). Open field, balance beam, and 5-band treadmill tests were used as research tools. Balance test was taken after 4 weeks of training. The medication group received 1 mg oral methylphenidate per kg weight of rats daily. The rats received training at a rate of 2 to 20 m/minute for 5 days a week for 28 days. The duration of the training in each session in the first week and the familiarization time was 2 meters/minute and overtime per week was 20 meters/minute. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.
Findings: Analysis of data showed that there is no significant difference between the pretest and posttest in the control group (P = 0.17) and the ADHD group (P = 0.17). However, there was a significant difference between pretest and posttest in the ADHD training, ADHD methylphenidate, and ADHD methylphenidate exercise groups (P = 0.001). Furthermore, Tukey's post hoc test results showed that the control group's balance was better than all other groups (P It seems that it can be concluded that 30 minutes of endurance training per day can be a suitable alternative for methylphenidate among rats with ADHD.