Effects of Exercise Intensity on ADHD Symptoms

Kent State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; ADHD

Treatments: Behavioral: Cycling Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06753253

1265

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project investigates the effects of a bicycling exercise at three levels of exercise intensity (low, moderate, and high) on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in college students. Specifically, the outcomes of interest in this study are self-reported executive functioning, self-reported functional impairment, and ADHD symptom severity. The hypothesis is that exercise will improve executive functioning, while reducing functional impairment and ADHD symptom severity, and that this response will be most pronounced in the high-intensity exercise group.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 26 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Age 18-16 Student at Kent State University

Exclusion criteria

seizures/epilepsy syncope asthma chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) restrictive lung disease adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) heart problems/defects/heart failure/valve problems liver/kidney disease diabetes mellitus current pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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28 participants in 3 patient groups

Low Intensity

Experimental group

Description:

The low intensity arm will perform 20 minutes of steady-state cycling on an airdyne bike. Intensity will be confirmed with continuous heart rate measurement, and heart rate should not exceed 65% of maximal heart rate (220-age) in this arm.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cycling Exercise

Moderate Intensity

Experimental group

Description:

The moderate intensity arm will perform 20 minutes of steady-state cycling on an airdyne bike, maintaining heart rate between 65-85% of maximal heart rate.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cycling Exercise

High-Intensity

Experimental group

Description:

The high-intensity arm will perform a 3-minute steady-state cycling warm up on an airdyne bike, followed by 16 minutes of high intensity interval training (HIIT) cycling. The HIIT protocol consists of alternating periods of 20 seconds of high-intensity effort and 120 seconds of return to low-intensity steady-state cycling. The heart rate goal to ensure high-intensity effort is to maintain heart rate \> 85% maximal heart rate during the 20 second high-intensity bursts.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cycling Exercise