The Acute Effect Of Pharmacological Treatment For Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) On Physical Performance In Adolescents

PURPOSE: Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often exhibit lower physical abilities compared to their peers without ADHD, which can have both health and psychological consequences. Stimulant medications are commonly prescribed to manage ADHD symptoms, yet their effects on diverse aspects of physical performance in adolescents are not well understood. This study aimed to examine the acute impact of stimulant medication on various physical performance measures in adolescent boys and girls with ADHD. METHODS: A randomized crossover study was conducted on 37 participants (30 males, 7 females) aged 12.3-18.4 years (mean age 14.9 ± 2.0 years) diagnosed with ADHD and taking stimulant medications. Participants completed two sessions of physical performance testing, one under the influence of stimulants and one without, in random order. Tests included core muscle endurance (plank test), static balance (one-leg standing test), explosive strength (standing long jump), agility (10X4 shuttle run), and aerobic endurance (Yo-Yo test). Additionally, resting heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate after the plank and Yo-Yo tests were recorded. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in the stimulant condition for the plank test (106.9 ± 60.7 vs. 131.3 ± 71.4, p = 0.004), standing long jump (172.2 ± 33.3 vs. 182.5 ± 32.3, p ≤ 0.001), 10x4 shuttle run (11.7 ± 1.1 vs. 11.2 ± 1.0, p ≤ 0.001), and Yo-Yo test (654.7 ± 387.3 vs. 765.9 ± 415.4, p = 0.001). No significant differences were found in the static balance test. Stimulant medication also increased resting heart rate (91.7 ± 15.8 vs. 80.8 ± 14.5, p ≤ 0.001), resting systolic blood pressure (119.2 ± 14.7 vs. 108.7 ± 9.6, p = 0.001), and heart rate after the plank test (130.8 ± 24.9 vs. 116.7 ± 17.9, p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Stimulant medication acutely enhances endurance, strength, agility, and aerobic capacity in adolescents with ADHD. These findings highlight the broader implications of stimulant use on physical performance in this population, providing new insights into the physiological effects of ADHD medications. Supported by: I used ChatGPT to edit my abstract