Exercise Interventions and Attentional Performance in Children and Adolescents: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND: Physical exercise has been increasingly recognized as a potential strategy to enhance cognitive development during childhood and adolescence. Among cognitive functions, attention plays a critical role in academic performance, behavioral regulation, and information processing. However, evidence regarding the specific effects of physical exercise on attentional performance in youth remains heterogeneous. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of physical exercise interventions on attentional performance in children and adolescents. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of physical exercise interventions on attentional outcomes in participants aged 8 to 17 years were included. Study selection followed PRISMA guidelines. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed qualitatively. RESULTS: The included studies consistently reported improvements in attentional performance following physical exercise interventions. Positive effects were observed across several attentional domains, including concentration, selective attention, sustained attention, processing speed, and response accuracy. Both acute and chronic exercise programs demonstrated cognitive benefits, although longer interventions appeared to produce more stable improvements. Coordinative and cognitively demanding exercise modalities tended to generate greater attentional gains compared with traditional physical activity programs. CONCLUSIONS: Physical exercise appears to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing attentional performance in children and adolescents. Structured and cognitively engaging exercise programs may provide additional benefits for attentional development. Further research is needed to determine optimal exercise characteristics and to clarify the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying exercise-related attentional improvements.