Can Exercise Replace Ritalin as a Treatment
for ADHD?
In a study designed and supervised by Dr. Michael S. Wendt at the State University
of New York at Buffalo, exercise significantly improved the behavior of ADHD children between 5-12 years of age. Subjects
involved in this study were subjected to 40 minutes of exercise five out of seven days per week. Respiration rates were monitored
during the sessions to insure that children were exercising at a pre-designed zone of oxygen consumption for at least half
of each exercise session.
Contemporary research revealed that neuro-chemical changes occur in the body when respiration
rates exceed 50% of the body’s total capacity for oxygen consumption. As a result, exercising above this threshold may
promote changes in brain chemistry. Wendt felt that these neuro-chemical changes could have a direct impact on the behavior
of ADHD children because the disorder stems from a breakdown of neurological functions in the brain.
Based on national
statistics, children in this age bracket generally live a sedentary lifestyle. Research indicates that American children have
become increasingly less active over the last ten years. Children seldom become active enough to exceed 50% of their total
rate of oxygen consumption. It may be no wonder that over the last ten years, the identification rate of psychosomatic disorders
in children has dramatically increased.
The results of this study showed a significant improvement in behavior when
pre and post test comparisons were made over the six-week duration of the study. Wendt said that changes in behavior were
generally noticeable between two and four weeks into the exercise program. The greatest gains were made in the oppositional
category of behaviors, which are largely responsible for conflict problems with children.
Wendt indicated that this
might be an alternative for parents who do not wish to use medication as a means of modifying behavior. The side effects of
a good exercise program are far less invasive than the side effects of exposing children to long-term doses of medication.
An
added benefit to an exercise program for children is it may produce a chemically enriched environment that promotes brain
growth. The latest research in fitness and exercise implies that an active lifestyle can have a positive effect on brain growth
and development. If this is true then keeping your child involved in exercise can be beneficial, especially if it takes place
over a number of years.
Article from Acalogic, Inc. (www.acalogic.com)
