Association of cardiorespiratory endurance with academic performance, concentration and hyperactive-attentive behaviour in ADHD schoolchildren

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Cardiorespiratory Resistance (CR) has become increas-ingly relevant in the educational context, as it has been found that an adequate level of CR is related to a greater capacity for concentration, memory and learning in general. This study aims to analyse the association of CR level of schoolchildren diagnosed with ADHD with variables related to behaviour in the educational setting. The sample consisted of a total of 94 students diagnosed with ADHD (44 boys, 47% and 50 girls, 53%) aged 6 to 12 years (9.48 +/- 2.10 years). The Course Navette test was used to measure CR. Mathematical calculation and linguistic reasoning were assessed with an ad hoc test, concentration was measured with the d2 test and hyperactive-impulsive behaviour in the educational context with the EDAH test. For data analysis, multiple linear regression and ANCOVA were performed, both using age and BMI as co-variates. Results showed that higher CR in boys was associated with better linguistic reasoning (p=.001) and less hyperac-tive-attentive behaviour in the classroom (p=.009). Girls with a high CR level had better linguistic reasoning than their peers with a low CR level (p=.019). It is concluded that, a higher level of CR is associated with lower hyperactive-impul-sive behaviour in ADHD boys and higher academic performance in both sexes, independently of BMI and age of the school-children.