Chemicals, Exercise and Hyperactivity: A Short Report

PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS have been shown to enhance children's short-term performance on a number of cognitive and social interaction measures and there are encouraging indications that physical exertion can mimic these effects. Although the health benefits of aerobic exercise have been acknowledged for some time, other parameters of physical exertion are less well-known, particularly in the domain of human cognition. The data presented, and briefly reviewed, are supportive of the hypothesis that physical activity can enhance problem-solving performance and for so-called hyperactive children, their ability to attend to the task at hand. Indeed, aerobic exercise may offer an alternative to traditional chemical treatments.