Effects of acute endurance, strength, and coordination exercise interventions on attention in adolescents: A randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare three different modes of an acute bout of exercise - endurance, strength, and coordination - in their effects on adolescents' attention. DESIGN: This was a preregistered, prospective, randomized intervention study with four groups and two distinct measurement occasions. METHOD: Eighty adolescent students aged 15-18 years were randomized to one of three exercise intervention groups (endurance, strength, coordination) or to a non-exercise, control group. The exercise interventions lasted for 25 min. The random assignment to the study groups was stratified according to participants' age and gender. Before and after the exercise intervention, all participants completed the revised d2-test of attention. A 4 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA with contrast-coded test was used as the main analysis method. RESULTS: Attentional test performance increased from before to after the exercise intervention for all exercise groups, as compared with the control group. The three exercise groups improved equally and did not differ in their attentional scores after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: An acute bout of exercise was in general beneficial for adolescent students' attention, while the mode of the provided exercise training was not decisive. School directors and teachers are encouraged to incorporate exercise-related breaks into their school plan.