ADHD traits more common in runners, new research suggests

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journal Acta Psychologica, looked at ADHD traits in distance runners. Researchers from France, Switzerland and Spain surveyed 601 runners, including 222 women and 379 men, with an average age of 42.8. Participants raced distances from the half-marathon to ultramarathon and completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, which is a screening tool and not an official diagnosis. The questionnaire looks for symptoms commonly associated with adult ADHD, but a high score only means someone may have enough traits to invite a closer look. It doesn’t confirm ADHD, and it doesn’t show whether running plays any role in those traits. Nearly one in 10 screened positive Overall, 9.7 per cent of runners screened above the cutoff for ADHD traits, higher than the roughly 3.1 per cent adult ADHD prevalence cited by the authors for the general population. Half-marathon runners had the highest screening...