Physical Activity, Academic Performance and Cognition in Children and Adolescents. A Systematic Review (original) (raw)
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Journal of Sports Sciences, 2020
The aim was to provide a meta-analysis of studies investigating the effects of physical activity interventions on cognitive outcomes and academic performance in adolescents or young adults. A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed using the following databases: Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Studies had to meet the following criteria: controlled study design, investigating the effects of physical activity interventions on cognitive outcomes and academic performance in healthy adolescents or young adults (12-30 years). Results showed that acute interventions (n=44) significantly improved processing speed (ES=0.39), attention (ES=0.34) and, inhibition (ES=0.32). In a subsequent meta-regression, shorter duration of intervention was significantly associated with greater improvements in attention (β=−0.02) and cognitive flexibility (β=−0.04), whereas age, percentage of boys, intensity and dose were not. Chronic interventions (n=27) significantly improved processing speed (ES=0.30), attention (ES=0.50), cognitive flexibility (ES=0.19), working memory (ES=0.59) and language skills (ES=0.31). In the meta-regression, higher percentage of boys was significantly associated with greater improvements in attention (β=0.02) and working memory (β=0.01) whereas age, duration, frequency, dose and load were not. In conclusion, acute and chronic physical activity interventions might be a promising way to improve several cognitive outcomes and language skills in adolescents and young adults.
British journal of sports medicine, 2018
To summarise the current evidence on the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions on cognitive and academic performance in children, and formulate research priorities and recommendations. Systematic review (following PRISMA guidelines) with a methodological quality assessment and an international expert panel. We based the evaluation of the consistency of the scientific evidence on the findings reported in studies rated as of high methodological quality. PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, ERIC, and SPORTDiscus. PA-intervention studies in children with at least one cognitive or academic performance assessment. Eleven (19%) of 58 included intervention studies received a high-quality rating for methodological quality: four assessed effects of PA interventions on cognitive performance, six assessed effects on academic performance, and one on both. All high-quality studies contrasted the effects of additional/adapted PA activities with regular curriculum activitie...
Frontiers in Psychology, 2016
Recent studies indicate that a single bout of physical exercise can have immediate positive effects on cognitive performance of children and adolescents. However, the type of exercise that affects cognitive performance the most in young adolescents is not fully understood. Therefore, this controlled study examined the acute effects of three types of 12-min classroom-based exercise sessions on information processing speed and selective attention. The three conditions consisted of aerobic, coordination, and strength exercises, respectively. In particular, this study focused on the feasibility and efficiency of introducing short bouts of exercise in the classroom. One hundred and ninety five students (5th and 6th grade; 10-13 years old) participated in a double baseline within-subjects design, with students acting as their own control. Exercise type was randomly assigned to each class and acted as between-subject factor. Before and immediately after both the control and the exercise session, students performed two cognitive tests that measured information processing speed (Letter Digit Substitution Test) and selective attention (d2 Test of Attention). The results revealed that exercising at low to moderate intensity does not have an effect on the cognitive parameters tested in young adolescents. Furthermore, there were no differential effects of exercise type. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the caution which should be taken when conducting exercise sessions in a classroom setting aimed at improving cognitive performance.
2011
Research in adults and children has shown a positive association between physical activity and cognitive performance. Few studies have investigated this in adolescents, while the prefrontal cortex, responsible for the higher order cognitive functions, is still developing in this age group. The main goal of this study is to investigate how the amount and intensity of physical activity may predict cognitive performance and consequently academic achievement in adolescents.
Physical Fitness on Academic Performance in Youth
European Journal of Natural Sciences and Medicine
Physical fitness, as an important physical health issue, may play a key role also in brain health by affecting the academic performance of youth helping the cognitive control components to improve. Memory and cognitive skill are some of the cognitive control components that are fundamental even for academic ability. Aim: In this context, the aim of our study was to investigate and analyze the facts regarding the potential of the exercises on academic achievement improvement. Methods: In order to realize a detailed review study we used the Jab Ref as a research sector, focusing more on navigating the Medline, Google Scholar, and Inspire options that this program contains. While as the selection criteria of the collected scientific articles, we used the keywords that provided us the exact articles that stated facts about the aim of our study. Results: Authors emphasized that the development of motor skills by practicing the coordinative exercises may have a beneficial influence on the...
Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: A Systematic Review
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018
Childhood is an important and sensitive period for cognitive development. There is limited published research regarding the relationship between sports and cognitive functions in children. We present studies that demonstrate the influence of physical activity on health, especially a positive correlation between sports and cognitive functions. The keywords "children, cognition, cognitive function, physical activity, and brain" were searched for using PsycInfo, Medline, and Google Scholar, with publication dates ranging from January 2000 to November 2017. Of the 617 results, 58 articles strictly connected to the main topics of physical activity and cognitive functioning were then reviewed. The areas of attention, thinking, language, learning, and memory were analyzed relative to sports and childhood. Results suggest that engaging in sports in late childhood positively influences cognitive and emotional functions. There is a paucity of publications that investigate the impact of sports on pre-adolescents' cognitive functions, or explore which cognitive functions are developed by which sporting disciplines. Such knowledge would be useful in developing training programs for pre-adolescents, aimed at improving cognitive functions that may guide both researchers and practitioners relative to the wide range of benefits that result from physical activity.
Exercise and Children’s Intelligence, Cognition, and Academic Achievement
Educational Psychology Review, 2008
Studies that examine the effects of exercise on children's intelligence, cognition, or academic achievement were reviewed and results were discussed in light of (a) contemporary cognitive theory development directed toward exercise, (b) recent research demonstrating the salutary effects of exercise on adults' cognitive functioning, and (c) studies conducted with animals that have linked physical activity to changes in neurological development and behavior. Similar to adults, exercise facilitates children's executive function (i.e., processes required to select, organize, and properly initiate goal-directed actions). Exercise may prove to be a simple, yet important, method of enhancing those aspects of children's mental functioning central to cognitive development.
Physical Exercise and Academic Performance
MOJ Sports Medicine , 2017
The practice of physical exercise has been classically associated with improvements in metabolic functions such as cardiovascular, ventilator, hormonal, etc. However, in the last decades, it has increased the number of studies that relate physical exercise, cognitive functions and academic performance. In recent years, many studies have reported the relationship between physical exercise and grades obtained at primary, secondary and university levels, which may be influenced by the improvement of attention, work memory and executive functions after the increase of blood vessels and neurogenesis influenced by the practice of physical exercise.