Physical activity and fitness on executive funstions and academic performance in children. A systematic review.

Beatriz Berrios Aguayo; Pedro Ángel Latorre Román; Jesús Salas Sánchez; Antonio Pantoja Vallejo

doi:10.12800/ccd.v17i51.1699

Authors

Beatriz Berrios Aguayo Universidad de Jaén
Pedro Ángel Latorre Román Universidad de Jaén
Jesús Salas Sánchez Universidad Autónoma de Chile
Antonio Pantoja Vallejo Universidad de Jaén

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v17i51.1699

Keywords:

Physical performance, executive functions, academic performance, school-aged children

Abstract

This systematic review sought to investigate the influence of physical activity and physical fitness on cognitive functions. Studies were identiﬁed in four databases from January 2008 through January 2019. A total of 26 studies were selected after meeting the established criteria. Nine studies showed an association between physical activity and physical fitness variables and academic performance. Cardiorespiratory fitness, speed-agility, motor coordination, and perceptual-motor skill had the strongest association with executive function, including attention, memory, inhibition and shifting in 17 studies. High levels of physical activity and physical fitness are associated with higher academic performance and executive function. More hours of Physical Education are needed to more effectively develop the cognitive aspects and physical fitness of children in elementary school.

References

Ahn, S., & Fedewa, A. L. (2011). A meta-analysis of the relationship between children’s physical activity and mental health. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36(4), 385–397. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsq107

Álvarez-Bueno, C., Pesce, C., Cavero-Redondo, I., Sánchez-López, M., Martínez-Hortelano, J. A., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2017). The Effect of Physical Activity Interventions on Children’s Cognition and Metacognition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. In Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.06.012

Anderson, P. (2002). Assessment and Development of Executive Function (EF) During Childhood. Child Neuropsychology, 8(2), 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1076/chin.8.2.71.8724

Berrios Aguayo, B., Pantoja Vallejo, A., & Latorre Román, P. Á. (2019). Acute effect of two different physical education classes on memory in children school-age. Cognitive Development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2019.03.004

Best, J. R. (2010). Effects of physical activity on children’s executive function: Contributions of experimental research on aerobic exercise. Developmental Review, 30(4), 331–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2010.08.001

Budde, H., Voelcker-Rehage, C., Pietraßyk-Kendziorra, S., Ribeiro, P., & Tidow, G. (2008). Acute coordinative exercise improves attentional performance in adolescents. Neuroscience Letters, 441(2), 219–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2008.06.024

Chaddock, L., Pontifex, M. B., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2011). A review of the relation of aerobic fitness and physical activity to brain structure and function in children. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS, 17(6), 975–985. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617711000567

Chang, Y. K., Labban, J. D., Gapin, J. I., & Etnier, J. L. (2012). The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: A meta-analysis. In Brain Research (Vol. 1453, pp. 87–101). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2012.02.068

de Greeff, J. W., Hartman, E., Mullender-Wijnsma, M. J., Bosker, R. J., Doolaard, S., & Visscher, C. (2016). Long-term effects of physically active academic lessons on physical fitness and executive functions in primary school children. Health Education Research, 31(2), 185–194. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyv102

Domínguez, A., Díaz-Pereira, M. P., & Martínez-Vidal, A. (2015). The evolution of motor creativity during primary education.

Donnelly, J. E., Greene, J. L., Gibson, C. A., Sullivan, D. K., Hansen, D. M., Hillman, C. H., Poggio, J., Mayo, M. S., Smith, B. K., Lambourne, K., Herrmann, S. D., Scudder, M., Betts, J. L., Honas, J. J., & Washburn, R. A. (2013). Physical activity and academic achievement across the curriculum (A + PAAC): rationale and design of a 3-year, cluster-randomized trial. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 307. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-307

Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., Lambourne, K., & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: A systematic review. In Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Vol. 48, Issue 6, pp. 1197–1222). https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000901

Downs, S. H., & Black, N. (1998). The feasibility of creating a checklist for the assessment of the methodological quality both of randomised and non-randomised studies of health care interventions. J Epidemiol Community Health, 52, 377–384.

Ellemberg, D., & St-Louis-Deschênes, M. (2010). The effect of acute physical exercise on cognitive function during development. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11(2), 122–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.09.006

Erwin, H., Fedewa, A., & Ahn, S. (2012). Student academic performance outcomes of a classroom physical activity intervention: A pilot study. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 4(3), 473–487.

Fisher, A., Boyle, J. M. E., Paton, J. Y., Tomporowski, P., Watson, C., McColl, J. H., & Reilly, J. J. (2011). Effects of a physical education intervention on cognitive function in young children: randomized controlled pilot study. BMC Pediatrics, 11(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-11-97

Friedman, N. P., Miyake, A., Young, S. E., DeFries, J. C., Corley, R. P., & Hewitt, J. K. (2008). Individual differences in executive functions are almost entirely genetic in origin. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 137(2), 201–225. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.137.2.201

Gallotta, M. C., Emerenziani, G. P., Franciosi, E., Meucci, M., Guidetti, L., & Baldari, C. (2015a). Acute physical activity and delayed attention in primary school students. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25(3), e331-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12310

Gallotta, M. C., Emerenziani, G. P., Franciosi, E., Meucci, M., Guidetti, L., & Baldari, C. (2015b). Acute physical activity and delayed attention in primary school students. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25(3), e331–e338. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12310

García-Pinillos, F., Soto-Hermoso, V. M., & Latorre-Román, P. A. (2016). How does high-intensity intermittent training affect recreational endurance runners? Acute and chronic adaptations: A systematic review. Journal of Sport and Health Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2016.08.010

Gunnell, K. E., Poitras, V. J., LeBlanc, A., Schibli, K., Barbeau, K., Hedayati, N., Ponitfex, M. B., Goldfield, G. S., Dunlap, C., Lehan, E., & Tremblay, M. S. (2019). Physical activity and brain structure, brain function, and cognition in children and youth: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Mental Health and Physical Activity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2018.11.002

Haapala, E. A., Poikkeus, A.-M., Tompuri, T., Kukkonen-Harjula, K., Leppänen, P. H. T., Lindi, V., & Lakka, T. A. (2014). Associations of motor and cardiovascular performance with academic skills in children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 46(5), 1016–1024. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000186

Hansen, D. M., Herrmann, S. D., Lambourne, K., Lee, J., & Donnelly, J. E. (2014). Linear/nonlinear relations of activity and fitness with children’s academic achievement. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 46(12), 2279–2285. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000362

Higgins, J. P. T., & Green, S. (2011). Manual Cochrane de revisiones sistemáticas de intervenciones.

Hillman, C. H., Buck, S. M., Themanson, J. R., Pontifex, M. B., & Castelli, D. M. (2009). Aerobic fitness and cognitive development: Event-related brain potential and task performance indices of executive control in preadolescent children. Developmental Psychology, 45(1), 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014437

Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Castelli, D. M., Khan, N. A., Raine, L. B., Scudder, M. R., Drollette, E. S., Moore, R. D., Wu, C.-T., & Kamijo, K. (2014). Effects of the FITKids randomized controlled trial on executive control and brain function. Pediatrics, 134(4), e1063-71. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-3219

Jäger, K., Schmidt, M., Conzelmann, A., & Roebers, C. M. (2015). The effects of qualitatively different acute physical activity interventions in real-world settings on executive functions in preadolescent children. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 9, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2015.05.002

Jansen, P., Scheer, C., & Zayed, K. (2019). Motor ability and working memory in Omani and German primary school-aged children. PLOS ONE, 14(1), e0209848. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209848

Janssen, I., & Leblanc, A. G. (2010). Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act., 7(1479–5868), 40. https://doi.org/1479-5868-7-40 [pii]r10.1186/1479-5868-7-40

Käll, L. B., Nilsson, M., & Lindén, T. (2014). The Impact of a Physical Activity Intervention Program on Academic Achievement in a Swedish Elementary School Setting. Journal of School Health, 84(8), 473–480. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12179

Kamijo, K., Pontifex, M. B., O’Leary, K. C., Scudder, M. R., Wu, C.-T., Castelli, D. M., & Hillman, C. H. (2011a). The effects of an afterschool physical activity program on working memory in preadolescent children. Developmental Science, 14(5), 1046–1058. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2011.01054.x

Kamijo, K., Pontifex, M. B., O’Leary, K. C., Scudder, M. R., Wu, C.-T., Castelli, D. M., & Hillman, C. H. (2011b). The effects of an afterschool physical activity program on working memory in preadolescent children. Developmental Science, 14(5), 1046–1058. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2011.01054.x

Kibbe, D. L., Hackett, J., Hurley, M., McFarland, A., Schubert, K. G., Schultz, A., & Harris, S. (2011). Ten Years of TAKE 10!(®): Integrating physical activity with academic concepts in elementary school classrooms. Preventive Medicine, 52 Suppl 1, S43-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.01.025

Kvalø, S. E., Bru, E., Brønnick, K., & Dyrstad, S. M. (2017). Does increased physical activity in school affect children’s executive function and aerobic fitness? Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 27(12), 1833–1841. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12856

Lambourne, K., Hansen, D. M., Szabo, A. N., Lee, J., Herrmann, S. D., & Donnelly, J. E. (2013). Indirect and direct relations between aerobic fitness, physical activity, and academic achievement in elementary school students. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 6(3), 165–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2013.06.002

Latorre-Román, P. Á., Mora-López, D., & García-Pinillos, F. (2016). Intellectual maturity and physical fitness in preschool children. Pediatrics International, 58(6), 450–455. https://doi.org/10.1111/ped.12898

Latorre Román, P. Á., Pinillos, F. G., Pantoja Vallejo, A., & Berrios Aguayo, B. (2017). Creativity and physical fitness in primary school-aged children. Pediatrics International, 59(11), 1194–1199. https://doi.org/10.1111/ped.13391

Lees, C., & Hopkins, J. (2013). Effect of aerobic exercise on cognition, academic achievement, and psychosocial function in children: a systematic review of randomized control trials. Preventing Chronic Disease, 10, E174. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130010

Lezak, M. D., Howieson, D. B., & Loring, D. W. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. Oxford University Press.

Lind, R. R., Geertsen, S. S., Ørntoft, C., Madsen, M., Larsen, M. N., Dvorak, J., Ritz, C., & Krustrup, P. (2018). Improved cognitive performance in preadolescent Danish children after the school-based physical activity programme “FIFA 11 for Health” for Europe. A cluster-randomised controlled trial. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(1), 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2017.1394369

Ma, J. K., Le Mare, L., & Gurd, B. J. (2015). Four minutes of in-class high-intensity interval activity improves selective attention in 9- to 11-year olds. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 40(3), 238–244. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2014-0309

Mahar, M. T. (2011). Impact of short bouts of physical activity on attention-to-task in elementary school children. Preventive Medicine, 52, S60–S64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.01.026

Mahar, M. T., Murphy, S. K., Rowe, D. A., Golden, J., Shields, A. T., & Raedeke, T. D. (2006). Effects of a classroom-based program on physical activity and on-task behavior. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38(12), 2086–2094. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000235359.16685.a3

Maher, C. G., Sherrington, C., Herbert, R. D., Moseley, A. M., & Elkins, M. (2003). Reliability of the PEDro scale for rating quality of randomized controlled trials. Physical Therapy, 83(8), 713–721.

Marques, A., Santos, D. A., Hillman, C. H., & Sardinha, L. B. (2018). How does academic achievement relate to cardiorespiratory fitness, self-reported physical activity and objectively reported physical activity: A systematic review in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(16), 1039. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097361

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

Mullender-Wijnsma, M. J., Hartman, E., de Greeff, J. W., Bosker, R. J., Doolaard, S., & Visscher, C. (2015). Improving Academic Performance of School-Age Children by Physical Activity in the Classroom: 1-Year Program Evaluation. Journal of School Health, 85(6), 365–371. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12259

Ou, F. K., Wegner, M., Niemann, C., & Budde, H. (n.d.). Effects of Motor versus Cardiovascular Exercise Training on Children_s Working Memory. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000869

Pesce, C., Crova, C., Cereatti, L., Casella, R., & Bellucci, M. (2009). Physical activity and mental performance in preadolescents: Effects of acute exercise on free-recall memory. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 2, 16–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2009.02.001

Pirrie, A. M., & Lodewyk, K. R. (2012). Investigating links between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and cognitive performance in elementary school students. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 5(1), 93–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2012.04.001

Pontifex, M. B., Scudder, M. R., Drollette, E. S., & Hillman, C. H. (2012). Fit and vigilant: the relationship between poorer aerobic fitness and failures in sustained attention during preadolescence. Neuropsychology, 26(4), 407–413. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028795

Raine, L. B., Lee, H. K., Saliba, B. J., Chaddock-Heyman, L., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2013). The Influence of Childhood Aerobic Fitness on Learning and Memory. PLoS ONE, 8(9), e72666. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0072666

Resaland, G. K., Moe, V. F., Aadland, E., Steene-Johannessen, J., Glosvik, Ø., Andersen, J. R., Kvalheim, O. M., McKay, H. A., Anderssen, S. A., & ASK study group. (2015). Active Smarter Kids (ASK): Rationale and design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of daily physical activity on children’s academic performance and risk factors for non-communicable diseases. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 709. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2049-y

Ruiz-Ariza, A., Grao-Cruces, A., de Loureiro, N. E. M., & Martínez-López, E. J. (2017). Influence of physical fitness on cognitive and academic performance in adolescents: A systematic review from 2005–2015. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(1), 108–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2016.1184699

Sardinha, L. S., Marques, A., Minderico, C., Nio Palmeira, A., Martins, S., Santos, D. A., & Ekelund, U. (2016). Longitudinal Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Academic Achievement. Med . Sci . Sports Exerc, 48(5), 839–844. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000830

Schmidt, M., Egger, F., Benzing, V., Jäger, K., Conzelmann, A., Roebers, C. M., & Pesce, C. (2017). Disentangling the relationship between children’s motor ability, executive function and academic achievement. PLOS ONE, 12(8), e0182845. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182845

Schmidt, M., Jäger, K., Egger, F., Roebers, C. M., & Conzelmann, A. (2015). Cognitively Engaging Chronic Physical Activity, but Not Aerobic Exercise, Affects Executive Functions in Primary School Children: A Group-Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 37(6), 575–591. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2015-0069

Soga, K., Shishido, T., & Nagatomi, R. (2015). Executive function during and after acute moderate aerobic exercise in adolescents. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 16, 7–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.08.010

Syväoja, H. J., Tammelin, T. H., Ahonen, T., Kankaanpää, A., & Kantomaa, M. T. (2014). The Associations of Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time with Cognitive Functions in School-Aged Children. PLoS ONE, 9(7), e103559. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103559

Tomporowski, P. D., Davis, C. L., Miller, P. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2008). Exercise and children’s intelligence, cognition, and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 20(2), 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-007-9057-0

Trudeau, F., & Shephard, R. J. (2008). Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance. In International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (Vol. 5, Issue 1, p. 10). https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-5-10

van den Berg, V., Saliasi, E., de Groot, R. H. M., Jolles, J., Chinapaw, M. J. M., & Singh, A. S. (2016). Physical Activity in the School Setting: Cognitive Performance Is Not Affected by Three Different Types of Acute Exercise. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 723. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00723

van der Niet, A. G., Smith, J., Scherder, E. J. A., Oosterlaan, J., Hartman, E., & Visscher, C. (2015). Associations between daily physical activity and executive functioning in primary school-aged children. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 18(6), 673–677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.09.006

Verburgh, L., Königs, M., Scherder, E. J. a, & Oosterlaan, J. (2014). Physical exercise and executive functions in preadolescent children, adolescents and young adults: a meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(12), 973–979. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091441

Wittberg, R. A., Northrup, K. L., & Cottrell, L. A. (2012a). Children’s aerobic fitness and academic achievement: a longitudinal examination of students during their fifth and seventh grade years. American Journal of Public Health, 102(12), 2303–2307. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300515

Wittberg, R. A., Northrup, K. L., & Cottrell, L. A. (2012b). Children’s Aerobic Fitness and Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Examination of Students During Their Fifth and Seventh Grade Years. American Journal of Public Health, 102(12), 2303–2307. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300515

Yanagisawa, H., Dan, I., Tsuzuki, D., Kato, M., Okamoto, M., Kyutoku, Y., & Soya, H. (2010). Acute moderate exercise elicits increased dorsolateral prefrontal activation and improves cognitive performance with Stroop test. NeuroImage, 50(4), 1702–1710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.12.023