Abstract
BackgroundIn addition to the benefits on physical and mental health, cardiorespiratory fitness has shown to have positive effects on cognition. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and body weight status on academic performance among seventh-grade students.MethodsParticipants included 1531 grade 7 students (787 male, 744 female), ranging in age from 12 to 14 years (Mage = 12.3 ± 0.60), from 3 different cohorts. Academic performance was measured using the marks students had, at the end of their academic year, in mathematics, language (Portuguese), foreign language (English), and sciences. To assess cardiorespiratory fitness the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, from Fitnessgram, was used as the test battery. The relationship between academic achievement and the independent and combined association of cardiorespiratory fitness/weight status was analysed, using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsCardiorespiratory fitness and weight status were independently related with academic achievement. Fit students, compared with unfit students had significantly higher odds for having high academic achievement (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.48-3.55, p < 0.001). Likewise, having a normal weight status was also related with high academic achievement (OR = 3.65, 95% CI: 1.82-7.34, p < 0.001).ConclusionsCardiorespiratory fitness and weight status were independently and combined related to academic achievement in seventh-grade students independent of the different cohorts, providing further support that aerobically fit and normal weight students are more likely to have better performance at school regardless of the year that they were born.
Highlights
In addition to the benefits on physical and mental health, cardiorespiratory fitness has shown to have positive effects on cognition
As part of the general health-related fitness of children and adolescents, has been associated with a cluster of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors [1], independent of fatness and physical activity [2], and it is well recognized as a relevant marker of cardiovascular health [3]
Low cardiorespiratory fitness is related to obesity [4], and changes in cardiorespiratory fitness are a significant predictor of changes in fatness that occur from childhood to adolescence, even after controlling for confounding factors such as physical activity, gender
Summary
In addition to the benefits on physical and mental health, cardiorespiratory fitness has shown to have positive effects on cognition. Low cardiorespiratory fitness is related to obesity [4], and changes in cardiorespiratory fitness are a significant predictor of changes in fatness that occur from childhood to adolescence, even after controlling for confounding factors such as physical activity, gender, cardiorespiratory fitness has been shown to have positive effects on cognition. Cardiorespiratory fitness affects brain plasticity [13], and it is associated with cognitive health, better cognitive abilities, larger brain structures, elevated brain function [14,15,16], and improved memory [17,18] along with neurocognitive functions and cognitive control [19]. Improving neurocognitive functions and the brain plasticity may result in better academic performance, as has been demonstrated in previous studies [11]
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