Abstract
PurposeThe effects of physical exercise on executive functions (EFs) are well-documented. EFs are involved in daily activities, and their development determines the quality of people’s future life, both in terms of mental health and quality of life. The purpose of the current paper is to evaluate the effects of a physical education program, elaborated within the Enriched Sports Activity Program (ESA Program), an Erasmus + Project, on EFs, namely, visuospatial working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and task switching.MethodData were collected on November 2017 (t1) and May 2018 (t2). At t1, a sample of 357 children from four European countries (Italy, Germany, Lithuania, and Turkey) performed a cognitive test battery made up of Digit Span Forward/Backward, Stroop Task, and Trail Making Test (TMT), whose order was randomized. From November until May, classrooms from the experimental group followed the ESA Program, while classrooms from the control continued with the ordinary physical education class. At t2, children from both experimental and control groups performed again the cognitive battery.ResultThe repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of the ESA Program on the TMT B and on Digit Span Backward, but no significant effects were found on Digit Span Forward and Stroop Task.ConclusionThe introduction of a sport program enriched with cognitive stimuli has beneficial effects for children working memory and cognitive flexibility.
Highlights
In the past decades, cognition and exercise have been considered as separate domains and, for this reason, were treated independently (Diamond, 2000)
A close link between physical exercise and cognitive abilities has been recognized (Colcombe and Kramer, 2003), for what concerns the influence of physical exercise on executive functions (EFs)
Many hypotheses have been provided for explaining this improvement as the increase of the catecholamine levels (Chmura et al, 1994; Verburgh et al, 2014), which is linked to prefrontal cortex activity as well as executive functioning (Mehren et al, 2019), or the increase of cerebral blood flow (CBF) due to exercise (Verburgh et al, 2014)
Summary
Cognition and exercise have been considered as separate domains and, for this reason, were treated independently (Diamond, 2000). Many hypotheses have been provided for explaining this improvement as the increase of the catecholamine levels (Chmura et al, 1994; Verburgh et al, 2014), which is linked to prefrontal cortex activity as well as executive functioning (Mehren et al, 2019), or the increase of cerebral blood flow (CBF) due to exercise (Verburgh et al, 2014). For children, EFs are involved in the learning process (Alloway and Alloway, 2010); they are considered crucial for successful performances at school and the development of academic skills (Nayfeld et al, 2013). Haapala (2013) undertook a systematic literature review from 1966 to 2011 on physical activity, academic performance, and cognition in children and adolescents, providing evidences which showed positive effects of 14- to 36-week physical exercise training on mathematical, reading, and language achievement scores Working memory tasks forecast their performance in math tests, while the inhibition task is positively associated with the general semester grade. Haapala (2013) undertook a systematic literature review from 1966 to 2011 on physical activity, academic performance, and cognition in children and adolescents, providing evidences which showed positive effects of 14- to 36-week physical exercise training on mathematical, reading, and language achievement scores
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
