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Background: The purpose of this paper is to review relationships of academic performance and some of its determinants to participation in school-based physical activities, including physical education (PE), free school physical activity (PA) and school sports.

Although children and youth currently form the most active segments of the population in developed societies, there is a marked trend toward an increase in sedentary lifestyle among school-age children. The purpose of this review is to analyse the effects of school physical education (PE) programmes on: (i) the physical activity (PA) levels of participants as children and adults; and (ii) attitudes toward PE and PA in the same groups. Based on the literature analysed, it can be suggested that a sufficient quantity of a quality PE programme can contribute significantly to the overall amount of moderate-to-intense PA of the school-age child. Schools also have the potential to influence the habitual PA of children by encouraging increased participation in extracurricular sports activities, by favouring active commuting to school and by providing exercise equipment and supervision for youth in their neighbourhoods. Most young children have a very positive attitude towards PE. However, as they grow older, their perception of PE as a positive experience seems to become more ambiguous. From the few studies available, it seems likely that quality PE programmes help to maintain initial positive perceptions. Future research should address factors influencing the change of perceptions as a child matures. In addition to offering a quality PE programme, schools should ensure that the total weekly amount of PE is sufficient not only to maintain but also to enhance a child's physical fitness. More research is needed to determine the ability of school PE programmes to influence PA behaviour in adult life and to evaluate strategies that will make optimal use of the curricular time allocated to PE.

Our results suggest a positive impact of early required physical education upon adult PA but provide little evidence of an overall association between time spent in other categories of PA during childhood and PA as an adult.

It is now well-established that well-designed programs can induce short-term gains in aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and physical performance, although during the primary school years, gains may be somewhat less than in adults. Long-term effects have as yet had little investigation. Most studies have looked simply at the tracking of activity patterns and associated lifestyle variables, usually from mid or late adolescence into early adult life. Although statistically significant, such tracking has been relatively weak. Further, in the absence of an experimental intervention, such studies provide little information on the long-term health value of physical education. The potential for obtaining definitive information is suggested by a long-term (20+ year) follow-up of participants in the Trois Rivières study. This program was well-perceived by participants, and the data obtained on adults suggest it may have had some favorable long-term impact on activity patterns, physiological parameters, and smoking behavior.

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This review examines possible relationships between academic performance and participation in sports, physical education, and other forms of physical activity. Recent fundamental research has reignited interest in the effects of physical activity on cognitive processes. Experimental studies of potential mediating variables point to physiological influences such as greater arousal and an increased secretion of neurotrophins and psychosocial influences such as increased self-esteem and connectedness to schools. In the specific case of sports, experimental studies are limited to demonstrations of greater attention and acute gains of mental performance immediately following such activity. Several quasi-experimental studies of other types of physical activity have been completed, mainly in primary school students; these have found no decrease in academic performance despite a curtailing of the time allocated to the teaching of academic subjects. Indeed, in some cases, experimental students undertaking more physical activity have out-performed control students. Many investigators have looked at cross-sectional associations between participation in sport or other forms of physical activity and academic performance. Despite difficulties in allowing for confounding variables, particularly socioeconomic status, the overall conclusion has been of a weak positive association. From the practical point of view, it can be concluded that the physical activity needed for healthy child development can be incorporated into the school curriculum without detriment to academic achievement.