An examination of the prospective association between physical activity and academic achievement in youth at the population level

Abstract

Exercise has significant benefits for brain health and this may have downstream learning benefits for youth. However existing studies looking at links between physical activity and academic achievement are limited by relatively small sample sizes and/or cross-sectional designs. The objective of this study is to determine the direction and magnitude of the association between physical activity and academic achievement in a large prospective sample of adolescents. Linear mixed models with random intercepts and multinomial ordinal generalized estimating equations were employed to analyze the prospective relationship between measures of physical activity and academic achievement from the COMPASS study (N = 9,898 linked participant data cases from year 2 (2013–2014) to year 4 (2015–2016)). The linear relationships between minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity and academic achievement (English: r = -.047, p < .000; Math: r = -.026, p = .008) as well as meeting the national physical activity guidelines and academic achievement (English: est = -.052, p = .004; Math: est = -.052, p = .028) were negative and trivial in magnitude. Organized sport participation showed slight positive associations with academic achievement indices, but these were also of trivial magnitude. In conclusion, the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement was effectively null in this population sample. Advocacy for physical activity programming for adolescent populations may best be undertaken with reference to lack of net academic achievement cost, rather than presence of benefit, or simply with reference to the many other physical and mental health benefits for youth.

Bidirectional Associations Between Adiposity and Cognitive Function and Mediation by Brain Morphology in the ABCD Study

“…This negative association might reflect time competition between academic pursuits and physical activity, such that more hours spent studying (a sedentary activity) might produce higher scores on tests of reading and vocabulary, and produce a negative correlation between cognitive task performance and MVPA. 43 The null mediation paths from wave 1 cognition to wave 3 adiposity should be considered tentative, given the assumed gradual, cumulative nature of the association between baseline cognition and future body composition. A longer time window would be ideally suited to test this mediational pathway adequately.…”

“…For instance, although a significant indirect mediation path involving MVPA was found, the direction of the association suggested that higher vocabulary and reading scores were associated with lower MVPA. This negative association might reflect time competition between academic pursuits and physical activity, such that more hours spent studying (a sedentary activity) might produce higher scores on tests of reading and vocabulary, and produce a negative correlation between cognitive task performance and MVPA . The null mediation paths from wave 1 cognition to wave 3 adiposity should be considered tentative, given the assumed gradual, cumulative nature of the association between baseline cognition and future body composition.…”

Sport Participation and Academic Performance in Young Elite Athletes

“…Moreover, in a sample of 6946 adolescents aged 14–17 years, Chen and colleagues found that participating in team sports was associated with a better academic performance, regardless of whether students were involved in one, two, three or more team sports [ 24 ]. However, controversy exists as to whether sports participation, particularly at the elite level, is actually associated with a greater academic performance [ 26 , 27 , 29 ].…”

“…Indeed, in the present study, we found an inverse association between elite sports participation and academic performance. Barlow and Hickey also found that Division III athletes had lower GPA scores during the competitive season than during the off-season [ 27 ]. In this regard, a study conducted among 575 young Spanish elite athletes reported that most of them perceived the combination of their sport with studies as difficult, which was mostly due to time constraints [ 39 ].…”

“…Controversy exists on whether sports participation, particularly at the elite level, is actually associated with a greater academic performance [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Elite sports participation has been proposed as a limitation for academic performance [ 29 ], and more research is needed to determine whether the positive association between sports participation and academic performance has an upper limit.…”