Physical Activity and Academic Achievement: An Umbrella Review

Abstract

Background: This umbrella review aimed to summarise the evidence presented in systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding the effect of physical activity on academic achievement of school-age children and adolescents. Methods: A comprehensive electronic search for relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses were performed in Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and Latin American and Caribbean of Health Sciences Information System, and reference lists of the included studies, from inception to May 2020. Studies were included if they were systematic reviews or meta-analyses, included school-age children or adolescents, the intervention included physical activity, and the outcome was the academic achievement. Two independent authors screened the text of potentially eligible studies and assessed the methodological quality of the studies using the AMSTAR 2 tool. Results: Forty-one systematic reviews and meta-analyses that examined the effects of physical activity on children and adolescents’ academic achievement were identified. Overall, the systematic reviews reported small positive or mixed associations between physical activity and academic achievement. From meta-analyses, it was observed that physical activity had null or small-to-medium positive effects on academic achievement. Chronic physical activity showed a medium positive effect on academic achievement, and acute physical activity did not demonstrate benefits. Conclusions: Physical activity seems not to be detrimental to school-age children and adolescents’ academic achievement, and may, in fact, be beneficial.

Academic Achievement in Spanish Secondary School Students: The Inter-Related Role of Executive Functions, Physical Activity and Gender

“…These benefits also affect AA. Many studies have shown that engaging in regular PA is closely related to good AA [ 29 , 30 ]. However, some studies have failed to find any type of relationship between these variables [ 31 ], and other works have even found an inverse relationship [ 32 ].…”

“…The mechanisms by which PA may offer benefits to AA are not well-known [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. There are two main theories or perspectives that explain how PA can be beneficial to cognitive processes and, therefore, how it may be associated with AA: the neurophysiological perspective and the psychosocial perspective [ 30 , 36 ]. The main argument of the neurophysiological perspective to explain the relationship between PA and AA is that PA offers direct, positive effects on the brain and nervous system.…”

“…PA produces increased brain functioning by increasing blood flow, boosting glucose and lipid metabolism, resulting in a higher capacity for concentration and improved cognitive capacities. PA also increases the level of several growth factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) [ 30 ]. BDNF has been found to improve neural survival, neural maintenance, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation and neurotransmitter release.…”

Does Additional Physical Education Improve Exam Performance at the End of Compulsory Education? A Secondary Analysis from a Natural Experiment: The CHAMPS-Study DK

“…Regular physical activity carries a plethora of both physical and mental health benefits across the human lifespan [ 1 ]. Several lines of research further suggest that physical activity may be beneficial for the academic performance of school-age children [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Academic competencies such as mathematics and reading are highly important for individuals’ educational, vocational, economical, and overall life success [ 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

The Associations between Physical Fitness, Complex vs Simple Movement, and Academic Achievement in a Cohort of Fourth Graders

“…Additionally, positive relationships between physical activity and cognitive function in children have been reported in multiple examinations [ 9 ], and subject-specific relationships between PA and academic achievement in children have also been indicated [ 10 ]. Specifically, in the 4–18-year-old range, meta-analysis has reported positive relationships between PA and cognitive function, perceptual skills, the intelligence quotient, verbal tests, mathematic tests, memory, developmental level, and academic readiness [ 11 ].…”