Higher muscular fitness is associated with better cognition and academic achievement in school-aged youth¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 Across 43 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (211 effect sizes), muscular fitness showed a positive but very small association with combined cognition and academic achievement (SMD 0.13, 95% CI 0.10–0.16). → Robinson Katie 2023

Evidence¶

Robinson Katie 2023¶

Robinson Katie, Riley Nicholas, Owen Katherine, Drew Ryan, Mavilidi Myrto F., Hillman Charles H., Faigenbaum Avery D., Garcia-Hermoso Antonio, Lubans David Revalds. (2023). Effects of Resistance Training on Academic Outcomes in School-Aged Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01881-6

q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r3

Multilevel meta-analysis of cross-sectional (k = 35) and longitudinal (k = 8) observational studies including 1,916,424 participants; printed effect size SMD = 0.13 (95% CI 0.10–0.16), heterogeneity negligible (I2 = 17% within, 5% between studies). GRADE certainty rated moderate. This is an association, not a causal effect.

"An additional 43 studies (including 211 effect sizes) examined the association between muscular fitness and cognition or academic achievement, also yielding a positive relationship (SMD 0.13, 95% CI 0.10–0.16)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Physical Well-Being — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Mathematics shows the strongest association with muscular fitness among school subjects — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Fitness associations with academic achievement are attenuated or disappear after adjustment for BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness, indicating inter-dependence — related
• Socially disadvantaged children do not differ in physical fitness but score significantly lower on academic performance than non-disadvantaged peers — related
• Laboratory-based lower-limb muscular strength (1-RM leg press) is associated with mathematics skills and persists after adjustment for BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Muscular fitness shows no association with academic performance in primary school children — reports the opposite
• Reported benefits of physical activity programs on executive functions depend on program duration and the executive domain analyzed — related
• Resistance training alone is more effective than concurrent (resistance plus aerobic) training for cognition and academic outcomes in youth — related
• Resistance training interventions have a small positive effect on combined cognition, academic achievement, and on-task behaviour in school-aged youth — related