Physical activity improves children's intelligence, study finds

Some new studies in neuroscience based on physical exercises challenge the idea that intelligence is a fixed characteristic that cannot be changed. altered by daily habits or changes in way of life. Recent research has tried to prove the opposite, showing that physical activity improves children's intelligence.

Read more: Test your intelligence with this photographic memory challenge

More details about the scientific study

Participating in an exercise program for 20 weeks increased students' academic performance and general intelligence, according to findings seen in a Scientific study carried out by the Active Brains project.

The researchers' primary objective was to examine the effects of an exercise intervention that combined aerobic activity with strength training exercises on the size of the hippocampus (memory centers) of students. Based on this, they sought to understand any cognitive changes caused by exercise, based on the executive function functioning, general intelligence, and academic skill performance as a all.

Experiment: aerobic exercise + strength training

First of all, the study divided the children into two groups: one that did not exercise and another that exercise (90 minutes per week, 60 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training) strength).

The result was driven by significant improvements in fluid intelligence (problem solving), intelligence crystallized knowledge (stored knowledge) and cognitive flexibility (ability to shift mental gears in adaptive).

Objections to the results

Even though 20 weeks of exercise improved all of these in students in three different ways, researchers were unable to determine which changes in the brain were responsible for these improvements.

This differs from the original hypothesis of researchers who suggested that a five-month exercise intervention could increase hippocampal mass and improve working memory, imaging participants' brains using MRI after the program revealed no greater hippocampus.

Although this randomized clinical trial established positive effects of exercise on cognitive flexibility, fluid/crystallized intelligence and academic performance, the specific brain mechanisms that contribute to these effects positives remain unknown.