Can cognitive performance predict physical fitness and academic achievement one year later?

Francisco Javier Gil-Espinosa1*, Palma Chillón2, Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez2 Can cognitive performance predict physical fitness and academic achievement one year later? BACKGROUND BACKGROUND 1 RRS “Researching in Sport Sciences” research group. Department of Body Expression, Faculty of Science Education, University of Malaga, Andalusia-Tech, IBIMA, Malaga, Spain 2PROFITH “PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity” research group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Science, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. METHODS METHODS *Corresponding author: [email protected] The study is supported by Junta of Andalusia by the educational research “Cognitive performance, academic achievement and fitness: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study” Download this poster in pdf here CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS RESULTS RESULTS Previous studies have shown that physical activity, fitness and academic achievement might predict cognitive performance later in life. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies examining the inverse relationship, that is, whether cognition may predict fitness and academic achievement in adolescents one year later. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between cognitive performance and physical fitness and academic achievement one year later. This study includes baseline and one-year follow-up longitudinal data of cognitive performance, fitness and academic achievement. A total of 131 adolescents (aged range: 12 to 13) from South Spain participated in our study. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Raven’s Progressive Matrices test (non-verbal test). Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by 20 m endurance shuttle-run. Lowerlimbs muscular strength was assessed by the standing long jump test. Flexibility was assessed by the sit-and-reach test. Academic achievement was assessed using the grades obtained in Language, Mathematics, English (foreign language) and Geography and History. Cognitive performance was collected in October 2015, while fitness and academic achievement were evaluated one year later (October 2016). Linear regression analyses were performed. Our results indicate that cognitive performance was not associated neither with cardiorespiratory fitness (ß=0.109, p=0.254), nor muscular strength (ß=0.155, p=0.104), or flexibility (ß=0.080, p=0.406) one year later. Regarding academic achievement, cognitive performance was positively associated to Mathematics,Language,Geography and History and English achievements one year later (see Table 1). Table 1. Associations of cognitive performance with academic achievement one year later Mathematics ß=0.482 p<0.001 Language ß=0.407 p<0.001 Geography and History ß=0.454 p<0.001 English ß=0.382 p<0.001 Overall, our results suggest that cognitive performance might predict academic achievement but not fitness one year later. Further studies with a randomized controlled design should contrast or corroborate our findings in young people.