Teenagers with higher levels of physical fitness were found to have better developed selective attention and concentration abilities by a new Frontiers in Psychology study.
Physical activity is known to benefit cognitive functioning by increasing oxygen flow to the brain. This effect can be observed after exercising and in people who exercise regularly. At the same time, physical fitness serves as a sign of regular physical activity and it is reasonable to assume that it should be associated with greater cognitive capacity. In the present study, researchers tested whether physical fitness is associated with selective attention and concentration functions in teenagers.
The study included 210 teenagers (between 11 and 15 years old) from Spain. All participants completed a psychological assessment of selective attention and concentration abilities. The level of physical fitness was measured with a shuttle run test and a horizontal jump test.
The study found that participants’ physical fitness was strongly correlated with their selective attention and concentration capacities. This effect is likely due to the benefits of regular physical activity needed to develop fitness for brain functioning. Specifically, previous research documented that level of physical fitness was related to the volume of gray matter in some regions of the brain.
Additionally, researchers examined gender differences in the association between fitness and measured cognitive capacities. While the relationship was found in both girls and boys, researchers note that fitness is a stronger predictor of selective attention and concentration capacity in boys than in girls. The within-gender analyses indicate that fit boys and girls scored higher on selective attention and concentration test compared to boys and girls with lower physical fitness respectively.
Based on the documented findings, researchers recommend developing physical fitness in teenagers as a way to improve their cognitive abilities as well as social adaptation and intellectual abilities.
The study, “Physical Fitness Level Is Related to Attention and Concentration in Adolescents”, was authored by Rafael E. Reigal, Luna Moral-Campillo, Rocío Juárez-Ruiz de Mier, Juan P. Morillo-Baro, Verónica Morales-Sánchez, José L. Pastrana and Antonio Hernández-Mendo.