Assessment of the Relationship between Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning in Children and Adolescents
Authors
Elton Spahiu, Entela Kushta
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Annotation
The benefits of being physically active on a person’s overall health are well-documented. Over the last decades, scholars have attempted to investigate the potential interrelationship of physical activity, physical fitness, and cognition, the latter a term used to indicate general mental processes. The number of peer-reviewed articles on this subject is rapidly increasing. However, from the literature review it results that researchers are divided when it comes to establishing the positive impact that physical exercises have on a person’s cognitive performance, especially among school age children. Early research suggested that intense physical activity causes fatigue, which has a negative impact on a student’s academic performance. This theory supports parents’ and teachers’ long-held concerns that the time children spend while participating in physical activity affects their academic results. Therefore, physical education programs are being cut at an incredibly fast rate so that students devote more time while engaging in basic academic activities. On the other hand, a considerable number of studies have identified the positive or at least neutral effects of physical activity on academic achievements. As a result, based on the conflicting evidence, more research needs to be carried out in order to investigate the connection between physical activity and students’ results in school subjects. Our objective is to review research findings on the impact of sports activities and the level of physical fitness on children’s cognitive and mental health.
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Authors
Elton Spahiu, Entela Kushta
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References:
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