子供の体力と学力・認知機能の関係

抄録

The global epidemic of sedentary lifestyles and concomitant decline in fitness during childhood has become a major public health concern. Under these circumstances, a growing body of evidence has shown that greater participation in physical activity and greater aerobic fitness are associated with superior academic achievement. These findings emphasize the importance of physical activity for cognitive development and brain health. Cognitive neuroscience studies on prefrontal executive function and hippocampus-dependent memory function, which have been implicated in academic achievement, support the positive association between childhood fitness and academic achievement. Although the majority of these studies have employed cross-sectional designs comparing cognitive performance across lower-fit and higher-fit children, recent longitudinal, randomized, controlled intervention studies have provided evidence of a causal link between physical activity and changes in cognitive function. Specifically, randomized controlled trials have indicated that a 9-month physical activity intervention led to increases in aerobic fitness and improved prefrontal and hippocampal functioning in preadolescent children. Here, we review our current understanding of the association of childhood fitness with academic achievement and cognitive function.