@misc{10481/76594,
year = {2022},
month = {4},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10481/76594},
abstract = {Introduction: The objective of the present work is to investigate the prospective associations between physical
fitness components (cardiorespiratory fitness, motor fitness, and muscular strength) and two domains of executive
function (working memory and inhibitory control) in adolescents.
Methods: A total of 422 Spanish adolescents (13.35 ± 1.54 years, at baseline) from the UP&DOWN study with
assessments at baseline and at 2-year follow-up were included in the analysis. Physical fitness was assessed using
the ALPHA Fitness Test Battery. Working memory was measured by the n-back task and inhibitory control by the
go/no-go task. Relationships of physical fitness components with working memory and inhibitory control were
examined using linear regression models, adjusted for confounders.
Results: Higher baseline levels of the three physical fitness components (cardiorespiratory fitness, motor fitness,
and muscular strength) individually predicted better performance on the working memory (βranged, from .159 to
.207; all p < .012) and inhibitory control (βranged, from 0.168 to 0.263; all p < .004) tasks at the 2-year follow-up.
Muscular strength was the only component associated with inhibitory control independent of the other 2 physical
fitness components (β = 0.266; p = .005).
Conclusions: All components of adolescents’ physical fitness at baseline were individually associated with better
working memory and inhibitory control at 2-year follow-up. Specifically, our results revealed that muscular
strength was the component showing the strongest association with executive function, and even the only fitness
component associated with inhibitory control independent of the other fitness components. These findings may
have important public health and educational implication, since promoting exercise programs that improve
physical fitness, and particularly, muscular strength, may positively influence cognitive health.},
organization = {Spanish Government	DEP 2010-21662-C04-00	
CAS19/00265	
RYC2019-027287-I},
organization = {National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia	APP 1176885	
Spanish Government	IJC2018-038008-I},
publisher = {Elsevier},
keywords = {Motor activity},
keywords = {Youth},
keywords = {Education},
keywords = {Cognition},
keywords = {Working memory},
keywords = {Inhibitory control},
keywords = {Brain function},
title = {Prospective associations between physical fitness and executive function in adolescents: The UP&DOWN study},
doi = {10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102203},
author = {Muntaner Mas, Adrià and Mora González, José Rafael and Perales López, José César and Esteban Cornejo, Irene},
}