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Reuters Health posted a new study, published in the December issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, which indicates that girls who spend more time in vigorous physical activity may do better in school, even if they are not particularly fit.
Researchers examined associations between physical activity and academic achievement in 232 students (52 percent girls) who were an average of 16 years old. Monitoring each student for four consecutive days with an accelerometer, researchers determined students’ overall fitness from timed stationery bicycle tests.

On average, the girls spent 69 minutes and the boys spent 81 minutes a day in moderate activities such as hiking, skateboarding, or rollerblading, and vigorous activity such as soccer, running, tennis, and basketball.

The link between vigorous physical activity and academic achievement in girls was evident after the investigators allowed for numerous social and family factors potentially associated with academic achievement, and also for girls’ individual measures of fitness. However, in boys, who were consistently more physically active overall, only fitness appeared linked with academic achievement.

Researchers conclude that although the findings show an association between vigorous physical activity and academic achievement in girls, it is not an explicit case of cause and effect. Dr. Lydia Kwak, at Karolinska Institute in Huddinge, Sweden who lead the study said: “Is it vigorous physical activity that influences academic achievement or academic achievement that influences vigorous physical activity?” Kwak says that answering that question will require more studies.