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- December 2009
- Fitter, faster, stronger, smarter?
Fitter, faster, stronger, smarter?
3 December 2009: Cardiovascular fitness is associated with increased intelligence in teenage males, according to new research.
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The study looked at the link between physical activity and intelligence in more than 1.2 million men from the Swedish military. The men, born between 1950 and 1976, took part in a series of physical and intelligence tests when they enrolled aged 18. The intelligence tests included verbal and logic tests, and tests that focused on spatial awareness, maths and physics. The men’s cardiovascular fitness was measured using a cycle test. They also looked at the men’s final school exam results, taken when they were 15 years old. All the men were followed up until they were 54 years old.
The researchers found that the men who improved their cardiovascular fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 had the highest intelligence scores when they joined the military. However, the study did not show a link between muscle strength and an increase in intelligence.
If you are physically fit, your heart and lungs work better and your circulation improves, including circulation to your brain. The researchers suggest that this may explain the link between physical fitness and intelligence. It could also go some way to explain why there is no link between muscle strength and intelligence.
Dr Sneh Khemka, medical director for Bupa International, said of the research: “This study gives yet another reason to make exercise a part of your daily or weekly routine. We already know that physical activity can improve physical and mental health – this study suggests that it could also boost intelligence.
“Generally, you should be doing up to two and a half hours of moderate intensity physical activity every week, and children should be active for at least an hour a day. It is important to do activities that really raise your heart rate and improve cardiovascular fitness, for example cycling, running or swimming. For anyone, especially parents, these findings are a call to action to get you and your child moving and active.”
Key facts
- Taking regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing some cancers, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. It can also help improve your bone density and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
- Moderate activity means you should be left feeling warm and breathing more heavily than normal. Try walking faster than normal to the shops or take up a new activity, such as swimming.
- You do not have to do all 30 minutes of exercise in one go – three 10 minute sessions count as well, for example 10 minutes of vacuuming or gardening.
- Encourage your children to do plenty of exercise too. Build the exercise into their routine, for example walking to and from school or joining an after-school club.
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Read the study
Aberg M, Pedersen N, Toren K et al. Cardiovascular fitness is associated with cognition in young adulthood. PNAS 2009, 106:20906-11. doi 10.1073/pnas.0905307106
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For anyone, especially parents, these findings are a call to action to get you and your child moving and active.
Dr Sneh Khemka
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