Exercise Interventions and Intelligence in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT Mixed evidence exists on whether physical exercise interventions influence intelligence measures in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of exercise interventions on intelligence in children and adolescents. DATA SOURCES Relevant articles were identified in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Scopus (until February 22, 2024). STUDY SELECTION Randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of exercise interventions on intelligence in youth (≤19 years). DATA EXTRACTION A random-effects meta-analysis was performed for intelligence measures reported in ≥3 studies. Subanalyses examined the moderating effect of variables such as participants’ intelligence quotient (IQ), age, or intervention duration. RESULTS Fourteen randomized controlled trials (n = 3203 participants; age range = 5–14 years) were included. Exercise interventions significantly improved general intelligence compared with control groups (standardized mean difference = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.11–0.97, P = .01), which corresponded to a mean improvement in the IQ score of 4.0 points (95% CI = 1.44–6.64, P = .01). Significant benefits of exercise interventions were also observed for fluid intelligence (standard mean difference = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.06–0.34, P = .006). Crystallized intelligence could not be meta-analyzed because of a lack of studies. Subanalyses revealed similar benefits in participants with low/borderline versus normal IQ, children versus adolescents, and interventions with different durations. LIMITATIONS The heterogeneity observed in the characteristics of the exercise interventions and the populations included can be a potential confounding factor. CONCLUSIONS Exercise interventions are associated with improvements in intelligence (including both general and fluid intelligence) in youth.