The relation between children’s aerobic fitness and executive functions: A systematic review
Open accessAbstract
A beneficial effect of physical activity on cognitive functioning is supposed, although to a certain extent, literature remains inconsistent. Furthermore, the mediating effect of aerobic fitness on this association remains unclear, especially in children. This review presents data from 26 articles on the relation between aerobic fitness and executive functions (i.e., inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) in prepubertal children (6–12 years). The qualitative synthesis was complicated by the use of diverse outcome measures to evaluate executive functions and the inconsistent inclusion of confounders. In general, cross‐sectional studies reported enhanced executive functioning in children with higher aerobic fitness levels. Only three intervention studies with inconclusive results were retrieved. Whereas a beneficial effect of aerobic fitness on executive functioning in children is often supposed, the available research does not allow to draw a causal conclusion. Good quality randomized‐controlled trials are necessary. Highlights: This study reviewed the supposed mediating effect of aerobic fitness on the positive association between physical activity and executive functioning. Three intervention studies and 23 cross‐sectional studies confirmed a positive correlation between aerobic fitness and certain measures of executive functioning. A causal conclusion about the beneficial effect of aerobic fitness on executive functioning cannot be drawn from this review.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & the PRISMA Group* (2009) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135 · Cited by 37,554 · see citing works
Diamond, A. (2013) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750 · Cited by 13,268 · see citing works
Downs, S. H., & Black, N. (1998) · Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech.52.6.377 · Cited by 8,252 · see citing works
Davidson, M. C., Amso, D., Anderson, L. C., & Diamond, A. (2006) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.02.006 · Cited by 2,226 · see citing works
Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., Lambourne, K., & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000000901 · Cited by 1,864 · see citing works
Friedman, N. P., & Miyake, A. (2017) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2016.04.023 · Cited by 1,834 · see citing works
Best, J. R. (2010) · Developmental Review · doi:10.1016/j.dr.2010.08.001 · Cited by 1,078 · see citing works
Bherer, L., Erickson, K. I., & Liu-Ambrose, T. (2013) · Journal of Aging Research · doi:10.1155/2013/657508 · Cited by 899 · see citing works
Fedewa, A. L., & Ahn, S. (2011) · Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport · doi:10.1080/02701367.2011.10599785 · Cited by 624 · see citing works
Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Brand, S., Holsboer‐Trachsler, E., & Pühse, U. (2016) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.12736 · Cited by 589 · see citing works
Margari, L., Craig, F., Margari, F., Legrottaglie, A., Palumbi, R., & De Giambattista, C. (2016) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s104620 · Cited by 557 · see citing works
Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: A Systematic Review
Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph15040800 · Cited by 520 · see citing works
Aerobic Fitness and Neurocognitive Function in Healthy Preadolescent Children
Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D. M., & BUCK, S. M. (2005) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/01.mss.0000176680.79702.ce · Cited by 493 · see citing works
Hillman, C. H., Buck, S. M., Themanson, J. R., Pontifex, M. B., & Castelli, D. M. (2009) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0014437 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Basal Ganglia Volume Is Associated with Aerobic Fitness in Preadolescent Children
Chaddock, L., Erickson, K. I., Prakash, R. S., VanPatter, M., Voss, M. W., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2010) · Developmental Neuroscience · doi:10.1159/000316648 · Cited by 353 · see citing works
Khan, N. A., & Hillman, C. H. (2014) · Pediatric Exercise Science · doi:10.1123/pes.2013-0125 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Flexible Modulation of Cognitive Control in Preadolescent Children
Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Johnson, C. R., Chaddock, L., Voss, M. W., Cohen, N. J., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2011) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2010.21528 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
Schmidt, M., Jäger, K., Egger, F., Roebers, C. M., & Conzelmann, A. (2015) · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1123/jsep.2015-0069 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
The Relation of Aerobic Fitness to Stroop Task Performance in Preadolescent Children
BUCK, S. M., HILLMAN, C. H., & CASTELLI, D. M. (2008) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e318159b035 · Cited by 287 · see citing works
Vazou, S., Pesce, C., Lakes, K., & Smiley-Oyen, A. (2019) · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1612197x.2016.1223423 · Cited by 273 · see citing works
Voss, M. W., Chaddock, L., Kim, J. S., VanPatter, M., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Cohen, N. J., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2011) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.10.009 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
Haapala, E. A. (2013) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.2478/hukin-2013-0006 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Childhood aerobic fitness predicts cognitive performance one year later
Chaddock, L., Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Johnson, C. R., Raine, L. B., & Kramer, A. F. (2012) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2011.647706 · Cited by 207 · see citing works
Aerobic Fitness and Executive Control of Relational Memory in Preadolescent Children
Chaddock, L., Hillman, C. H., BUCK, S. M., & Cohen, N. J. (2010) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e3181e9af48 · Cited by 207 · see citing works
Chaddock, L., Erickson, K. I., Prakash, R. S., Voss, M. W., VanPatter, M., Pontifex, M. B., Hillman, C. H., & Kramer, A. F. (2011) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.10.017 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Cognitive efficiency on a match to sample task decreases at the onset of puberty in children
McGivern, R. F., Andersen, J., Byrd, D., Mutter, K. L., & Reilly, J. (2002) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/s0278-2626(02)00012-x · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Keeley, T. J. H., & Fox, K. R. (2009) · International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/17509840903233822 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Effects of Motor versus Cardiovascular Exercise Training on Children’s Working Memory
Koutsandréou, F., Wegner, M., Niemann, C., & Budde, H. (2016) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000000869 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Geertsen, S. S., Thomas, R., Larsen, M. N., Dahn, I. M., Andersen, J. N., Krause-Jensen, M., Korup, V., Nielsen, C. M., Wienecke, J., Ritz, C., et al. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161960 · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Nowrangi, M. A., Lyketsos, C., Rao, V., & Munro, C. A. (2014) · The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences · doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.12070176 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Diamond, A. D., & Ling, D. S. (2018) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2018.05.001 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Aadland, K. N., Moe, V. F., Aadland, E., Anderssen, S. A., Resaland, G. K., & Ommundsen, Y. (2017) · Mental Health and Physical Activity · doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2017.01.001 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Executive Functioning, Motor Difficulties, and Developmental Coordination Disorder
Leonard, H. C., Bernardi, M., Hill, E. L., & Henry, L. A. (2015) · Developmental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/87565641.2014.997933 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
van der Niet, A. G., Hartman, E., Smith, J., & Visscher, C. (2014) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2014.02.010 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Muscular and Aerobic Fitness, Working Memory, and Academic Achievement in Children
Kao, S., Westfall, D. R., Parks, A. C., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H. (2016) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001132 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Aerobic Capacity and Cognitive Control in Elementary School-Age Children
Scudder, M. R., Lambourne, K., Drollette, E. S., Herrmann, S. D., Washburn, R. A., Donnelly, J. E., & Hillman, C. H. (2014) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000000199 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
FIT Kids: Time in target heart zone and cognitive performance
Castelli, D. M., Hillman, C. H., Hirsch, J., Hirsch, A., & Drollette, E. S. (2011) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.01.019 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Wu, C.-T., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Chaddock, L., Voss, M. W., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2011) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/a0022167 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Pontifex, M. B., Scudder, M. R., Drollette, E. S., & Hillman, C. H. (2012) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/a0028795 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Pindus, D. M., Drollette, E. S., Scudder, M. R., Khan, N. A., Raine, L. B., Sherar, L. B., Esliger, D., Kramer, A. F., & Hillman, C. H. (2016) · The Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.02.045 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
The sexual dimorphic association of cardiorespiratory fitness to working memory in children
Drollette, E. S., Scudder, M. R., Raine, L. B., Moore, R. D., Pontifex, M. B., Erickson, K. I., & Hillman, C. H. (2015) · Developmental Science · doi:10.1111/desc.12291 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Objectively measured daily physical activity related to aerobic fitness in young children
Dencker, M., Bugge, A., Hermansen, B. E.-N., & Andersen, L. B. (2009) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640410903460726 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Aerobic fitness and intra-individual variability of neurocognition in preadolescent children
Moore, R. D., Wu, C.-T., Pontifex, M. B., O’Leary, K. C., Scudder, M. R., Raine, L. B., Johnson, C. R., & Hillman, C. H. (2013) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2013.02.006 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Field-based measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness to evaluate physical activity interventions
Lang, J. J., Phillips, E. W., Orpana, H., Tremblay, M. S., Ross, R., Ortega, F. B., Silva, D. A. S., & Tomkinson, G. R. (2018) · Bulletin of the World Health Organization · doi:10.2471/blt.18.213728 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Tracking the relationship between children’s aerobic fitness and cognitive control.
Scudder, M. R., Drollette, E. S., Szabo‐Reed, A. N., Lambourne, K., Fenton, C. I., Donnelly, J. E., & Hillman, C. H. (2016) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/hea0000343 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Berchicci, M., Pontifex, M. B., Drollette, E. S., Pesce, C., Hillman, C. H., & Russo, F. D. (2015) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.028 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Aubut, J.-A. L., Marshall, S., Bayley, M. T., & Teasell, R. W. (2013) · Neurorehabilitation · doi:10.3233/nre-130826 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Pontifex, M. B., Kamijo, K., Scudder, M. R., Raine, L. B., Khan, N. A., Hemrick, B., Evans, E. M., Castelli, D. M., Frank, K. A., & Hillman, C. H. (2014) · Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development · doi:10.1111/mono.12131 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Chojnacki, M. R., Raine, L. B., Drollette, E. S., Scudder, M. R., Kramer, A. F., Hillman, C. H., & Khan, N. A. (2017) · Obesity · doi:10.1002/oby.22053 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Vandenbroucke, L., Seghers, J., Verschueren, K., et al. (2016) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.2015-0708 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Latomme, J., Calders, P., Van Waelvelde, H., Mariën, T., & De Craemer, M. (2022) · Children · doi:10.3390/children9050596 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Self-citationCristi-Montero, C., Ibarra-Mora, J., Gaya, A., Castro-Piñero, J., Solis-Urra, P., Aguilar-Farias, N., Ferrari, G., Rodriguez-Rodriguez, F., & Sadarangani, K. P. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph181910073 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
- Authors
- Van Waelvelde, H., Vanden Wyngaert, K., Mariën, T., Baeyens, D., & Calders, P.
- Affiliations
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences Gent University Gent Belgium
- Ghent University (BE)
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Venue
- Infant and Child Development
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2019-12-30
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 3
- ISSN
- 1522-7219 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-7227
- OpenAlex
- W2997888638
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- lirias.kuleuven.be
- Licence
- Locations
- Infant and Child Development (publishedVersion)
- Lirias (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Children's Physical and Motor Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- cardiorespiratory fitness, executive function, children, physical activity, cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibition, prepubertal children, mediating effect, physical activity and cognition
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
