I have been researching the effects of cardiovascular fitness levels on academic performance amongst teenagers and found some quite interesting facts.

Over a 5-year period, I followed 42 students (18 female, 24 male) and assessed their cardiovascular fitness through the widely used multistage fitness test (the beep test). I then compared this to their average academic performance across all subjects in school. The beep test is highly effective and has a 95% correlation with clinically measured cardiovascular performance.

The results for both boys and girls showed a strong positive relationship between the level of CV fitness and academic performance. The fitter you become, the more likely you are to score more in academic tests. The real data shows that by going up just 2 stages on the test, your average across all subjects increases by 15%.

This research supports the finding of a large Dutch medical study which had similar results. It stated exercise may help by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain (1). A worldwide review into the area concluded exercise helps cognition by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain. There is also a psychological link here as physical activity could also reduce stress and improve mood, making children more likely to behave in the classroom stating “Children who learn to participate in sport also learn to obey rules.” (2)

The sports that yielded the greatest benefit, according to a state-wide project looking into this phenomenon in Texas, were team sports, probably because of their wider psychological benefit as well as their cardiovascular demands. They stated "Team sport is significantly related to higher grade-point averages and a higher likelihood of completing high school and enrolling in college."(3)

So, what can you do to improve your or your child's performance? Well, a gain of just 2 levels on the bleep triggers 15 more average points per student. An 8-week programme generally yields a 7% raise in VO2 max (4), which would be enough to make that happen, or better still, encourage or get involved with team sports for an even greater effect. Even smaller steps like increasing the amount you walk or cycle each week will help. This all adds up to better futures for our children and selves.

Who wouldn’t want to have the benefits that the Institute of Medicine, a unit of the National Academy of Sciences (5) found, showing that exercise can significantly improve children’s cognitive abilities and academic performance, as well as their health? Students who exercise have lower body fat, greater muscular strength and better cardiovascular and mental health. It suggests children who are more active are better able to focus their attention, are quicker to perform simple tasks and have better working memories and problem solving skills than less-active children. They also perform better on standardised academic tests.

So let's all get active and improve our brain's performance as well as that of our bodies. I am currently collating ongoing longitudinal data from all LJBC students in Years 7-10 to further this finding and to make it even more relevant to our students. This coming term all of our PE lessons have athletics and fitness components so it's an ideal opportunity for our students to develop some lifelong good habits.

Ben Allsop
Director of Sport

• SRIKANTH,S (2014) Physical Fitness and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Investigation,” Sudhish Srikanth, lead author, Trent A. Petrie, PhD, Christy Greenleaf, PhD, and Scott Martin, PhD, University of North Texas; Session 2120
• MARCHENT,E (2013)Interviewed in Times Educational Supplement, Published in TESS on 31 May, 2013
• Irvin, M. J., & Byun, S-Y. (2013, April). School extracurricular activities and the academic resilience of youth from high poverty rural backgrounds. In Sarah Kiefer (Chair), Schools Supporting Success: Exploring Aspects of Risk and Resilience. Roundtable session conducted at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA
• Three ways to improve your VO2 max. Men's Health Posted on January 26, 2015 , http://www.menshealth.co.uk/fitness/cardio-exercise/how-to-increase-your-vo2-max
• Educating the student body.  Released May23 2013.  Published by The Institute of medicine of the National academies.