Centre for Active Living and Learning, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
Active Living Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia.
J Sports Sci. 2024 Nov;42(21):2029-2038. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2422203. Epub 2024 Oct 28.
There is growing interest in identifying the mechanisms underpinning the effects of physical activity on executive functions (e.g. inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility) in children. Our study examined cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and motor competence as potential mediators of this relationship. The study used baseline data from the Learning to Lead (L2L) cluster randomised controlled trial. In total, 675 children (7-11 years, 49.5% girls) completed measures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, motor competence, and executive functions. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the potential mediating roles of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and motor competence in the cross-sectional association between MVPA and executive functions. Cardiorespiratory fitness ( = 0.06, SE = 0.021, = 0.004) partially mediated the association between MVPA and cognitive flexibility. Muscular fitness was a significant mediator of the association between MVPA and both inhibitory control ( = 0.03, SE = 0.014, = 0.027) and cognitive flexibility ( = 0.06, SE = 0.021, = 0.005). No significant mediated effects were found for motor competence. Our findings suggest cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness (but not motor competence) mediate the association between physical activity and executive functions in children.
人们越来越关注识别体育运动对儿童执行功能（例如抑制控制、认知灵活性）影响的机制。我们的研究检验了心肺适能、肌肉适能和运动能力作为这种关系的潜在中介因素。本研究使用了学习领导力（L2L）群组随机对照试验的基线数据。共有 675 名儿童（7-11 岁，49.5%为女孩）完成了中等到剧烈体力活动（MVPA）、心肺适能、肌肉适能、运动能力和执行功能的测量。结构方程模型用于检验 MVPA 和执行功能之间的横断面关联中，心肺适能、肌肉适能和运动能力的潜在中介作用。心肺适能（ = 0.06，SE = 0.021， = 0.004）部分中介了 MVPA 与认知灵活性之间的关联。肌肉适能是 MVPA 与抑制控制（ = 0.03，SE = 0.014， = 0.027）和认知灵活性（ = 0.06，SE = 0.021， = 0.005）之间关联的重要中介因素。运动能力没有表现出显著的中介作用。我们的研究结果表明，心肺和肌肉适能（但不是运动能力）中介了体力活动与儿童执行功能之间的关系。
