The role of gender on the association between fitness and cognition: The MOVESCHOOL Study

Background: In recent years, several studies have shown a positive association between physical fitness and cognitive performance in children and adolescents. However, few studies have investigated whether this relationship is the same for boys and girls.
Purpose: To evaluate the moderator role of gender on the association between physical fitness and executive functions.
Methods: Participants were 1156 secondary school students aged 12-16 (12.55 ± 0.81). Physical fitness was evaluated with the 20 m shuttle run (cardiorespiratory fitness), dynamometry (Upper limb strength), and standing long jump (lower limb strength), whereas executive functions (inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory) were measured with the NIH Examiner battery. We implemented a moderation analysis by using MPLUS software.
Results: Physical fitness was a positive predictor of executive function in the whole sample. Gender was highlighted as a significant moderator, with a significantly higher slope for girls than for boys (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Adolescents with better physical fitness have better cognitive performance through better executive function scores, and the degree of association in higher in girls.
Practical implications: These findings have relevance on the topic about the association between fitness and cognition. The benefits of higher levels of physical fitness for better cognitive performance are greater for girls than for boys.
Funding: This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PID2019-104023RA-I00) and the Spanish State Investigation Agency (CNS2022-135604).