Increasing adolescent’s cognitive functioning through physical education

Adolescence represents a crucial stage in the maturation of neurocognitive functioning (e.g. working memory and inhibition) and mental functioning (i.e. behavioural and emotional functioning, and mental health), which are important predictors of academic achievement. In addition, this developmental stage is characterized by an enormous decline in overall physical activity and an increase in sedentary behaviour. Low levels of physical activity have not only been associated with negative consequences for physical health, but also with altered brain structure and functioning, as well as reduced neurocognitive functioning and mental health problems. In the present study, a school-based physical activity intervention will be developed for adolescents and deployed in physical education across three different educational levels (junior secondary vocational education, ‘VMBO’, senior general secondary education (‘HAVO’) and pre-university education (‘Atheneum/Gymnasium’). To maximize the hypothesised positive effects of physical activity, the intervention will comprise aerobic exercise as well as cognitively demanding games and complex movements. A cluster-randomized controlled trial design will be used to study the causal effects of the physical activity intervention. The main aim of the current study is to examine the causal effect of a physical activity intervention on (a) neurocognitive functions (e.g. working memory and inhibition), (b) multiple domains of academic achievement (especially mathematics and language skills), (c) mental health, and (d) school absence and switching to lower school tracks. The second aim is to examine possible interactions between educational level and the effects of physical activity on outcome measures. School-based interventions have high potential to stimulate physical activity, as these types of interventions can be implemented on regular basis in daily life across all educational levels, and have the potential to reach all adolescents, including those with the lowest physical activity or cognitive levels.