There is strong evidence for a positive association between CRF and cluster of PF with AP in cross-sectional studies ; and evidence from longitudinal studies for a positive association between cluster of PF and AP ; the relationship between muscular strength and flexibility with AP remains uncertain
Physical fitness ( PF ) is a construct of health- and skill-related attributes which have been associated with academic performance ( AP ) in youth .
This study aim ed to review the scientific evidence on the association among components of PF and AP  in children and adolescents .
Longitudinal Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Academic Achievement.
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to examine the prospect i ve associations between cardiorespiratory fitness ( CRF ) and academic achievement  in the youth . METHODS The sample included 1286 fifth- , sixth- , and seventh- grade students , age 11 to 14 yr ( Mage = 11.3 ± 1.1 ) , from 14 schools followed for 3 yr . Academic achievement was assessed using the students ' marks at baseline and at follow-up 3 yr apart , in Portuguese , mathematics , foreign language ( English ) , and science . CRF was assessed by the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run test from the Fitnessgram battery . Students were classified as fit-fit , unfit-fit , fit-unfit , and unfit-unfit according to the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run test results at baseline and follow-up . Ordinal regression analyses were performed to examine associations between CRF and academic achievement . RESULTS Being persistently fit ( fit-fit ) , compared with those classified unfit-unfit , increased the odds of having high levels of academic achievement in Portuguese ( odds ratio ( OR ) = 3.49 ; 95 % CI , 1.97 - 6.20 ; P < 0.001 ) and foreign language ( OR = 2.41 ; 95 % CI , 1.39 - 4.14 ; P < 0.01 ) at follow-up . Students that improved their CRF and became fit ( unfit-fit ) had also higher odds of achieving better marks than those persistently unfit-unfit in Portuguese ( OR = 2.52 ; 95 % CI , 1.42 - 4.45 ; P < 0.01 ) and foreign language ( OR = 2.13 ; 95 % CI , 1.23 - 3.67 ; P < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSION Consistently high and improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness are prospect ively associated with better academic achievement especially in mother tongue and foreign language
There is strong evidence for a positive association between CRF and cluster of PF with AP in cross-sectional studies ; and evidence from longitudinal studies for a positive association between cluster of PF and AP ; the relationship between muscular strength and flexibility with AP remains uncertain
Physical fitness ( PF ) is a construct of health- and skill-related attributes which have been associated with academic performance ( AP ) in youth .
This study aim ed to review the scientific evidence on the association among components of PF and AP  in children and adolescents .