Effectiveness of a School-Based Physical Activity Intervention on Cognitive Performance in Danish Adolescents: LCoMotion-Learning, Cognition and Motion:A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND:Physical activity is associated not only with health-related parameters, but also with cognitive and academic performance. However, no large scale school-based physical activity interventions have investigated effects on cognitive performance in adolescents. The aim of this study was to describe the effectiveness of a school-based physical activity intervention in enhancing cognitive performance in 12-14 years old adolescents. METHODS:A 20 week cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted including seven intervention and seven control schools. A total of 632 students (mean (SD) age: 12.9 (0.6) years) completed the trial with baseline and follow-up data on primary or secondary outcomes (74% of randomized subjects). The intervention targeted physical activity during academic subjects, recess, school transportation and leisure-time. Cognitive performance was assessed using an executive functions test of inhibition (flanker task) with the primary outcomes being accuracy and reaction time on congruent and incongruent trials. Secondary outcomes included mathematics performance, physical activity levels, body-mass index, waist-circumference and cardiorespiratory fitness. RESULTS:No significant difference in change, comparing the intervention group to the control group, was observed on the primary outcomes (p's>0.05) or mathematics skills (p>0.05). An intervention effect was found for cardiorespiratory fitness in girls (21 meters (95% CI: 4.4-38.6) and body-mass index in boys (-0.22 kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.39-0.05). Contrary to our predictions, a significantly larger change in interference control for reaction time was found in favor of the control group (5.0 milliseconds (95% CI: 0-9). Baseline to mid-intervention changes in physical activity levels did not differ significantly between groups (all p's>0.05). CONCLUSIONS:No evidence was found for effectiveness of a 20-week multi-faceted school-based physical activity intervention for enhancing executive functioning or mathematics skills compared to a control group, but low implementation fidelity precludes interpretation of the causal relationship. TRIAL REGISTRATION:www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02012881

LCoMotion - Learning, cognition and motion: a multicomponent cluster randomized school-based intervention aimed at increasing learning and cognition - rationale, design and methods.

The aim of the study; LCoMotion – Learning, Cognition and Motion was to develop, document, and evaluate a multi-component physical activity (PA) intervention in public schools in Denmark. The primary outcome was cognitive function. Secondary outcomes were academic skills, body composition, aerobic fitness and PA. The primary aim of the present paper was to describe the rationale, design and methods of the LCoMotion study. Methods/Design: LCoMotion was designed as a cluster-randomized controlled study. Fourteen schools from all five regions in Denmark participated. All students from 6th and 7th grades were invited to participate (n = 869) and consent was obtained for 87% (n = 759). Baseline measurements were obtained in November/December 2013 and follow-up measurements in May/June 2014. The intervention lasted five months and consisted of a “package” of three main components: PA during academic lessons, PA during recess and PA homework. Furthermore a cycling campaign was conducted during the intervention period. Intervention schools should endeavor to ensure that students were physically active for at least 60 min every school day. Cognitive function was measured by a modified Eriksen flanker task and academic skills by a custom made mathematics test. PA was objectively measured by accelerometers (ActiGraph, GT3X and GT3X+) and aerobic fitness assessed by an intermittent shuttle-run test (the Andersen intermittent running test). Furthermore, compliance with the intervention was assessed by short message service (SMS)-tracking and questionnaires were delivered to students, parents and teachers. Discussion: LCoMotion has ability to provide new insights on the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention on cognitive function and academic skills in 6th and 7th grade students

Higher circulating plasma polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fit and lean children: The European youth heart study

Background: Lipophilic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are primarily stored in adipose tissue, but exercise-induced lipolysis is able to release PCBs from the adipose tissue into the circulation. The plasma concentration, distribution and metabolism of PCBs can thus vary much among individuals due to inter-human variations in lifestyle behavior and pharmacokinetics. Objectives: We examined the observational relationship of circulating plasma PCB concentrations with cardiorespiratory fitness, engagement in vigorous physical activity and fat mass in a healthy Danish child population. Methods: Data on ∑PCB (PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180), cardiorespiratory fitness, skinfold thickness and objectively measured physical activity of 509 children derived from the Danish sub-study of The European Youth Heart Study. Results: Higher fitness and greater leanness were associated with elevated plasma ∑PCB in both boys and girls. The associations were independent of each other and persisted after controlling for socio-economic status and duration of breastfeeding. We observed an almost three-fold increase in plasma ∑PCB level in the most fit/least fat children relative to the least fit/most fat children. The association between fatness and ∑PCB was strongest for boys as girls, and especially pubertal girls, displayed lower decrease in plasma ∑PCB with higher fat mass. Discussion: Our findings suggest that increased lipolysis stimulates the release of PCBs into the vasculature. The consequence is higher plasma levels of PCB in very fit and lean subjects. This scenario is likely to cause negative confounding in epidemiological observations of PCB and cardio-metabolic health. At the same time adipose tissue may play a dual role in promoting adverse health and providing a relatively safe place to store PCB

Higher circulating plasma polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fit and lean children: The European youth heart study

Background Lipophilic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are primarily stored in adipose tissue, but exercise-induced lipolysis is able to release PCBs from the adipose tissue into the circulation. The plasma concentration, distribution and metabolism of PCBs can thus vary much among individuals due to inter-human variations in lifestyle behavior and pharmacokinetics. Objectives We examined the observational relationship of circulating plasma PCB concentrations with cardiorespiratory fitness, engagement in vigorous physical activity and fat mass in a healthy Danish child population. Methods Data on ∑PCB (PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180), cardiorespiratory fitness, skinfold thickness and objectively measured physical activity of 509 children derived from the Danish sub-study of The European Youth Heart Study. Results Higher fitness and greater leanness were associated with elevated plasma ∑PCB in both boys and girls. The associations were independent of each other and persisted after controlling for socio-economic status and duration of breastfeeding. We observed an almost three-fold increase in plasma ∑PCB level in the most fit/least fat children relative to the least fit/most fat children. The association between fatness and ∑PCB was strongest for boys as girls, and especially pubertal girls, displayed lower decrease in plasma ∑PCB with higher fat mass. Discussion Our findings suggest that increased lipolysis stimulates the release of PCBs into the vasculature. The consequence is higher plasma levels of PCB in very fit and lean subjects. This scenario is likely to cause negative confounding in epidemiological observations of PCB and cardio-metabolic health. At the same time adipose tissue may play a dual role in promoting adverse health and providing a relatively safe place to store PCB

Immediate and delayed effects of integrating physical activity into preschool children\u27s learning of numeracy skills

A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effects of a 4-week program that integrated movements into cognitive tasks related to numerical skills. Participants (N = 120, M age = 4.70 years, SD = 0.49; 57 girls) were assigned to one of the following four conditions: performing integrated physical activity (task relevant), performing nonintegrated physical activity (task nonrelevant), observing integrated physical activity, or conventional sedentary teaching (without performing or observing physical activity). Results showed that children who performed task-relevant integrated physical activity performed better than children in all other conditions. In addition, children who performed physical activity, either integrated or nonintegrated, reported higher scores for enjoyment of the instructional method than the two sedentary learning conditions. Implications for educational theory and practice are discussed

Intervention content and means of implementation.

<p>Intervention content and means of implementation.</p

Intervention effects on the flanker task and academic performance.

<p>Intervention effects on the flanker task and academic performance.</p

Participant flowchart.

<p>Numbers in percentage are of eligible students except for percentage lost to follow-up, which is of consenting students with a baseline measure of the primary outcome or mathematics skills. Consenting students differ from numbers published previously [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0158087#pone.0158087.ref018" target="_blank">18</a>] as student’s not following age appropriate curriculum (n = 14) were not included in the trial. The flow of schools is presented in [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0158087#pone.0158087.ref018" target="_blank">18</a>].</p