title: Effects of aerobic exercise on overweight children's cognitive functioning: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: The study tested the effect of aerobic exercise training on executive function in overweight children. Ninety-four sedentary, overweight but otherwise healthy children (mean age = 9.2 years, body mass index 85th percentile) were randomized to a low-dose (20 min/day exercise), high-dose (40 min/day exercise), or control condition. Exercise sessions met 5 days/week for 15 weeks. The Cognitive Assessment System (CAS), a standardized test of cognitive processes, was administered individually before and following intervention. Analysis of covariance on posttest scores revealed effects on executive function. Group differences emerged for the CAS Planning scale (p = .03). Planning scores for the high-dose group were significantly greater than those of the control group. Exercise may prove to be a simple, yet important, method of enhancing aspects of children's mental functioning that are central to cognitive and social development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, USA. cadavis@mcg.edu
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Phillip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Tomporowski
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.forename: Patricia H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Naglieri
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregoski
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires