Required Physical Activity and Academic Grades: A Controlled Study

Abstract

There have been many previous studies on the influence of sports participation upon academic achievement (Voile et al. 1982a). Nevertheless, opinion is still divided as to whether scholastic attainments are improved, worsened, or unchanged by an increase of physical activity during childhood. Possible reasons for the discrepant results include: (a) population differences with respect to age, mental development, and body image; (b) use of retrospective, cross-sectional analyses that have sought relationships between existing academic performance and physical variables; (c) comparisons between self-selected groups such as athletes and nonathletes; (d) ‘halo’ effects, as teachers and fellow students have rewarded popular competitors by both praise and higher marks; (e) gains of self-image resulting from such adulation but influencing academic performance; (f) loss of curricular time through extensive training and participation in athletic contests; and (g) review of the results of experimental programs after an undesirably short period of time.