Team Sports, but Not Overall Physical Activity, in Young Childhood Linked to Later Executive Function

THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in young childhood is not associated with executive function in middle childhood, but participation in team sports is associated with better executive function, behavior regulation, and metacognition, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in JAMA Network Open.

Lu Yang, from University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues explored associations between early-life physical activity, sports participation, and executive function in primary school children. The analysis included 880 children participating in the Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity Drenthe birth cohort.

The researchers found that MVPA at ages 5 to 6 years did not correlate with executive function at ages 10 to 11 years, as measured by the Global Executive Composite. At ages 5 to 6 years, higher levels of light physical activity were associated with poorer inhibitory control (β = 0.86) and self-monitoring (β = 0.79) at ages 10 to 11 years, while greater sedentary time was associated with better inhibitory control (β = −0.62) and self-monitoring (β = −0.57). Team sports participants exhibited better overall executive function (mean difference [MD], −3.03), behavior regulation (MD, −3.39), and metacognition (MD, −2.55) compared with children engaged in individual sports.

“While associations varied among specific sports, children who participated in team sports consistently showed superior EF compared with those exclusively engaging in individual sports,” the authors write. “These findings underscore the need to explore the effects of varying physical activity intensities on EF (executive function) beyond MVPA and highlight that both quantity and type of sports may be crucial factors associated with EF.”

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