Influence of Cognitive Training and Aerobic Interventions on Academic Performance and Cognitive Functions of Adolescent Males

The study evaluates the impact of cognitive training and aerobic interventions on academic performance and cognitive functions of adolescent males. The findings reveal a substantial reduction of BMI and an elevation in peak oxygen uptake in the study subjects following the administration of aerobic intervention. The outcomes of the presented study did not reveal any significant difference between the adolescents who received aerobic exercises as compared with adolescents who received cognitive training. However, exercise and cognitive interventions retained the thinking pattern of the research subjects in the intervention group.

Exercise Physiology
Discussion
The presented study attempted to evaluate and comparatively analyze the
influence of cognitive training and aerobic interventions on the academic performance
and cognitive functions of the adolescent males. The study hypothesized a greater
impact of aerobic exercise on the academic outcomes, executive function, and
cardiovascular fitness of the adolescent individuals. The study findings revealed a
substantial reduction of BMI of the research subjects (from 21.9 to 21.6kg/m2)
following the administration of aerobic intervention. These findings effectively
concord with the research outcomes that advocate 25% enhancement in academic
performance, BMI (body mass index) reduction, daily functioning capacity elevation,
and neurocognitive potential improvement under the influence of exercise training.1
Another evidence-based study advocated the decrease in BMI z-score in the study
subjects following the administration of aerobic exercise.2 These findings radically
advocate the exercise-based BMI reduction reported by the presented randomized
study. Indeed, the cardiorespiratory fitness of adolescents reciprocally varies with
their physical activity and BMI level. The normal weight adolescents exhibit elevated
odds ratio that indicates their elevated cardiovascular fitness as compared to obese
and overweight people.3
Aerobic exercise facilitates weight management of adolescent people that
resultantly improve their BMI and associated cardiovascular outcomes. The findings
of the presented research study indicated an elevation in peak oxygen uptake in the
study subjects following the administration of aerobic exercise. Maximal oxygen
uptake (i.e. VO2) substantially indicates the integrated capacity of the muscular,
cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems of the adolescent individuals.4 Therefore, the
exercise-based VO2 elevation in adolescent subjects (in the presented study) affirms
their systemic improvement under the impact of aerobic exercise. Enhanced oxygen
uptake under the impact of aerobic exercise is indicative of greater skeletal muscle
function that substantially leads to exercise tolerance in the adolescent people.5 The
exercise-based VO2 max acquisition by the adolescent subjects in the presented study
accordingly indicated their exercise tolerance and associated cardiovascular fitness.
The outcomes of the presented study did not reveal any significant difference
between the adolescents who received aerobic exercises as compared with adolescents

who received cognitive training. However, exercise and cognitive interventions
retained the thinking pattern of the research subjects in the intervention group. This
finding effectively concords with the evidence-based outcomes that reveal the
improvement in relational-reasoning/mathematics-based cognitive skills of
adolescents under the influence of cognitive training.6 Similarly, evidence-based
outcomes reveal the positive influence of aerobic exercise on cortical brain
development in the adolescent males.7 The consistent administration of aerobic
exercise improves the functionality of brain-derived neurotrophic factor that
resultantly elevates the growth pattern and capacity of the cerebral cortex along with
improvement in synaptic plasticity. The exercise-based VO2 peak enhancement is
indicative of elevated oxygen transportation and utilization by the adolescent body.7
The exercise intervention considerably influences the higher order visual capacity and
structure of the occipital lobe in adolescent people. Several studies indicate the
potential of aerobic exercise in terms of enhancing the occipital function of adolescent
individuals. However, the scientific community requires evaluating the capacity of
selected genes to moderate the brain-related aerobic exercise outcomes in the
adolescent population.7
The findings of the presented research study did not reveal any significant
difference related to the thinking subdomains within the intervention groups before
and after the administration of aerobic exercise and cognitive training. The thinking
subdomains of the adolescent population are indicative of working memory that
incorporates information updating, behavioral flexibility, and inhibitory control.
Indeed, behavioral flexibility assists adolescents in terms of undertaking adjustment
as per the environmental changes. Similarly, inhibitory control assists the adolescent
people in resisting the distracting interference. Functional working memory is
indicative of an effective brain mechanism that incorporates numerous information
channels that require manipulation in accordance with the changing requirements and
goals.8 However, the presented research outcomes majorly emphasized the
improvement in abstract/verbal reasoning and numeracy of adolescents under the
influence of cognitive training and aerobic exercise while disregarding behavioral
flexibility mechanisms. Academic testing executed by the presented research study
revealed substantial differences between the AGAT (ACER General Ability Test) of
the intervention and control groups. The research subjects pertaining to the

intervention (i.e. brain/body) groups revealed elevated verbal score and numeracy as
compared to the subjects in control groups.
Evidence-based findings radically concord with the presented research
outcomes while indicating the improvement in numeracy and literacy score in
physically fit adolescents.9 Aerobic fitness effectively enhances the relationship
between math achievement and physical activity in adolescent individuals. Aerobic
activity radically improves the attention and concentration of adolescents that
eventually improve their abstract reasoning and associated academic outcomes.9
After-school fitness sessions substantially elevate the attention scale of adolescents
that improve their scope of academic enhancement. However, prospective research
interventions require execution with the objective of understanding the overall
influence of physical activity on the entire brain region. Despite a limited
understanding of the impact of the aerobic activity on the adolescent brain, the
researchers across the globe unanimously advocate the influence of physical activity
on the memory, executive function, information processing capacity and attention
pattern of the adolescent individuals. 9 Contrarily, brain training/cognitive training of
adolescents assists in generating observational brain modifications including
neuroplasticity and behavioral enhancement. However, the influence of aerobic
exercise on the physical fitness and cognitive outcomes of adolescents is considerably
greater than the cognitive training intervention.10 These evidence-based findings
necessitate the requirement of administering the blend of aerobic exercise and
cognitive training interventions with the objective of improving the executive
functions and academic outcomes in the adolescent population.
The overall research findings indicate that the recommended aerobic and
cognitive interventions did not substantially improve the AP and CF outcomes of the
brain and body groups. However, the control group subjects who did not receive any
intervention exhibited deteriorated academic outcomes (as compared to the treatment
subjects) after undertaking the AGAT intervention. Aerobic intervention facilitated
the enhancement of BMI and physical fitness of the body group subjects. These
findings indicate the promising potential of aerobic exercise in terms of enhancing the
overall fitness and executive functions of the adolescent population. However,
prospective interventions require execution in the context of delineating the impact

mechanisms of aerobic exercise and cognitive training related to the elevation of
academic performance and cognitive functioning in the adolescent individuals.

References
x
1. Kimhy D, Vakhrusheva J, Bartels MN, et al. Aerobic Fitness and Body Mass
Index in Individuals with Schizophrenia: Implications for Neurocognition and
Daily Functioning. Psychiatry Res. 2014;220(3):784-791.
2. Kelley GA, Kelley KS, Pate RR. Exercise and BMI z-score in Overweight and
Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-
Analysis of Randomized Trials. Journal of Evidence Based Medicine.
2017;10(2):108-128.
3. Hsieh PL, Chen ML, Huang CM, et al. Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and
Cardiorespiratory Fitness among School Children in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional
Study. Environmental Research and Public Health. 2014;11(7):7275–7285.
4. Smirmaul BPC, Bertucci DR, Teixeira IP. Is the VO2max that we measure really
maximal? Frontiers in Physiology. 2013.
5. Tucker WJ, Nelson MD, Beaudry RI, et al. Impact of Exercise Training on Peak
Oxygen Uptake and its Determinants in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection
Fraction. Cardiac Failure Review. 2016;2(2):95–101.
6. Knoll LJ, Fuhrmann D, Sakhardande AL, et al. A Window of Opportunity for
Cognitive Training in Adolescence. Psychological Science. 2016;27(12):1620–
1631.
7. Herting MM, Keenan MF, Nagel BJ. Aerobic Fitness Linked to Cortical Brain
Development in Adolescent Males: Preliminary Findings Suggest a Possible Role
of BDNF Genotype. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2016.
8. Luciana M. Adolescent brain development in normality and psychopathology.
Dev Psychopathol. 2013;25(402):1325–1345.
9. Donnelly JE, Hillman CH, Castelli D, et al. Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive
Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review. Med
Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(6):1197–1222.
10. Rossignoli-Palomeque T, Perez-Hernandez E, González-Marqués J. Brain
Training in Children and Adolescents: Is It Scientifically Valid? Frontiers in
Psychology. 2018.
x