Unlock Your Child's Hidden Genius! Recent studies reveal that sports not only boost physical health but also enhance intelligence. Engaging in physical activities can elevate IQ by an ave...

Research has consistently demonstrated that sports positively affect not only physical health but also mental well-being and learning ability. According to recent studies, physical activity has an antidepressant effect through its impact on the body's reward system, while practicing motor skills during foreign language classes helps in assimilating new material.

Experts from several universities in Spain conducted a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between sports participation and intelligence levels in children and adolescents. The results of their research were published in the scientific journal Pediatrics.

The researchers analyzed 14 studies involving a total of 3,203 participants aged 5 to 14 years. They focused on both general intelligence and fluid intelligence (the ability to solve new problems and think logically without relying on prior knowledge or experience) as well as crystallized intelligence (the accumulation of knowledge, skills, and experience over time).

Regardless of the children's physical condition or IQ, exercise significantly improved their intelligence levels. The results were also unaffected by the participants' age.

“Exercise programs increase the IQ of children and adolescents by an average of four points. This outcome is comparable to the gains typically achieved through an additional year of schooling. Therefore, encouraging physical activity among children and adolescents can have a long-term positive impact on their intellectual abilities, as well as on their happiness, socioeconomic success, and health in the future,” the authors of the publication noted.

However, the scientists emphasized the need to consider the limitations of the study. For instance, the exercise programs in the reviewed studies varied in terms of the type of physical activity, as well as in intensity, duration, and frequency. This made it challenging to determine which specific sports activities had the most significant effects on cognitive functions.