Our work Why rugby: The data Improved Brain Function Increased brain size We know that exercise boosts memory and thinking skills. But now, researchers have shown for the first time that physical activity can increase the size of children’s brains and improve academic performance. The study by a team from the University of Granada in Spain found that children who are physically fit have a greater volume of grey matter in the brain’s frontal and temporal regions and the calcarine cortex, all of which are important for executive function (the mental skills that help us get things done), as well as learning, motor skills and visual processing. The researchers aimed to determine whether the brains of physically fit children were different to those of their less-fit peers and if this affected their academic performance. "The answer is short and forceful: yes, physical fitness in children is linked in a direct way to important brain structure differences, and such differences are reflected in the children's academic performance," said lead researcher Francisco B Ortega, of the University of Granada’s Sport and Health Institute. The study, published in the NeuroImage journal, is part of the ActiveBrains project. The researchers found motor ability helped boost grey matter in two regions essential for language processing and reading: the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus. Good for Backs and Forwards However, they found no link between muscular strength and the volume of grey matter in any part of the brain, meaning the backs in rugby get the same advantage as the forwards. The paper’s main author, Irene Esteban-Cornejo, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Granada, said that grey-matter volume in the cortical and sub-cortical regions influenced by physical fitness improved the children's academic performance. All schools The researchers have urged policy-makers and educators to put their findings into practice in schools by teaching physical education every day. *children who exercise have more brain power Manage Cookie Preferences