Physical activity (PA) is one of the few things in life that, when done correctly, can be both healthy and fun. Not only is PA good for children and adolescents physically, but there is increasing recognition of the benefits of PA on attention, cognition, and mental health. However, it is still a mystery as to how PA produces these effects. Valkenborghs and colleagues (10.1542/peds.2018-4032) explore this further in the October issue of Pediatrics by performing a systematic review of studies that examined functional and structural changes in the brain resulting from different PA interventions. Their article and accompanying video abstract nicely outline the current state of knowledge about the effects of PA on different brain regions, but several overarching “take home messages” also emerge from this review:
- There are surprisingly few published studies that have taken this approach to evaluating the effects of PA on young brains.
- There is significant heterogeneity in the PA protocols used in these studies. For example, some studies evaluated acute effects immediately after physical exertion, while others looked at longitudinal changes after months spent in PA programs. Since the physiologic impacts of PA varies depending upon the dose, duration, timing and frequency of activity, future studies need to have greater consistency when looking at the impact of PA on the brain.
Current recommendations for children and adolescents are for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous PA per day, and in its recent clinical report “The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children” the AAP outlines the multiple physical and psychological benefits of physically active play in children. However, we still do not understand the direct effects of these recommendations on the developing brain. Our ability to appropriately counsel patients and caregivers regarding PA as a potential therapeutic intervention requires a greater understanding of how PA can be used to modulate brain function and development. Valkenborghs and colleagues report that there has been an exponential increase in studies examining PA-mediated changes in brain volume in adults, but there has not yet been this same effort in the pediatric population. This is an area ripe for further inquiry, and this manuscript provides a nice foundation for those efforts.
