According to the results published in the academic journal NeuroImage, people who are physically active during childhood have higher cognitive functions later on in life. The research group conducted a study on 214 participants aged from 26 to 69 using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to illuminate the structural and functional changes in the brain that are behind this relationship.
As per the findings, participants who exercised when they were children did better on cognitive tests regardless of their current age. However, they could not find a correlation between cognitive function and post-childhood physical activity.
According to researchers, the formation of the brain's network during childhood is susceptible to environmental and experience-related factors. Exercise during this period optimises brain network development and is linked to the maintenance and promotion of cognitive function later on.
Also Read: Healthy weight, BP in childhood linked to better brain function during mid-life