Smarter Young Adults Perform Better In Middle Age

Research shows that there is a link between male intelligence during young adulthood and later midlife physical performance when they are aged between 48 to 56 years.. High intelligence scores improves physical performance, as The Center for Healthy Aging and the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, reveals, according to medicalexpress.

After surveying 2,848 Danish males born in 1953 and in 1959-61, they have published the results in the scientific Journal of Aging and Health.

Through adulthood, as young men become independent, they also require good physical shape and also coping with routine physical activities such as "getting dressed and carrying our own shopping". A number of tests, such as the handgrip strength, balance and chair-rise are good for measuring physical performance.

"Our study clearly shows that the higher intelligence score in early adulthood, the stronger the participants' back, legs and hands are in midlife. Their balance is also better. Former studies have taught us that the better the results of these midlife tests, the greater the chance of avoiding a decrease in physical performance in old age", says PhD student Rikke Hodal Meincke from the Center for Healthy Aging and the Department of Public Health.

"With a 10-point increase in intelligence score, the results revealed a 0,5 kg increase in lower back force, 1 cm increase in jumping height - an expression of leg muscle power, 0.7 kg increase in hand-grip strength, 3.7% improved balance, and 1.1 more chair-rises in 30 seconds."

This link is probably linked to swift understanding and interpreting health information, leading to healthier lifestyles.

"Exercise can thus be viewed as a mechanism that explains the connection between intelligence and physical performance," Rikke Hodal Meincke elaborates.

The results are important to put into place various plans to get elderly people to exercise more.

However, exercise, health status and socio-economics, along with childhood factors also influence physical performance in later life. Check out for more information in the Journal of Aging and Health.