Physically Fit teens Smarter than their Peers

Physically fit teenagers have better connected brain networks than their less-fit peers, new study finds.

Researchers say that teens who exercise have more fibrous and compact white-matter tracts in the brain. The white matter or substantia alba, are bundles of axons that carry nerve signals between the grey matter.

The grey matter or substantia grisea is a part of the brain surrounded by nerve cell bodies. A majority of information is processed in the grey matter. The white matter acts as a communication pathway between different grey matter regions.

The latest study was conducted by researchers at University of Illinois. It shows that children who take part in aerobic activities aren't just physically fit, but also have compact white matter.

 Research has shown that compact, dense white matter improves information processing efficiency of the brain.

"Previous studies suggest that children with higher levels of aerobic fitness show greater brain volumes in gray-matter brain regions important for memory and learning," said Laura Chaddock-Heyman from the University of Illinois. "Now for the first time we explored how aerobic fitness relates to white matter in children's brains."

The study was based on brain scans obtained from 24 participants who were between ages nine and ten years. The team used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, also called diffusion MRI) to analyze water diffusion into the brain tissues. Compact and fibrous white matter has less water diffusion.

Researchers found key differences in brain regions of physically active and inactive children. The corpus callosum, which connects the brain's left and right hemispheres; the superior longitudinal fasciculus, a pair of structures that connect the frontal and parietal lobes; and the superior corona radiata, which connect the cerebral cortex to the brain stem- all had significantly strong white matter networks in aerobically fit children.

"All of these tracts have been found to play a role in attention and memory," Chaddock-Heyman said, according to a news release.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day for all children. Research has also shown that active teens tend to be more happier than their peers.

The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.