ArticleMedicine and science in sports and exercise2020
Physical Activity and Academic Performance: Genetic and Environmental Associations.
Article in Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Reviewing the association between motor competence and physical activity from a behavioral genetic perspective.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Multiscale Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity: From Molecular Pathways to Network Dynamics and Behavioral Adaptation.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Associations between total physical activity levels and academic performance in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of education and health promotion · 2024Review
- Genetics and sports performance: the present and future in the identification of talent for sports based on DNA testing.European journal of applied physiology · 2022Review
- FinnTwin12 Cohort: An Updated Review.Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionPhysical activity and academic performance are believed to be associated. Though both traits are partially heritable, it remains unclear whether these traits also share a genetic and/or environmental background in common. We aimed to examine to what extent leisure time physical activity and academic performance share genetic and environmental effects from early adolescence to young adulthood.
methodsParticipants were Finnish twins (2543-2693 individuals/study wave) who reported their leisure-time physical activity at ages 12, 14, 17, and 24 yr. Academic performance was assessed with teacher-reported grade point averages at ages 12 and 14 yr and by self-reported educational levels at ages 17 and 24 yr. Bivariate quantitative genetic modeling at each age and between different ages was performed to decompose the trait correlation between academic performance and physical activity into genetic and environmental components.
resultsThe trait correlations between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance were positive, but modest at most (rtrait = 0.08-0.22 in males, and 0.07-0.18 in females). The genetic correlations between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance were higher than the trait correlations (rA = 0.17-0.43 in males, and 0.15-0.25 in females). Common genetic influences explained 43% to 100% of the trait correlations. Environmental influences shared by cotwins between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance were also correlated (rC = 0.27-0.54 in males, and 0.21-0.69 in females) explaining 41% to 100% of the trait correlations. Unique environmental influences were correlated only in females (rE = 0.10-0.15).
conclusionsBoth common genetic background and shared family environment (i.e., familial background) partially account for the associations observed between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance. However, the estimates vary in magnitude by age.
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