ArticlePloS one2026
Physical activity and executive function in adolescents: Dual rumination pathways and mindfulness moderation.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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6 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundLate adolescence is a developmental period in which executive functions are relatively consolidated but remain sensitive to behavioral and environmental influences. Physical activity (PA) has been associated with executive-function outcomes, but the psychological factors that may be related to this association remain unclear. Objective: This study examined whether PA_total was associated with a reaction-time-based executive-function composite (EF_RT) through intrusive rumination (IR) and deliberate rumination (DR), and whether mindfulness moderated the PA_total → IR and IR → EF_RT associations.
methodsLate adolescents (N = 450; 266 males; aged 17-19 years) completed measures of PA, rumination, and mindfulness. EF_RT was derived from standardized RT-based indicators from computerized Flanker, 2-back, and More-Odd Shifting tasks. Lower EF_RT values indicate better RT-based task performance. Structural equation models were used to test parallel indirect associations and observed-variable interaction terms, with gender included as a covariate. Bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples was used to estimate indirect and conditional indirect associations.
resultsPA_total showed significant positive total and direct associations with EF_RT, indicating that higher PA_total was associated with higher RT-based scores, that is, slower or less efficient RT-based task performance. Significant indirect associations were observed through both IR and DR. Mindfulness moderated the PA_total → IR and IR → EF_RT associations, and the conditional indirect association through IR varied across levels of mindfulness. Because EF_RT is a reaction-time-based composite, positive coefficients involving EF_RT indicate higher RT-based scores, reflecting longer reaction times or larger RT costs, rather than better EF ability.
conclusionsPA_total, rumination, mindfulness, and EF_RT were interrelated in late adolescents. The findings should be interpreted as cross-sectional associations involving RT-based executive-function performance, including an unexpected positive PA_total-EF_RT association indicating slower or less efficient RT-based performance, rather than as evidence of causal effects on EF ability.
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