An Investigation of Associations Between Heart Rate Measures of Aerobic Fitness and Executive Functioning in Pre-Adolescent Children

Kimberly Anne Barnett, Brigham Young University - Provo

Abstract

The present study evaluated the associations between direct measures of aerobic fitness and executive functioning in pre-adolescent children aged 8 to 12 years. To evaluate these associations, the study employed a cross-sectional design and a series of three step hierarchical regressions were conducted. Results suggest that after controlling for age, sex, and BMI percentile, heart rate measures of aerobic fitness did not independently predict executive function. These findings provide preliminary evidence that contradicts a growing body of research within the adult literature demonstrating an association between aerobic fitness and executive function.