University Of Gothenburg It is a widely known fact that regular exercise could keep an individual quite healthy and in shape. It is alleged that young adults who are fit seem to possess an elevated IQ and appear to have more chances of going to University as compared to those who don’t exercise. At least this is what a study from Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital claims.

The study included around 1.2 million Swedish men in military service whose birth was between 1950 and 1976. The study team apparently examined the outcomes of both physical and IQ tests when the men enlisted. The study supposedly displays an obvious connection between good physical fitness and enhanced outcomes for the IQ examination. The most powerful relations are said to be for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. But it seems to be that only fitness plays a function in the consequences of the IQ test, and supposedly not strength.

“Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen. This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength. We are also seeing that there are growth factors that are important,” commented,Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

By examining the data, the experts could verify that it is principally environmental issues and not genes that apparently clarify the association between fitness and an elevated IQ.

Maria Aberg, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy and physician at Åby health centre, mentioned, “We have also shown that those youngsters who improve their physical fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 increase their cognitive performance. This being the case, physical education is a subject that has an important place in schools, and is an absolute must if we want to do well in maths and other theoretical subjects.”

The study authors have supposedly also compared the outcomes from fitness exams during national service with the socio-economic status of the men afterward in life. It was seen that those who were healthy when they were 18 were believed to pursue higher education, and several supposedly acquired more eligible jobs.

The connection between physical fitness and mental performance was thought to be formerly illustrated in studies conducted on animals, children and old people. Nevertheless, studies on young adults have apparently been conflicting till date. Approximately, by the time one is 20; their brain may still alter swiftly as an outcome of both cognitive and emotional growth.

The findings of the study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).