Physical education exercise improves physical fitness and working memory function: a randomized controlled trial...

Physical education exercise has a positive effect on adolescents' physical fitness and working memory function, but it has not been found in studies on Uyghur adolescents, an ethnic minority in western China. To this end, this study conducted a randomized controlled trial of physical education exercise for 12 weeks in Uyghur adolescents from Xinjiang, China. The effects of physical education exercise on physical fitness and working memory function of Uyghur adolescents were analyzed.

Randomly selected 222 Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur secondary school students were randomly divided into a control group and an exercise intervention group. The physical education exercise was conducted for 12 weeks for the intervention group, and no intervention was conducted for the control group. The subjects were tested on physical fitness items (height, weight, waist circumference, 1000 m/800 m running) and working memory function before and after the intervention. Pre- and post-intervention test results were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests (within-group comparisons). Post-intervention comparisons between intervention and control groups were analyzed using analysis of covariance (between-group comparisons).

The differences between the pre-intervention and post-intervention physical fitness indicators of Chinese Uyghur adolescents in the intervention group were statistically significant (all P values < 0.01). The height and VO_{2 max} of boys increased by 0.41 cm and 4.08 mL/kg. min, and weight, BMI, and waist circumference decreased by 0.4 kg, 0.26 kg/m², and 0.4 cm, respectively; the girls' height and VO_{2 max} increased by 0.40 cm and 2.87 mL/kg. min, weight, BMI, and waist circumference decreased by 0.40 kg, 0.26 kg/m², and 2.02 cm, respectively. The differences between the pre-intervention and post-intervention 1-back reaction time and 2-back reaction time of the adolescents in the intervention group were statistically significant (all P values < 0.05). The 1-back reaction time and 2-back reaction time were reduced by 150.53 ms and 180.00 ms for boys and 204.84 ms and 228.53 ms for girls, respectively. There was no significant difference between the pre-intervention and post-intervention physical fitness indicators, 1-back reaction time, and 2-back reaction time in the control group (all P values > 0.05).

The study confirmed that physical education exercise may be one of the effective means to improve the physical fitness and working memory function of Chinese Xinjiang adolescents. However, whether the same intervention effect exists in other groups should be further studied and analyzed. Our study provides reference and help for the government and education department to develop future educational policies to enhance physical education exercise in schools.

This study adheres to CONSORT guidelines. This study was conducted retrospectively trial registration: ChiCTR2400088822; China Clinical Trial Registration; August 27, 2024.