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Abstract
Physical inactivity in adolescents radically blocks the neurobiological stimuli essential for cognitive development. Given this issue, the present study aimed to analyze the impact of regular physical activity on the executive functions and academic learning of middle school students (eighth, ninth, and tenth grades). We evaluated 85 students using a quantitative, quasi-experimental, intra-subject repeated-measures design. The eight-week intervention, grounded in FITT principles, prioritized moderate-to-vigorous cardiovascular demands coupled with dual-task cognitive demands. While the neuropsychological profile was assessed using standardized tests (TMT, WISC-V, and Stroop), academic performance was quantified through grades in core subjects. Data analysis indicated large effect sizes in the reduction of cognitive cost and the optimization of inhibitory control. Although overall academic performance did not change immediately and working memory showed only slight increases, a divergent interaction was identified according to school grade. Specifically, eighth-grade students utilized the executive gain to buffer the stress of the curricular transition; conversely, upper-grade students directed this improvement specifically toward their academic averages. Ultimately, planned motor regulation acts as a direct promoter of prefrontal development. These findings support the viability of the FITT-Executive Neuromotor Model to integrate the physiological substrate with academic rigor.
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