Table 1.
Study designs, characteristics and main results
| Author and country | Design | Intervention | n | Age (y) or grade | Duration | Type of PA | Achievement Measure(s) | Achievement Outcome(s) | Main Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term Interventions | |||||||||
| Beck et al. (2016), Denmark | Cluster RCT | Motor-enriched mathematics lessons 1) Fine motor math (FMM) 2) Gross motor math (GMM) | 165 | 7.5 | 6 weeks | Integrated/ specific movement | Standardised Danish test; arithmetic and geometry | GMM improved from T0 to T1. At T2 no significant differences between groups | 0 |
| Da Cruz (2017), USA | Group randomised trial | Three 60 min MVPA activities/ week | 167 | 12.1 | 17 weeks | After school PA | Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement III; math fluency and math applied problems | Intervention group had significantly higher math fluency performance but not math applied problems than the control group | +/0 |
| Davis et al. (2011), USA | RCT | After school exercise program 5d/week: 1) Low-dose, 20 mins of PA 2) High-dose, 40 mins of PA | 171 | 9.3 | 13 weeks | After school PE | Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement III, broad mathematics clusters | Significant benefit of exercise on mathematics achievement | + |
| Donnelly et al. (2009), USA | Cluster RCT | PA across the curriculum 90 mins weekly during academic lessons | 203 | 7–8 | 3 years | Integrated PA | Standardised Wechsler Individual Achievement Test | Significant improvement in intervention group math scores compared to the control schools | + |
| Donnelly et al. (2017), USA | Cluster RCT | 55 min/week of PA across curriculum (target 100 min), two 10-min lessons per day | 584 | 8.1 | 3 years | Integrated PA | Standardised Wechsler Individual Achievement Test | No significant impact of intervention on math achievement | 0 |
| Elofsson et al. (2018), Sweden | Pre-test vs post-test mixed factorial design | Two 30 mins PA sessions/week: Math in action (MIA) group and Common numerical activities (CNA). Control group. | 53 | 5.8 | 3 weeks | Integrated PA | Verbal arithmetic test | MIA -group developed significantly more than students in control group with respect to counting forward, naming numbers, number line estimation, verbal addition and subtraction | + |
| Erwin et al. (2012), USA | Quasi-experimental study | Daily 20 min PA breaks with math content in class. | 29 | 8.9 | 20 weeks | PA breaks with math content | Curriculum based math fluency 1 min test and stadardised tests | Intervention students had significantly higher curriculum based math scores than the controls but not standardised tests or grades | + |
| Fedewa et al. (2015), USA | Cluster RCT | PA breaks throughout the day, 5 min at once, 20 min/day | 460 | grades 3–5 | 8 months | PA breaks with math content | National standardised Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) | Treatment classrooms experienced larger gains in mathematics achievement | + |
| Hraste et al. (2018), Croatia | RCT | 4 x PA integrated into 45 min mathematics/geometry lessons | 36 | 10.4 | 1 week | Integrated PA | A standard test for assessing mathematical knowledge and a geometry test | Experimental group was significantly more successful in the geometry tests than the control group | + |
| Gao et al. (2013), USA | Crossover design | 30 min of aerobic activities or exergaming (dance) three times a week | 208 | 10–12 | 2 years | PE lessons | Math scores for the Utah Criterion-Referenced Test | Children in PA intervention showed more improvement on math scores in year 1 and 2 than comparison groups | + |
| Katz et al. (2010), USA | Intervention | Multiple type structured PA breaks throughout the school day (> 30 mins/day) | 1214 | 7–9 | 8 months | PA break in class | Missouri Academic Peformance (MAP) scores | No significant differences between intervention and control groups in MAP scores of mathematics performance | 0 |
| Lubans et al. (2018) Australia | Cluster RCT | Maximising students’ MVPA during PE classes through PE teacher in-service training | 1173 | 12.9 | 7 months | Higher intensity PE lessons | National Assessment Program -Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN): understanding, fluency, problem solving, and reasoning in numeracy | A small to medium effect on mathematics performance. The effect was equal to approximately one quarter of the increase in typical age-level mathematics performance. | + |
| Mavilidi et al. (2018), Australia | Cluster RCT | 15 min learning session once per week. Four intervention groups: 1) PA related to the learning tasks, 2) observation of peers’ PA 3) PA unrelated to the learning task 4) control condition | 120 | 4.7 | 4 weeks | Integrated PA + PA breaks | Counting, number line estimation, block counting, numerical magnitude, comparison, numerical identification | The performing integrated PA condition performed significantly better than the other conditions, with the largest effect on number line estimation and numerical magnitude comparison | + |
| Mead et al. (2016), USA | Pretest–posttest design | 1) Two 5-min PA breaks during each math period (ACTB), 2) Students always sat on stability balls (STAB) | 81 | 11–12 | 1 year | Stability ball and PA break | Standards-based Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) | PA breaks were not effective in improving math scores but use of stability balls was effective | 0 |
| Mullender-Wijnsma et al. (2015), Netherlands | Quasi-experimental design | Physically active academic lessons 3x week. Each lesson had 10–15 min math problems and 10–15 min language problems | 228 | 8.1 | 21 weeks | Integrated PA | Tempo Test Rekenen (Speed arithmetic test) | 3rd grade intervention group scored significantly higher on mathematics compared to the controls while the 2nd grade group scored significantly lower than the controls | +/− |
| Mullender-Wijnsma et al. (2016), Netherlands | Cluster RCT | Physically active academic lessons 3x week. Each lesson had 10–15 min math problems and 10–15 min language problems | 499 | 8.1 | 2 yrs. (22wk/year) | Integrated PA | Two standardised math tests (speed and general math skills) | Intervention group had significantly greater gains in mathematics speed test and general mathematics | + |
| Resaland et al. (2016), Norway | Cluster RCT | 90 min/week physically active lessons (30 min math), 5 min/day PA breaks, 10 min/day PA homework | 1129 | 10 | 7 months | Integrated PA + PA breaks+ PA homework | Standardised Norwegian national tests | No significant intervention effect | 0 |
| Resaland et al. (2018), Norway | Cluster RCT | 90 min/week physically active lessons (30 min math), 5 min/day PA breaks, 10 min/day PA homework | 1129 | 10 | 7 months | Integrated PA + PA breaks+ PA homework | Standardised Norwegian national tests | Boys and girls in the low performing tertile had a beneficial trend. Middle and high performing girls responded with negative trends. | 0 |
| Riley et al. (2016), Australia | RCT | Movement based learning in mathematics 3 × 60 min/week. | 240 | 11 | 6 weeks | Integrated PA | Standardised mathematics progressive achievement test | No significant effect on mathematical performance | 0 |
| Sallis et al. (1999), USA | Experimental design | Three days/week, 30 min lessons of 1) Specialist-taught program 2) Trained classroom teacher taught program | 754 | 9 | 2 years | Extra PE lessons | Norm-referenced Metropolitan achievement test | More time in PE did not have harmful effects on math achievement test scores | 0 |
| Sjöwall et al. (2017), Sweden | Intervention | 180 min extra PA/ week | 470 | 6–13 | 2 years | Extra PA activities | Arithmetic test: One min addition and subtraction | No significant effects were found for arithmetic | 0 |
| Snyder et al. (2017), USA | Intervention | Students active for at least 50% of the 70-min mathematics lesson | 24 | 3rd grade | 5 weeks | Integrated PA | Common Summative Assessment (CSA) | No statistically significant differences between the two classrooms | 0 |
| Tarp et al. (2016), Denmark | Cluster RCT | 60 min daily PA a) PA integrated into academic subjects b) Recess PA activities C) PA homework daily D) active transportation | 632 | 12–13 | 20 weeks | Integrated + recess PA + PA homework + active transportation | Custom made grade specific mathematics tests: arithmetic, algebra, problem-solving and geometry | No significant effect of the intervention on mathematics skills | 0 |
| Watson et al. (2018,) Australia | Cluster RCT | 3 × 5 min active breaks in classroom daily, five times a week | 312 | 9.1 | 6 weeks | PA break in class | Westwood one minute test on basic number facts (subtraction subtest) | No intervention effect on mathematics | 0 |
| Vetter et al. (2018), Australia | Randomized crossover trial | Three 20 min sessions/week, physically active learning of numeracy skill of times Tables (TT). | 85 | 9.8 | 6 weeks | Integrated PA | Custom made curriculum based TT test and general standardised assessment from the Australian National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) | No significant difference in the TT test between PA and control conditions. Significantly greater improvement in general numeracy for PA group than control group | 0/+ |
| Acute Effects | |||||||||
| Harveson et al. (2018), USA | Randomized crossover design | a) AE, 30 min aerobic exercise, b) RE, 30 min resistance exercise, c) NE, no exercise. | 91 | 15.9 | Three separate sessions separated by 7 days each | PA session before test | Battery of four 10-question math tests taken from New York State Testing Program exams | Acute RE and AE did not significantly improve scores on a mathematics test | 0 |
| Howie et al. (2015), USA | Within-subjects randomised experiment | PA breaks: 1) 5 min 2) 10 min 3) 20 min breaks or 10 min sedentary lesson | 96 | 10.7 | One consistent time of day and week | PA breaks in class | One min math fluency test based on state curriculum standards | Math scores were higher after the 10-min and 20-min exercise breaks compared with the control, but not after the 5-min exercise break | + |
| Phillips et al. (2015), USA | Within -subjects design, repeated measures design | 20 min vigorous PA followed by a math test at 30 min and 45 min | 72 | 14–15 | One session | PA session before test | The New York State Testing Program: a) number sense and operations, b) algebra, c) geometry and d) measurement; 4 five-minute tests | Students achieved 11–22% higher math scores at 30 min post PA compared with other time points | + |
| Thompson et al. (2016, USA) | Cluster RCT, between-groups design | Special 40 min PE class (min 20 of MVPA) directly before math test | 791 | 10–11 | One session | PA session before test | standardised Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress | No statistically significant differences in change in math results | 0 |
| Travlos (2010), Greece | Experiment, within-subjects desing | Interval aerobic run (four sets of 4-min run) PE lesson-before math test. | 48 | 13–15 | Four days | PA session before test | Simple addition problems; two min-speed and accuracy test | Numerical speed and accuracy of students who attended the first, third, and fifth hour of the daily lessons increased, but there was a decrease in the sixth-hour lesson | + |
+ = positive effect; 0 = no effect; − = negative effect. MVPA moderate to vigorous physical activity, PA physical activity, RCT randomized controlled trial, PE physical education