The Impact of Time and Energy Expenditure in Physical Activity on Academic Performance: A Mixed-Methods Study

In the modern knowledge economy, students often face the challenge of balancing academic responsibilities with physical activity, which may influence academic performance depending on the time and energy invested. Despite existing studies, there is still a lack of clarity regarding the impact of time and energy expenditure in physical activity on academic performance, especially in terms of how time is allocated between study and physical activity. To comprehensively investigate the relationship between physical activity and academic performance, the purpose of this study was to examine how time allocation and energy expenditure on physical activity influence university students’ academic success, a parallel mixed-methods research design. From a quantitative perspective, a questionnaire was conducted with 845 university students to measure physical activity duration, energy consumption, and GPA. From a qualitative perspective, 20 university students with a physical activity routine were selected as cases to discuss the impact of physical activity on academic performance. The quantitative findings underscore that physical activity does not significantly negatively impact university students’ academic performance. On the contrary, dedicating an appropriate amount of time and effort to physical activity may yield potential positive effects. Similarly, the qualitative results reinforce these benefits, indicating that engaging in physical activity promotes effective time management (e.g., time optimization and scheduling) and stress reduction, indirectly supporting academic success. Additionally, long-term participation in physical activity improves overall physical health and cognitive abilities, both of which are critical for academic achievement.