The Impact of Physical Fitness and Activity on GPA in College Students

Both physical activity and high aerobic capacity have been linked to academic performance. Past data using questionnaires suggest that there is a link between physical activity levels and GPA. Very little data has used objective fitness measures, and no data has compared physical activity levels and aerobic capacity on GPA. PURPOSE: This correlational study aimed to assess the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and GPA in college students. METHODS: College students were recruited to participate in this correlational study. Participants wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ activity monitor (Pensacola, FL, USA) on their dominant wrist. They were asked to wear the device for an entire day, as well as when they were asleep. Activity counts were accumulated over 60-s epochs during the two conditions. Time spent in sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous PA was calculated according to Freedson 1998 cutpoints. Subjects were given a questionnaire that included their current GPA and had their body fat percentage and VO2 max measured. RESULTS: Ninety-one males and fifty-nine females participated in this study. GPA was associated with VO2 max for college-aged males (r=.287, p=.008) but not females (p=0.517). For body fat, the data results showed a significant correlation between body fat and GPA in males (r=-.380, p=.001) but not in females (p = .141). There was no significant correlation between average sedentary bouts or average MVPA when paired with grade point average outcomes (all, p>.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that males maintain healthy levels of body fat and high levels of aerobic fitness may play a role in maintaining higher GPA’s.