LAUSR

Key Points Question Can an exercise intervention of aerobic plus resistance training improve cognitive and brain health outcomes for children with overweight or obesity? Findings In this randomized clinical trial of 109 participants, exercise significantly improved intelligence and cognitive flexibility among preadolescent children with overweight or obesity. There was also a positive, smaller-magnitude significant effect of exercise on academic performance but no significant effect on inhibition and working memory or on structural and functional brain outcomes studied. Meaning This study suggests that exercise can positively affect intelligence and cognitive flexibility during a sensitive period of brain development in childhood and, to a smaller extent, academic performance, indicating that an active lifestyle before puberty may lead to more successful life trajectories.