Physical Exercise Boosts Academic Achievement in College Students, Study Suggests

Strategic Insights -

A recent study from Liaoning Normal University in Dalian, People's Republic of China, explored the relationship between physical exercise and academic achievement in contemporary college students. The research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, indicates that physical exercise can positively predict college students' academic achievement and affect academic achievement through emotional intelligence and academic mood. The study suggests that physical exercise not only directly promotes academic achievement but also indirectly affects it through the mediating effect of emotional intelligence and academic mood.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study, conducted by researchers at Liaoning Normal University, aimed to explore the mechanism of physical exercise's influence on the academic achievement of college students and the mediating role of emotional intelligence and academic mood.
  • The survey, which included 540 college students, found that physical exercise can positively predict college students' academic achievement.
  • The study also found that physical exercise can mediate college students' academic achievement through emotional intelligence and academic mood, respectively.
  • The research constructed three pathways of mediating effects: physical exercise - emotional intelligence - academic achievement (path 1), physical exercise - academic mood - academic achievement (path 2), and physical exercise - emotional intelligence - academic mood - academic achievement (path 3).
  • The results of the study provide empirical evidence for an in-depth understanding of the relationship between physical exercise and academic achievement.
  • The study suggests that physical exercise can promote college students' mental health and academic development through emotional intelligence and academic mood.
  • The study's findings have implications for the promotion of college students' mental health and academic development, suggesting that physical exercise should be integrated into academic programs to enhance students' academic achievement.
  • The study's results support the idea that physical exercise can have a positive impact on college students' emotional intelligence, academic mood, and overall well-being.

Statistics:

  • The study involved a survey of 540 college students.
  • The researchers used structural equation modeling and Bootstrap method to analyze the mediating effects of emotional intelligence and academic mood.
  • The study found that physical exercise can positively predict college students' academic achievement.
  • The study also found that physical exercise can affect college students' academic achievement through emotional intelligence and academic mood in a chain.
  • The results of the study show that physical exercise not only directly promotes academic achievement but also indirectly affects academic achievement through the mediating effect of emotional intelligence and academic mood.

Sources:

  • The effects of physical exercise on college students' academic achievement: the chain mediating role of emotional intelligence and academic mood. Frontiers in Psychology, 2025;16:1642778.
  • Siyu Ren, School of Physical Education, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
  • Frontiers Media Sa, Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland.
  • NewsRx. Study Data from Liaoning Normal University Update Understanding of Psychology (The effects of physical exercise on college students' academic achievement: the chain mediating role of emotional intelligence and academic mood). Psychology & Psychiatry Journal. September 20, 2025; p 793.