# Association Between Health-Related Physical Fitness and Cognition in Preschoolers: MOVI-HIIT Study

PMID: 41888901
Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
Published: 2026-04
Authors: Visier-Alfonso ME, Sánchez-López M, Bizzozero-Peroni B, Díez-Fernández A, Ruiz-Hermosa A, Martínez-Vizcaíno V

## Question

Are components of health-related physical fitness associated with cognition in preschool children at baseline in the MOVI-HIIT study?

## Summary

This baseline MOVI-HIIT analysis found that fitter preschool children generally had better scores on several cognitive tests. Because the analysis was cross-sectional and no exercise intervention had yet been delivered, it cannot show that HIIT or improved fitness caused better cognition.

## Population

- Preschool children from nine Spanish schools.
- Sample size: 522
- Age: 3-5 years
- Fitness level: Varied preschool fitness levels measured by PREFIT.
- Health status: School-based preschool sample

## Methodology

- Cross-sectional baseline analysis within a cluster-randomized trial
- Baseline only before the intervention
- Nine schools in Ciudad Real, Spain

## Protocol

- No exercise intervention.

## Outcomes

### Cognition associations
Status: improved
Higher fitness was generally associated with better cognitive scores.

All HRPF components correlated with cognitive domains, r=0.11-0.38, p<=0.050.

### Working memory risk
Status: no clear change
No fitness component predicted low working-memory achievement after adjustment.

## Practical Insights

- Fitness-cognition links in preschoolers should be described as associative.
- This paper is background evidence, not protocol evidence.

## Limitations

- Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference.
- Regional preschool sample limits generalizability.
- Unmeasured confounding may remain.
- Some preschool executive-function measurements may have limited differentiation.

## Safety And Adherence

- No exercise intervention was analyzed, so no training-related adverse events were reported.
- Ethics approval, school-board approval, and written family consent were reported.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41888901/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70268) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13022062/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.