Benefits of Physical Activity During the School Day to Reduce Mental Fatigue and Optimize Cognitive and Psychosocial Processes in Secondary School Students

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Active breaks: AB are implemented three times per week on days without physical education classes, providing a total of six active break sessions weekly (two per day on intervention days). Each session consists of 5 minutes of physical activity scheduled after the second and fifth academic periods to interrupt prolonged sedentary behaviour. Delivered over 9 weeks per trimester. A specialised facilitator provides direct support during all intervention sessions to coordinate the timing and implementation of activities.

Physically active learning: PAL integrates physical movement into academic instruction. Two 55-minute lessons per week are dedicated to integrating motor activities with curriculum content. The intervention is coordinated by a specialised facilitator who co-designs the sessions with subject-matter teachers to maintain academic rigor while promoting physical engagement. Delivered over 9 weeks per trimester.

Active Recess: AR provides structured opportunities for physical activity during school breaks. Every day of the week, two activities are offered during recess: one involving moderate physical activity and another involving more vigorous or intense activity (alternative games). The intervention modifies playground spaces and provides diverse sports equipment to encourage movement. Delivered over 9 weeks per trimester. A specialised facilitator provides direct support during all intervention sessions to coordinate the implementation of the activities.

Study summary

The main aim of the MENTALFIT project is to test the effectiveness of physically active teaching methodologies to reduce mental fatigue and optimize cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes in secondary school students. Specifically, the study aims to examine differences depending on the type of physically active strategy implemented (physically active learning, active breaks, and active recesses) on students' mental fatigue, cognitive function, group dynamics, and motivational processes. Furthermore, the project aims to compare whether learning and academic performance are similar in traditional classes versus classes employing a physically active teaching methodology. Finally, a secondary objective of the project is to create and validate new instruments to assess the different psychobiological and educational processes included in this project.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Subjective Mental Fatigue (VAS-F) — Assessed at 6 time points across the academic year: beginning and end of trimesters 1, 2, and 3 (Baseline up to 9 months).
  Assessed through the Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F; Smith et al., 2019). It is a 100mm single-item measure of overall fatigue intensity. Scores range from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate a higher perception of mental fatigue.
• Multidimensional Mental Fatigue (PedsQL MFS) — Assessed at 6 time points across the academic year (Baseline up to 9 months).
  Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (Varni \& Limbers, 2008), 9-item Spanish version. It measures general, sleep/rest, and cognitive fatigue. A composite score is calculated as the mean across items. Higher scores indicate greater problems with fatigue.
• Objective Neurophysiological Mental Fatigue (Brain Activity) — Assessed at 6 time points across the academic year in a subsample of 160 students (Baseline up to 9 months).
  Assessed via EEG recordings using Emotiv EPOC X headsets. Recordings are taken during resting-state and cognitive tasks (Stroop, PASAT, PVT-B) to characterize neural correlates (theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands) of cognitive performance under conditions of mental fatigue.
• Objective Cardiovascular Indicators (Heart Rate and HRV) — Assessed at 6 time points across the academic year in a subsample of 160 students (Baseline up to 9 months).
  Fitbit Charge 6 devices worn continuously for one week at each measurement point to provide 24-hour assessments of heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) as indicators of fatigue and autonomic nervous system state.

Trial sites (1)

More University of Extremadura trials in Spain

Other trials for the same condition