Fitness Linked to Smartness

Any school kid can tell you: nerds are not usually the most athletic specimens. But a new study suggests that young men who are physically fit tend to be more intelligent. The results appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Animal studies have long shown a link between physical activity and better memory. And in humans, aerobic exercise has been found to boost cognitive function in the elderly. But studies in young adults have yielded conflicting results. Strenuous physical activity in adolescents actually seemed to make mind matters worse.

To try to settle the issue, scientists in Sweden reviewed the records of more than a million men who enlisted for military service at the age of 18. And they found that cardiovascular fitness, but not muscle strength, was associated with overall intelligence （at least as measured by the Swedish army）. And when they consulted additional national databases, they found that physical fitness at the age of 18 also foreshadowed greater academic achievement later in life. Even among the twin pairs, the fitter brother tended to be the smarter.

So remember, a nerd may not be athletic. But a lot of athletes may be harboring an inner nerd.

聪明与否与健康有关

任何一个学校的孩子可以告诉你：书呆子通常都不善于运动。但是一项新的研究表明，年轻人身体越健康越聪明。这项研究发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》（Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences）杂志上。

长期以来的动物研究表明，良好的记忆力和身体运动有关。而对于人类来说，研究发现有氧锻炼能增强老年人的认知能力。不过对年轻人的研究结果并不一致。青少年大运动量的活动实际上对智力发展不利。

为了解决这个问题，瑞典科学家研究了1百多万人的记录，这些人在18岁的时候被征兆入伍。科学家们发现，心血管的健康（而不是强壮的肌肉）与整体智力水平有关系（至少对瑞典军队里的人如此）.科学家们还查阅了其它的国家数据库，他们发现18岁时良好的健康状况还预示着以后学术上更好的成就。即使对双胞胎而言，研究发现，身体越健康，智力越高。

所以，请记住，书呆子虽然不一定很健壮，但是许多运动员也许非常聪明。

Vocabulary:

Cardiovascular: 心血管的

Fitness:健康

Academic:学术的

Nerd:书呆子

Athletic:运动员的；强健的

Specimen:样品；某种类型的人

Intelligent:聪明的

Aerobic:需氧的

Boost:增高；提升

Cognitive:认知的

Yield:产生

Conflict:矛盾

Strenuous:费力的

Adolescent:青春期的

Enlist:征兆入伍

Foreshadow:预示

Harbor:心怀；怀有

Inner:内在的