The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Achieving/Underachieving Gifted Students

The main objective of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity (PA) and gifted achieving/underachieving young people, considering gender and educational stage. A total of 219 students from the 3rd year of Primary Education up to the 4th year of secondary education participated in the study. PA was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents. Academic performance was measured using students’ average grades. The results indicated that there was no clear relationship between PA and academic performance in gifted students. However, PA levels were higher in boys with higher academic performance. In addition, the educational stage seemed to be a determinant for PA in the gifted population, with higher levels of PA in Primary School.