Dr. Julian A. Reed’s Research
Dr. Julian A. Reed, co-founder and CEO of ActivEd and the Walkabouts Platform, is among the nation’s leading researchers exploring the underlying connections of issues such as obesity, cognition, and academic achievement.
Strength in Numbers: Exploring the Link Between Upper Body Muscular Strength and Academic Achievement in Youth
Julian A. Reed, Marsha Dowda, and Russell R. Pate
This study examines the associations between upper body strength and endurance and academic achievement in youth. The results:
- Students who achieved the healthy fitness zone for upper body strength and endurance were significantly more likely than students who did not achieve that standard to meet academic outcomes for both math and English language arts in both 5th and 8th grade.
- Adjustments were made for student demographic characteristics, and the final model was adjusted for cardiorespiratory fitness. The adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness reduced the effects of, but did not eliminate, the influence of upper body muscular strength on academic outcomes.
- These findings indicate that upper body strength and endurance is positively associated with academic achievement in elementary and middle school students.
Read the study results from the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (2026).
Examining the Impact of 45 Minutes of Daily Physical Education on Cognitive Ability, Fitness Performance, and Body Composition of African American Youth
Julian A. Reed, Andrea L. Maslow, Savannah Long, and Morgan Hughey
This study examines the impact of 45 minutes of daily physical education on cognitive ability, fitness performance, and body composition of African American youth. The results:
- Elementary and middle school participants observed significantly greater improvements compared with control elementary and middle school participants on 7 of 16 fitness and body composition measures and on 8 of 26 cognitive measures.
- Fitness, body composition, and cognitive improvement differences were more noticeable among elementary and middle school females.
- Providing 45 minutes of daily physical education can perhaps increase cognitive ability while increasing fitness and decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obese youth.
Read the study from the Journal of Physical Activity & Health (2013).
Examining the Impact of Integrating Physical Activity on Fluid Intelligence and Academic Performance in an Elementary School Setting: A Preliminary Investigation
Julian A. Reed, Gilles Einstein, Erin Hahn, Steven P. Hooker, Virginia P. Gross, and Jen Kravitz
This study examines the impact of active learning on students. Teachers incorporated 30 minutes of physical activity into the class curriculum three days a week. The results:
- Active students had nearly 1200 pedometer steps per activity day and averaged 3600 steps per week when active.
- Students who exercised had improved outcomes on achievement tests and performed significantly better in fluid intelligence testing compared to students who did not exercise.
- Children in the experimental group also performed significantly better on the Social Studies State mandated academic achievement test. These students also received higher scores on the English/Language Arts, Math, and Science achievements tests, but were not statistically significant compared with control group.
Read the study results from the Journal of Physical Activity and Health (2010).
The Association between Aerobic Fitness and Academic Achievement among Elementary School Youth
Melissa L. Fair, Julian A. Reed, S. Morgan Hughey, Alicia R. Powers, and Sarah King
This study examines the association between aerobic fitness and academic achievement in a large sample of fourth and fifth grade youth from a large southeastern school district. The results:
- Even after controlling for important covariates, including sex, race/ethnicity, school lunch status, grade level, and youth bodymass index, there was a significant positive association between aerobic fitness and academic achievement in writing, English/language arts, math, science, and social studies.
- Further analysis indicated that the association between increased aerobic fitness and subject test scores was not modified by sex.
- These findings are supported by previous research highlighting the important role that aerobic fitness for elementary school youth plays in healthy brain development during this rapid period of growth and acquisition of cognitive skills, thus impacting lifelong academic achievement and educational attainment.
Read the study results from the American College of Sports Medicine (2017).
Chasing Rainbows: An Interview Study of Middle School Principals’ Whole-of-School Physical Activity Beliefs
Collin A. Webster, Jongho Moon, Ben D. Kern, Julian A. Reed, Veronica Becerra, Heather Erwin, Gabriella M. McLoughlin, Derek Craig, Carmen Tejeda-Delgado, and Brian Dauenhauer
This study addresses gaps in the knowledge base related to whole-of-school physical activity. It focuses on middle school contexts and draws on principals’ beliefs to better understand program implementation opportunities. The results:
- Among middle school leaders, there is a strong consensus on the value of physical activity, paired with weak accountability and inconsistent enactment.
- School leaders’ role clarity related to youth physical activity promotion warrants additional investigation.
- Principals’ voices show that there is a gap between understanding and implementation. This divide is sustained not by a lack of conviction, but by the structures designed to define educational success.
- For youth physical activity to gain footing within middle schools, administrator preparation and continuing professional development may need to more firmly embed whole-of-school evidence and best practice recommendations for school leadership.
- Future research should pursue answers from leaders at higher tiers of the education system in an attempt to make physical activity a priority within the existing structures of the middle school system.
Read the study from European Physical Education Review (2026).
Poverty Status Moderates the Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Academic Achievement
Russel R. Pate, Morgan Clennin, Emily R. Shull, Julian A. Reed, and Marsha Dowda
This study examines the associations among cardiorespiratory fitness, weight status and academic achievement in youth, and attempts to determine if these relationships are moderated by poverty status. The results:
- Cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with the odds of meeting/exceeding academic standards after controlling for covariates and adjusting for weight status. The relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and academic achievement varied significantly by poverty status.
- After adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness, weight status was not significantly associated with academic achievement.
- The odds of achieving academic standards were significantly higher among students achieving cardiorespiratory fitness in a healthy fitness zone regardless of poverty status.
- Cardiorespiratory fitness may partially mitigate the adverse effect of poverty on academic achievement.
