Efeito agudo de pausas ativas na fluência aritimética e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca de escolares: associações entre funções executivas, problemas matemáticos e batimentos do coração

Abstract

Introduction: Academic performance in mathematics and reading is closely linked to the development of executive functions, mental health, and physical condition in children and adolescents. In contexts of social vulnerability, the integration of cognition, autonomic regulation, and physical activity emerges as a promising strategy to strengthen students' brain, human, and social capital. The literature indicates that active breaks can foster cognitive and physiological improvements without compromising instructional time, and that heart rate variability (HRV) is a key marker of autonomic and emotional health. Objective: This thesis, structured as a multipaper format comprising three complementary studies, aimed to investigate how executive functions, physical activity (through active breaks), and autonomic regulation influence performance in mathematics and reading, with an emphasis on strengthening the brain capital of children and adolescents in educational settings. Method: We recruited a total of 71 participants of both sexes, aged between 9 and 13 years, from a public elementary school in Belém, Pará, Brazil. Participants were compared on standardized academic (arithmetic fluency, reading comprehension, and word problem-solving), neuropsychological (inhibitory control and working memory), physiological (HRV), and physical (HIIT and stretching) performance measures, with statistical control for influencing variables. The included articles feature primary data analysis from a crossover, within-subject, pre- and post-test design that followed CONSORT guidelines for randomized controlled trials, as well as a compilation of secondary data from a literature review. Results: The first study, with a cross-sectional design, examined whether arithmetic fluency and reading comprehension mediate the relationship between executive functions (working memory and inhibitory control) and performance in mathematical word problems, considering potential sex differences. It highlighted the cognitive pathways involved in solving problems that combine reading and calculation. The second study, a state of-the-art literature review, provided a comprehensive overview of school-based active breaks, reporting positive effects on mathematics and reading performance, particularly through the enhancement of executive functions. The third study, a quasi-experimental within-subject pre post design, investigated the acute effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and static stretching on HRV and arithmetic fluency. It demonstrated that HIIT led to superior outcomes in both physiological and mathematical performance, benefiting both boys and girls. The results suggest that integrated school-based interventions involving cognition, physical activity, and self-regulation can promote significant gains in mathematical learning and autonomic regulation in children and adolescents. This thesis offers empirical and theoretical evidence to support the development of public policies and the redesign of school curricula that recognize the foundational role of basic education in building brain, human, and social capital—and in fostering more resilient individuals, especially in contexts marked by social vulnerability and educational inequalities.