Fitness, iron levels may boost grades in girls

​New York: Want to boost academic performance of your daughter? Maintaining a good exercise regimen along with intake of green leafy vegetables, nuts, cereals, seafood and poultry increases iron levels which may help her improve grade levels, a study has shown.

The findings showed that female students with good fitness and iron levels achieved higher grade point averages than unfit women who were deficient in iron stores.

"Low iron stores and low aerobic fitness may prevent female college students from achieving their full academic potential," said Karsten Koehler, assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the US.

Iron helps the body with essential functions such as transporting oxygen in the blood, whereas a deficiency is associated with fatigue, lower work capacity and poor academic performance.

Physical fitness is also known to influence overall health, cognition and learning.