Research
Hormonal
Exercise improves mental health and cognitive function through mechanisms involving BDNF, IGF-1, and myokines like FNDC5 and PGC-1α, which promote neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity.
Regular exercise boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and other growth factors that support brain health and reduce the risk of depression. Make exercise a regular part of your routine to support your mental well-being.
GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
exercise increases the activity of the estrogen-related receptor a (ERRa)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor g coactivator 1a (PGC-1a) complex, in turn increasing levels of the exercise-secreted factor FNDC5 in skeletal muscle and the hippocampus, whose cleavage products provide beneficial effects in the hippocampus by increasing BDNF gene expression.
Why this rating
Based on animal studies and some human observational data, mechanisms are well-described but clinical translation varies.
Source
Health Benefits of Exercise
Gregory N. Ruegsegger et al. · Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine · 2017
DOI 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694
narrative_reviewCited 669×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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