Given the large body of evidence from exercise studies that shows exercise-induced improvements in hypertension and cognition, we suggest the following pathway that may explain its benefits on the brain: muscular contractions during exercise initiate a growth hormone cascade via the paracrine pathway resulting in an increase in neurotrophic factors such as IGF-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiogenesis. Here, IGF1 is linked to hypertensive disorder.