This narrative review examines literature pertaining to possible physiological explanations for observed cognitive benefits stemming from improvements to cardiovascular fitness following chronic aerobic exercise. Studies regarding exercise and cardiovascular fitness, angiogenesis, neuroinflammation in relation to IGF-1 signalling, regulation of neurotrophins, neurogenesis and plasticity, cognitive training, are briefly described. We propose that current evidence points towards a mechanism by which cardiovascular fitness improvements act to promote long-term angiogenesis and cerebral circulation. This important adaptation allows for increased delivery and upregulation of neurotrophins along with supporting factors to the brain, particularly to the hippocampal neurogenic niche, following acute exercise bouts. We propose a sequential timeline and approximate time scale for this mechanism, describing how these stages generate increased support for neurogenesis and brain plasticity in combination with cognitive training to provide long-term cognitive benefits and protection against age-related cognitive decline. Influences from age, gender and other variables are considered, and methodological factors that could be utilised in future studies to further clarify the proposed model are discussed.

这篇叙述性评论研究了与可能的生理学解释有关的文献，这些文献对观察到的认知有益效果源于慢性有氧运动后心血管健康的改善。简要介绍了有关运动和心血管健康，血管生成，与IGF-1信号相关的神经炎症，神经营养蛋白的调节，神经发生和可塑性，认知训练的研究。我们建议，目前的证据指向心血管健康改善机制可促进长期血管生成和脑循环的机制。这项重要的适应措施使急性运动发作后神经营养蛋白的输送和上调以及支持因子向大脑，尤其是向海马神经源利基的传递增加。我们为该机制提出了一个时序时间表和大致时间表，描述了这些阶段如何结合认知训练提供对神经发生和大脑可塑性的增强支持，以提供长期的认知益处并保护与年龄相关的认知能力下降。考虑了年龄，性别和其他变量的影响，并讨论了可用于未来研究中以进一步阐明所提议模型的方法学因素。