Can Exercise Make You Smarter? New York University Scientists Think It's Possible

When you exercise, your muscles release molecules that can ultimately get into your brain. Once inside, studies have shown, they can stimulate the brain to grow new neurons. Which raises a tantalizing question: Can exercise make you smarter?

There are some hints that the answer may be yes. People with early signs of dementia can benefit from physical activity, for instance. Yet despite such preliminary findings, the full effects of exercise on the brain remain mysterious.

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