Browse the evidence

Interventions to increase nonexercise activity may enhance daily energy expenditure.

Implementing strategies to promote nonexercise activity can help increase energy expenditure.

Developing simple resistance exercises that require little or no equipment is key to increasing participation in resistance exercise among people with type 2 diabetes.

Creating accessible exercise options can enhance participation rates in resistance training.

The US recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 g/kg/d, which is inadequate for exercising individuals.

Practitioners should consider recommending higher protein intakes for athletes.

Athletes are typically advised to consume twice the US RDA for protein.

Practitioners should recommend higher protein intakes for athletes based on this advice.

Strategies for incorporating healthier fats into meals were discussed at the symposium.

Practitioners can utilize strategies discussed to promote healthier fat choices in meals.

100 g/hr of carbohydrate may be advisable for the Olympic Cycling Road race.

Consider recommending carbohydrate intake strategies for endurance athletes.

The Expert Group Statement advocates for an evidence-based approach to nutrition in high-performance tennis.

Practitioners should implement evidence-based nutritional strategies for tennis players.

The statement emphasizes a 'food first' philosophy, prioritizing food over supplements.

Nutritionists should focus on whole foods to meet players' nutrient needs.

Weight-loss medications should be prescribed in selected patients to maximize effectiveness.

Practitioners should evaluate patients carefully to determine who would benefit most from weight-loss medications.

A guideline-based approach to weight management counseling in primary care is proposed.

Practitioners should adopt a guideline-based approach in counseling patients about weight management.

Short-term adoption of a vegan diet (e.g., 3 weeks) leads to significant weight loss and reduced caloric intake without negatively impacting fitness scores or sports performance.

If you switch to a vegan diet, expect to lose weight, likely fat, due to lower calorie density. Your strength and fitness scores should remain stable in the short term (3 weeks) if you keep training. Monitor your energy levels and adjust portions if you feel fatigued.

Time-restricted eating (TRE), lower meal frequency, and earlier caloric distribution result in statistically significant but small weight loss compared to control groups when implemented for 12 weeks or longer.

If you want to try meal timing for weight loss, expect a modest result (around 1-2 kg loss over 12+ weeks) rather than a dramatic transformation. The key is likely that restricting your eating window naturally reduces the amount of food you consume, not a magical metabolic shift. Focus on consistency for at least 12 weeks, and do not expect it to replace the fundamental need for a caloric deficit.

Interval training reduces visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and volume in overweight and obese adults, even when overall body fat percentage does not significantly decrease.

If you are overweight or obese, doing interval training 3 times a week for 8 weeks can specifically target dangerous belly fat (VAT) even if your total weight doesn't change much. This suggests that exercise improves metabolic health by changing where fat is stored, not just how much you weigh.

Physical activity greater than 150 minutes per week results in modest weight loss (2-3 kg), while 225-420 minutes per week results in clinically significant weight loss (5-7.5 kg).

If you want to lose weight, 150 minutes of exercise a week will only give you a small loss (2-3 kg). To lose a meaningful amount (5-7.5 kg), you need to increase your activity to 225-420 minutes per week. More exercise equals more loss, but it requires a significant time commitment.

Lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, or behavioral) reduce body weight and BMI in women with PCOS, but evidence for improving glucose tolerance is uncertain.

For women with PCOS, adopting a structured lifestyle program involving diet, exercise, or behavioral strategies is likely to help reduce weight and BMI. While the effect on blood glucose control is not clearly proven, the reduction in body weight itself is a key therapeutic goal. These interventions are recommended as the first step in management.

In overweight or obese adults, consuming non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) leads to a small but statistically significant reduction in body weight compared to consuming sugar or placebo, whereas no significant weight change occurs in normal-weight adults.

If you are overweight or obese, switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to those with non-sugar sweeteners can help you lose a small amount of weight (approx. 2 kg) over several months compared to drinking sugary versions. This benefit is not seen in people who are already normal weight. The key is consistency and staying within safe daily intake limits.

Resistance exercise training significantly improves aerobic capacity (VO2max) across short, medium, and long-term durations, with the largest absolute improvement seen in short-term interventions.

Incorporate resistance training into your routine to boost your aerobic capacity (VO2max). You will see improvements regardless of whether you train for 6 weeks or 6 months, with the biggest initial gains in the first 6 weeks.

Time-restricted feeding (16-hour daily fasting window) produces significant short-term weight loss and improves walking speed in overweight, sedentary older adults (≥65 years).

Try eating all your meals within an 8-hour window each day, leaving 16 hours for fasting. Start by gradually extending your fasting time over the first week. Focus on consuming enough protein and nutrients during your eating window. This approach may help with weight loss and mobility in older adults, but consult your doctor first, especially if you have diabetes or other health conditions.

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCD) do not provide superior weight loss or glycemic control compared to low-fat diets (LFD) in the medium-to-long term; observed benefits are primarily driven by weight loss rather than carbohydrate restriction itself.

If your goal is weight loss or better blood sugar control, you do not need to restrict carbohydrates specifically. Focus on creating a caloric deficit and choosing nutrient-dense foods. Long-term success depends on adherence and weight loss, not on avoiding carbs.

Obesity and metabolic disease are driven by cell-specific competition for calories where fat cells (adipocytes) and skeletal muscle cells outcompete energy-sensing cells in the brain and liver, creating 'false signals' of energy deficit that trigger increased food intake.

Focus on improving the 'competitiveness' of your skeletal muscle and liver cells against fat cells. This is primarily achieved through physical activity, which depletes stored energy in muscles and liver, forcing them to compete more effectively for blood glucose and lipids. This reduces 'false signals' of hunger caused by fat cells hoarding energy. Exercise is not just for burning calories; it is a tool to reset cellular nutrient partitioning.

HIIT does not significantly improve body mass or BMI in patients with diabesity compared to standard treatment.

Do not expect HIIT to drastically change your weight or BMI if you have diabesity. The primary benefit of this training style for your condition is metabolic (blood sugar and lipids), not weight loss. Manage your expectations regarding the scale.

Short-term high-intensity swimming training significantly reduces infarct size and cellular damage (measured by CPK levels) in a rat model of myocardial ischemia, demonstrating a protective preconditioning effect against heart attack damage.

This finding is specific to a rat model of heart attack. For humans, regular exercise is generally known to improve cardiovascular health, but this specific protocol (3 hours/day of high-intensity swimming for 3 weeks in young rats) is not a recommended human prescription. Consult a physician before starting high-intensity regimens, especially if you have heart risk factors.

The holiday season does not cause significant weight gain in children or college students, though it may increase body fat in college students.

For children and college students, holiday weight gain is not a significant concern based on current data, though college students may see an increase in body fat.

The report makes recommendations about terminology and a classification scheme for dietary carbohydrates.

Practitioners should consider the recommended terminology and classification when discussing dietary carbohydrates.