Browse the evidence

Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.

Aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. If you weigh 70kg, that is 112g of protein daily. You can go up to 2.2 g/kg (154g) if you are a bodybuilder or have specific needs, but going beyond that likely provides no additional muscle-building benefit.

Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.

To build muscle, you must combine resistance training with adequate protein. Aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. If you are already experienced in resistance training, you may benefit from increasing this to 2.0-2.2 grams per kilogram. Do not rely on acute hormone spikes or supplements that claim to boost hormones post-workout, as these do not drive long-term growth.

Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.

Avoid all trans fats. Check food labels for 'partially hydrogenated vegetable fats' and avoid products containing them. This is one of the most impactful dietary changes you can make for heart health.

Post-exercise ingestion of high-quality protein (20–40 g) within 2 hours maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis and supports strength and body composition improvements.

Eat 20-40 grams of high-quality protein (like whey, eggs, or meat) within two hours after your workout. Spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day, roughly every 3-4 hours, to maximize muscle building.

For rapid glycogen restoration (<4h recovery), aggressive carbohydrate refeeding (1.2 g/kg/h) with high glycemic index sources, optionally combined with protein (0.2-0.4 g/kg/h) or caffeine, is recommended.

If you have another intense workout within 4 hours, eat 1.2 grams of carbohydrates per kg of body weight per hour. Choose high glycemic index carbs (like white rice or sports drinks). You can also add a small amount of protein (0.2-0.4 g/kg/h) or caffeine (3-8 mg/kg) to help.

Trans-fats should be completely eliminated from the diet as they are the most strongly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Avoid all trans-fats. Check food labels for 'partially hydrogenated oils' and avoid products containing them. This is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your heart.

High intake of trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils increases the risk of coronary heart disease and should be eliminated.

Avoid foods with 'partially hydrogenated oils' on the ingredient list, as these contain industrial trans fats which increase heart disease risk. You do not need to avoid small amounts of trans fats naturally found in meat and dairy, as these do not appear to increase risk.

Total daily protein intake of ~1.6 g/kg/day (up to 2.2 g/kg/day) is the primary determinant of chronic muscle hypertrophy, whereas per-meal timing, dose, and source have negligible impact on long-term muscle accretion if total daily intake is met.

Focus on hitting a total daily protein target of roughly 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. This is the most important lever for building muscle. You do not need to obsess over eating protein immediately after your workout or buying expensive 'anabolic' supplements. Simply distribute your daily protein across 3-4 meals to reach this total.

Postexercise protein consumption promotes a pronounced rise in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and suppresses muscle protein breakdown (MPB), leading to increased net protein balance and hypertrophy.

Consume protein after your resistance training session to maximize muscle growth. This stimulates muscle protein synthesis and reduces breakdown, creating a positive net balance. While the exact timing is less critical than total daily intake, postexercise consumption is a key strategy for hypertrophy.

Industrial trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) should be completely eliminated as they have no safe level of consumption and are harmful to cardiovascular health.

Avoid all foods containing 'partially hydrogenated oils'. This includes many baked goods, snacks, and fried foods. This is a non-negotiable elimination for heart health.

Postexercise protein ingestion (approx. 20g intact protein or 9g essential amino acids) is required to maximize muscle protein synthesis and facilitate muscle repair.

After exercise, consume about 20 grams of high-quality protein (or 9 grams of essential amino acids) to maximize muscle repair. To optimize muscle growth over the whole day, aim to eat this amount 5-6 times daily rather than just once after your workout.

A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, and low in processed and red meats, is recommended to reduce cancer risk.

Eat more plants (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes) and fewer processed and red meats. This dietary pattern is a key strategy for reducing cancer risk.

High dietary salt, low dietary omega-3 fatty acids, and high dietary trans fatty acids are the dietary risks with the largest mortality effects, causing 102,000, 84,000, and 82,000 deaths respectively.

Limit salt, increase omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., from seafood), and avoid trans fats. These three dietary factors are the leading dietary causes of death in the US, responsible for over 260,000 deaths annually.

Replacing saturated fat (SFA) with polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) in the diet significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events, with a risk reduction of approximately 10% for every 5% of energy increased in PUFA intake.

To lower your risk of heart disease, swap saturated fats (found in animal products and some tropical oils) for polyunsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower oils). Aim to increase your polyunsaturated fat intake by about 5% of your total daily calories. This substitution has been shown to reduce heart disease events by 10% for every 5% increase in polyunsaturated fat. You do not need to limit polyunsaturated fats to low levels; studies show benefits even at higher intakes.

Replacing 5% of daily energy intake from carbohydrates with polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) significantly improves glucose-insulin homeostasis by lowering HbA1c, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR, and improving insulin secretion capacity.

To improve your blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity, try swapping 5% of your daily calories from carbohydrates (like bread, rice, or sugar) for polyunsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils, nuts, and fish). This specific swap has been shown to lower HbA1c and improve how your pancreas releases insulin. You don't need to eliminate carbs entirely, but prioritizing PUFA over saturated fats or refined carbs when making swaps yields the best metabolic results.

Replacing saturated and trans fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by improving lipid profiles (lowering LDL, raising HDL, lowering triglycerides) and reducing inflammation and thrombotic tendency.

Focus on the quality of your fats rather than just cutting them out. Replace butter, lard, and processed foods with trans fats with olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. This substitution improves your cholesterol profile and reduces heart disease risk more effectively than simply eating 'low-fat' foods high in refined carbohydrates.

Replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates provides no cardiovascular benefit, whereas substituting polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) for saturated fat or refined carbohydrates significantly reduces cardiovascular disease risk.

Stop focusing solely on cutting saturated fat. If you reduce saturated fat, make sure you replace it with polyunsaturated fats (like those in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils) rather than refined carbs (like white bread or sugar). Replacing saturated fat with refined carbs offers no heart benefit, but replacing it with PUFA significantly lowers your risk of heart disease.

Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils have no safe level of consumption and should be limited as much as possible due to their adverse effects on multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

Avoid trans fats completely. Check food labels for 'partially hydrogenated oils' and avoid products containing them. There is no safe amount of trans fat, and they significantly increase heart disease risk by raising bad cholesterol, lowering good cholesterol, and increasing inflammation.

Muscle hypertrophy is driven by recurrent periods of positive net protein balance (NPB) resulting from resistance exercise coupled with protein feeding, rather than solely by transient increases in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates in the fasted state.

Do not train fasted if your goal is maximum muscle growth. Resistance exercise stimulates both muscle protein synthesis and breakdown, but in a fasted state, breakdown wins, resulting in a net loss. To build muscle, you must consume protein close to your workout to ensure your body stays in a positive protein balance over time.

High dietary salt, low omega-3 fatty acids, and high trans fatty acids are the dietary risks with the largest mortality effects, causing 102,000, 84,000, and 82,000 deaths respectively.

Reduce sodium intake, increase omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., from seafood), and eliminate trans fats. These three dietary factors are responsible for over 268,000 deaths annually, making them key targets for dietary improvement.

Replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids (specifically cis-PUFAs or cis-MUFAs) significantly decreases total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

To lower LDL cholesterol, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Substituting just 1% of your daily energy from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (like oils from nuts/seeds/fish) can lower LDL by ~2 mg/dl.

Adherence to healthy dietary patterns, specifically increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and legumes while limiting salt, saturated fats, trans fats, and processed meats, significantly reduces cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.

Eat more plants, fish, and whole grains. Eat less salt, bad fats, and processed meats. This is the foundation of heart health.

Specific dietary models, namely the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, are effective for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Adopt either the Mediterranean or DASH dietary pattern. Focus on plant-based foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins.

Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, an association supported by both strong observational evidence and randomized controlled trials.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet by prioritizing vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats (like olive oil) while limiting saturated fats. This pattern is strongly linked to a reduced risk of heart disease in both long-term observational studies and clinical trials.