Browse the evidence

Adherence to Mediterranean and high-quality dietary patterns significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke, whereas low-salt and low-total-fat diets do not show significant preventive benefits in randomized controlled trials.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style or high-quality dietary pattern to significantly lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. This involves eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats (like olive oil), while minimizing processed foods and trans fats. Do not rely solely on low-salt or low-fat diets, as evidence does not support them as effective standalone preventive measures.

Combining a five-ingredient nutritional supplement (whey, casein, creatine, vitamin D, omega-3) with home-based resistance exercise significantly improves lean mass, strength, and muscle quality in free-living elderly men compared to exercise with a placebo.

For elderly men looking to maintain or build muscle, combining daily intake of a specific multi-ingredient supplement (containing protein, creatine, vitamin D, and omega-3s) with home-based resistance band training (3 days a week) is an effective strategy. This approach improves lean mass, strength, and physical function, particularly for those who are sedentary or have sarcopenia. The key is consistency in both supplementation and progressive resistance exercise.

A multicomponent worksite lifestyle intervention combining a reduced-energy, low-glycemic load, high-fiber diet with behavioral education significantly reduces body weight and improves cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese employees.

To lose weight effectively in a work environment, join a structured program that focuses on both what you eat and how you behave. Look for programs that offer low-glycemic, high-fiber meal guidance and regular group support sessions. The key is consistency through social accountability and clear dietary targets rather than just willpower.

Creatine monohydrate (3-5 g/day), caffeine (5-6 mg/kg pre-exercise), beta-alanine (3-5 g/day), and citrulline malate (8 g/day) may yield ergogenic effects beneficial for bodybuilders.

Consider creatine (3-5g daily) and caffeine (5-6mg/kg before training) for proven performance benefits. Beta-alanine and citrulline may help depending on your specific training goals, but prioritize food and training first.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (Liraglutide, Semaglutide) and other weight loss medications produce significant mean weight loss compared to placebo.

If lifestyle changes are insufficient, discuss GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide or Liraglutide with your doctor. These medications can produce significant weight loss (up to 15% with Semaglutide) by reducing appetite and slowing digestion.

Excessive sets per workout negatively interact with muscle mass gain, meaning that performing too many sets per session can reduce the overall hypertrophy outcome.

While resistance training builds muscle, doing too many sets in a single workout may reduce your overall muscle gain. Focus on quality and moderate volume rather than maximizing the number of sets per session.

Adhering to healthy dietary patterns, including calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, and plant-based diets, significantly reduces the risk of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) and all-cause mortality.

Focus on your overall eating pattern rather than isolating single nutrients. Adopt established healthy patterns like the Mediterranean diet, plant-based diets, or structured calorie restriction. These approaches are proven to lower CMD risk and extend lifespan more effectively than restrictive single-nutrient diets.

Combining protein supplementation (3-40g/day of amino acids/protein) with exercise training significantly increases muscle mass, muscle strength, and functional mobility while reducing pain in older adults with lower-extremity osteoarthritis, particularly those who have undergone total joint replacement.

If you are an older adult with knee or hip osteoarthritis, especially after joint replacement surgery, combining resistance or multicomponent exercise with protein supplementation (3-40g/day of amino acids or protein) is highly effective. This combination significantly increases muscle mass, improves strength, enhances mobility (walking, stair climbing), and reduces pain more than exercise alone. Aim for 2-7 weeks of consistent training with daily protein support to see these benefits.

High-quality carbohydrates, defined by high dietary fiber and low added sugar content (e.g., whole grains, pulses, fruit), are associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality, whereas refined carbohydrates and added sugars are linked to adverse cardiometabolic outcomes.

Prioritize carbohydrate sources that are high in fiber and low in added sugars. Choose whole grains, pulses, and fresh fruit over refined grains and sugary beverages. Use the 10:1 carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio as a practical guide: aim for products where there is at least 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of total carbohydrate. This approach naturally limits added sugars and improves overall diet quality, supporting better blood sugar control and cardiovascular health.

Concurrent aerobic exercise and diet interventions significantly reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and the TC:HDL ratio in overweight and obese adults, but do not significantly increase HDL cholesterol.

To improve your cholesterol and triglycerides, you need to do both: move your body aerobically (walking, jogging, cycling) 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes at a moderate intensity, AND adjust your diet to be lower in saturated fats and calories. While this combination significantly lowers 'bad' cholesterol and triglycerides, it may not raise 'good' HDL cholesterol, so consistent adherence is key.

Combining whey protein supplementation with resistance training significantly increases handgrip strength in older adults with sarcopenia compared to placebo or routine consultation.

For older adults with sarcopenia, combining whey protein supplements with resistance training is an effective strategy to improve handgrip strength. While resistance training alone is beneficial, adding whey protein ensures adequate protein intake to support muscle repair and growth. Aim for 9.6-40g of whey protein per serving, taken 1-3 times daily, alongside 2-5 sessions of resistance training per week for at least 8 weeks.

Adopting a predominantly plant-based dietary pattern improves cardiovascular health markers, including LDL cholesterol, fasting insulin, and body weight, compared to an omnivorous diet.

Start by swapping one animal protein source per day with a plant-based alternative (like lentils or tofu). Focus on adding vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes rather than just cutting out meat. If you experience bloating, increase your fiber intake slowly over weeks rather than all at once. Consider consulting a dietitian to ensure you are getting enough B12 and iron, especially if you are vegan.

Sodium bicarbonate supplementation significantly enhances performance in high-intensity exercise lasting 45 seconds to 8 minutes, as well as muscle endurance and Wingate test power, with effect sizes ranging from small to large.

If you engage in high-intensity efforts lasting roughly 45 seconds to 8 minutes (like sprint intervals or rowing), sodium bicarbonate can improve your performance. While acute dosing (taken 2-3 hours before) works, multi-day protocols (taking small doses daily for 5-7 days before) may offer larger benefits with fewer stomach issues. Note that most evidence comes from men; results for women are not yet clear.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT) improve cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults with safety comparable to or better than moderate-intensity steady-state training, while requiring significantly less time.

Incorporate high-intensity intervals into your routine 2-3 times per week. You can use the '4x4' method (4 minutes of hard effort, 3 minutes of easy recovery, repeated 4 times) or 'Sprint Interval Training' (3 sets of 20-second all-out sprints with 2 minutes rest). These sessions take about 30 minutes total and have been shown to be safe and effective for improving heart health and fitness in older adults, often with better enjoyment than long, slow walks.

Effort-based resistance training using light to moderate loads taken to failure produces similar strength and muscle hypertrophy gains as heavy resistance training, making it safer and more accessible for older adults.

Perform resistance training twice a week using light to moderate weights, machines, or elastic bands. The key is not how much you lift, but how hard you push. Perform repetitions until you can no longer maintain good form (failure). This approach builds strength and muscle mass effectively without the risks associated with heavy lifting, and should be paired with higher protein intake (1.2-1.6g/kg bodyweight).

Hypertrophy-type resistance training (3 sets of 8-12 reps, 3x/week for 16 weeks) significantly improves upper limb fatigue resistance (total repetitions at 80% 1RM) in both men and women, with no significant difference in adaptation magnitude between sexes.

Perform 3 days of resistance training per week, focusing on 3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise. Increase the weight weekly as you complete more reps. This protocol will improve your ability to perform multiple sets of an exercise (fatigue resistance) regardless of whether you are male or female. Do not expect women to adapt faster than men; both sexes benefit similarly from this volume.

A 16-week combined aerobic and resistance training program with caloric restriction significantly improves brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (endothelial function) in overweight and obese young women, independent of changes in inflammatory or vasoconstrictive blood markers.

For overweight young women, a 16-week program combining 5 days of aerobic exercise and 2 days of resistance training per week, alongside a moderate calorie deficit, significantly improves blood vessel health (endothelial function). This improvement occurs even if body weight loss is modest and inflammatory markers do not change, suggesting the physical act of mixed exercise is directly beneficial to vascular health.

Training to momentary muscular failure induces significantly higher acute neuromuscular fatigue and repetition loss compared to training with 1-2 repetitions in reserve (RIR).

If you are sensitive to fatigue or have limited recovery capacity, you can reduce the frequency of failure training without losing muscle gains. Training with 1-2 reps in reserve significantly reduces acute fatigue and repetition loss between sets compared to going to failure, potentially allowing for better performance on subsequent exercises or sessions.

Acute caffeine ingestion (1.3–9 mg/kg) significantly improves 2000m rowing ergometer performance by approximately 4 seconds compared to placebo.

If you are a competitive rower, taking caffeine 60 minutes before a 2000m ergometer test can improve your time by about 4 seconds. Doses between 1.3 and 9 mg/kg per body weight are effective, but individual response varies, so test it in training first.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet significantly reduces cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, angina, and major cardiovascular events compared to control diets.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern is the most effective dietary strategy for reducing the risk of heart-related death, heart attacks, and overall mortality. This involves eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and olive oil, and less processed foods. While weight loss often accompanies this diet, the specific nutrients in these foods provide direct protection to your heart and blood vessels. It is superior to standard low-fat diets for these specific outcomes.

Low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction (LL-RT with BFR) produces muscle hypertrophy equivalent to high-load resistance training (HL-RT) across various repetition schemes (failure, 15 reps, or 75 reps) in lower limb exercises.

If you want to build muscle but cannot lift heavy weights due to injury or joint pain, try low-load resistance training combined with blood flow restriction (BFR). Use light weights (20-40% of your max) and restrict blood flow to the working muscle. You can use different repetition schemes (like 15 reps per set or going to failure), and you will likely build muscle just as effectively as if you were lifting heavy weights. This is particularly useful for rehabilitation or when heavy loading is contraindicated.

Acute supplementation with capsaicin or capsiate (typically 12 mg, 45 minutes pre-exercise) significantly enhances muscular endurance (volume load/repetitions to failure) in resistance training.

If you are doing resistance training, taking 12 mg of capsaicin or capsiate 45 minutes before your workout may help you squeeze out a few more reps or sets. This effect is likely due to reduced perceived effort (RPE) and potentially better muscle contraction mechanics. It does not appear to help with cardio/endurance tasks like running or cycling.

Bodybuilding coaches consistently recommend Creatine and Fish Oils as top supplements, while recommending specific Performance-Enhancing Drugs (Testosterone, Primobolan, GH) for enhanced athletes, highlighting a significant gap between evidence-based supplementation and the lack of safety data for PEDs.

Creatine (3-10 g/day) and Fish Oils are the most recommended supplements by bodybuilding coaches. Creatine is well-supported for strength and muscle gains. Fish oils support general health and may mitigate lipid issues from PEDs. For enhanced athletes, coaches recommend Testosterone, Primobolan, and Growth Hormone, but there is limited safety data on these high-dose regimens in healthy athletes.

Adherence to a diet characterized by high Food Compass 2.0 scores (indicating encouragement of minimally processed foods, legumes, nuts, and seafood, and minimization of ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives) is associated with significantly lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, lung disease, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause mortality.

Use the Food Compass 2.0 framework to guide your food choices: prioritize foods scoring 70+ (like seafood, legumes, nuts, vegetables, and fruits), consume foods scoring 31-69 (like meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy) in moderation, and minimize foods scoring 30 or below (like sugary beverages, processed cereals, and many snacks). This approach focuses on nutrient density, fiber, and minimizing added sugars and artificial additives, rather than just avoiding 'processed' foods.