Browse the evidence

Under volume-equated conditions, performing resistance training 4 times per week produces greater upper-body maximal strength gains than 2 times per week, while both frequencies yield similar improvements in muscle size (hypertrophy) and power.

If you can only train twice a week, focus on full-body workouts to build muscle size and power; you will get strong enough for most goals. If you have the time and want to maximize upper-body strength (like bench press), split that same total amount of work across four sessions. Do not increase your total volume when adding days; just spread it out.

In trained males, performing resistance training 3 days per week yields equivalent muscle strength and hypertrophy gains to performing it 6 days per week, provided total weekly training volume is equated.

If you are an experienced lifter, you do not need to train 6 days a week to maximize your muscle growth or strength. As long as you are performing the same total number of sets per muscle group per week, splitting those sets across 3 days will yield the same results as splitting them across 6 days. Focus on recovering well and hitting your volume targets rather than maximizing gym days.

Creatine supplementation increases fat-free mass (FFM) and lean body mass (LBM) only when combined with resistance training (RT); it produces no significant lean mass gains in non-resistance training contexts.

If your goal is to increase muscle mass, you must lift weights. Creatine will help you gain about 3.4 kg of lean mass if you train, but it will not build muscle if you only take the supplement without resistance exercise.

FDA-approved pharmacologic weight loss medications (lorcaserin, naltrexone/bupropion, phentermine/topiramate, liraglutide, orlistat) produce statistically and clinically significant weight loss and improve cardiovascular/glycemic risk factors when used as adjuncts to lifestyle interventions.

If you have a BMI of 30 or higher (or 27 with health issues like high blood pressure or diabetes), and lifestyle changes alone haven't been enough, FDA-approved weight loss medications are a scientifically supported option. These drugs work alongside diet and exercise to help you lose weight and improve heart health markers. Talk to your doctor about whether you qualify for these treatments, as insurance coverage and prescribing habits vary.

Combined lifestyle interventions integrating both dietary changes and structured exercise produce greater improvements in diabetes management (weight loss, glycemic control, cardiovascular risk) than either intervention alone.

Do not choose between diet and exercise; do both. Work with a healthcare provider to create a personalized plan that includes a balanced diet and at least 150 minutes of weekly exercise. This combination offers the best protection against complications and medication dependence.

Optimal combined SPAN behaviors (high sleep 8.0-9.4h, high MVPA 42-104min, high diet quality 57.5-72.5) are associated with a 57% lower risk of MACE compared to the lowest tertile of all behaviors.

To maximize cardiovascular protection, aim for 8-9.5 hours of sleep, 42-104 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily, and a high-quality diet (score 32.5-50.0). This combination is associated with a 57% lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared to having low levels of all three behaviors.

Metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) provides superior long-term weight loss and glycemic control compared to non-surgical management in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

For patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, metabolic bariatric surgery offers significantly better long-term weight loss and blood sugar control than non-surgical management. While surgery is not for everyone, those who undergo it maintain much greater weight loss (22% vs 8.6%) and better glycemic control over five years. If surgery is not an option, intensive lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy are critical alternatives to mitigate health risks.

Obesity treatments (lifestyle, medications, surgery) improve obesity-related diseases, physical health-related quality of life (HrQoL), and body image, with the magnitude of benefit often correlating with the amount of weight loss.

Know that your treatment will likely improve your health conditions, energy, and how you feel about your body, even if weight loss is slow. Different treatments offer different benefits; for example, surgery and newer medications often provide greater health gains than lifestyle changes alone. Discuss with your provider which treatment best addresses your specific health concerns, such as heart disease or joint pain.

Combined aerobic and resistance exercise with a caloric deficit reduces knee pain incidence and improves physical function in overweight adults with chronic pain.

If you have chronic joint pain and are overweight, start with low-impact aerobic activity (like walking or cycling) for 150 minutes a week and add two days of light strength training. Combine this with a modest calorie reduction (500-1000 calories less per day). Increase intensity slowly only if your pain allows, focusing on consistency over intensity to rebuild joint stability and reduce inflammation.

Mediterranean and plant-forward dietary patterns improve glycemic control and reduce type 2 diabetes risk more effectively than rigid single-nutrient prescriptions.

Adopt a Mediterranean or plant-forward eating style focusing on whole foods, fiber, and unsaturated fats. Avoid rigid 'diet' labels; prioritize long-term sustainability and individual metabolic response over short-term restriction.

Adequate fruit and vegetable intake (>5 days/week meeting ≥100g/day threshold) and a balanced meat-vegetable diet are protective against stroke, reducing risk by approximately 41-57% compared to low intake or vegan diets.

Eat more fruits and vegetables daily (aim for >100g each) and maintain a balanced diet that includes moderate amounts of meat. This combination is strongly associated with a significantly lower risk of stroke compared to low intake or strict vegan diets. Focus on variety and balance rather than extreme restriction.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, independent of nutrient profile.

Reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods (items with industrial ingredients, additives, or intense processing) by focusing on whole, minimally processed foods. This shift is supported by strong evidence to lower your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils) is associated with a significantly lower risk of frailty in older women, whereas adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet (high in refined grains, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets) is associated with a higher risk.

To reduce the risk of frailty as you age, focus on the quality of your plant-based foods. Prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils. Limit refined grains, potatoes, sugary drinks, and sweets. You do not need animal products to maintain muscle and bone health; a well-planned diet rich in these healthy plant foods is associated with a significantly lower risk of frailty.

Combining a multi-ingredient nutritional supplement (n-3 PUFA, whey protein, creatine, vitamin D, calcium) with 12 weeks of resistance exercise training and high-intensity interval training improves composite cognitive function, verbal memory, and processing speed in healthy older men.

For healthy older men, combining a specific multi-ingredient supplement (containing omega-3s, protein, creatine, vitamin D, and calcium) with a structured exercise program (resistance training twice a week and high-intensity interval training once a week) for 12 weeks can improve overall cognitive function, memory, and processing speed. The supplement alone did not improve cognition, and exercise alone had mixed results on composite scores, suggesting the combination is key. Ensure you are healthy enough for high-intensity exercise and consult a doctor before starting.

Anti-obesity medications (specifically GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide and Liraglutide) facilitate significant weight loss in obese osteoarthritis (OA) patients, which reduces joint compressive forces and systemic inflammation, thereby alleviating pain and slowing structural progression.

For obese patients with knee OA, anti-obesity medications like Semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) or Liraglutide (3.0 mg daily) are effective medical tools to achieve significant weight loss (up to 10-15% with other drugs, ~5-6kg with GLP-1s). This weight loss directly reduces the mechanical load on knees and lowers inflammatory markers, slowing OA progression. These drugs should be used as adjuncts to lifestyle changes, not replacements, and require long-term adherence as obesity is a chronic disease.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Sprint Interval Training (SIT) is more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) for inducing specific metabolic adaptations (such as PGC1-α, NRF1, TFAM) in individuals who do not respond to moderate-intensity training.

If moderate exercise (like jogging at a conversational pace) hasn't improved your fitness, try adding high-intensity intervals. This type of training triggers different metabolic pathways (like mitochondrial biogenesis) that moderate exercise might miss, especially if you are genetically predisposed to be a 'low responder' to steady-state cardio.

Younger men require longer rest intervals (3-5 minutes) than shorter intervals (1 minute) to maximize strength and hypertrophy gains.

If you are a young man, rest 3-5 minutes between sets for strength and muscle building. This allows you to lift heavier weights with more reps, leading to better results. Shorter rests will save time but reduce your strength gains.

Creatine monohydrate supplementation (loading then maintenance) significantly improves spike and block jump performance in elite volleyball players.

Consider a 4-week creatine loading protocol (5g daily after an initial loading phase) to potentially improve your vertical jump and blocking efficiency. This is one of the most researched and effective supplements for power sports.

Regular physical exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality in a dose-dependent manner, with moderate activity providing significant risk reduction compared to sedentary behavior.

Start moving. You don't need to be an elite athlete. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. Even less than that provides benefits. Consistency matters more than intensity for initial gains. Make it a habit, as 50% of people drop out after 6 months.

Aerobic exercise training lowers systolic blood pressure by 5–7 mmHg, and dynamic resistance exercise lowers it by 2–3 mmHg, providing benefits comparable to first-line antihypertensive medications.

If you have high blood pressure, exercise is a first-line treatment, not just an add-on. Aim for aerobic exercise to get the biggest drop in systolic BP (5-7 mmHg). Resistance training also helps. This can be as effective as some blood pressure medications.

A very-low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet (Atkins) produces significantly greater weight loss and more favorable metabolic risk factor changes (triglycerides, HDL-C, blood pressure) over 12 months compared to low-carbohydrate (Zone), low-fat/high-carbohydrate (LEARN), and very-low-fat (Ornish) diets in overweight premenopausal women.

If you are an overweight premenopausal woman looking to lose weight and improve metabolic health, a very-low-carbohydrate diet (like Atkins) may be more effective than low-fat or moderate-low-carb approaches. Focus on keeping carbohydrates very low (under 20-50g/day) initially, prioritizing protein and fat. You do not need to strictly count calories, as adherence to these macronutrient targets often leads to natural caloric reduction and greater weight loss compared to traditional low-fat diets. Monitor your blood pressure and lipids, as this approach tends to improve triglycerides and HDL.

A high-protein total diet replacement (HP-TDR) with 40% protein increases total energy expenditure and induces negative fat balance compared to a control diet in healthy, normal-weight adults.

If you are healthy and normal weight, switching to a high-protein diet (around 40% of calories from protein) can increase your daily energy expenditure by about 80 calories and help your body burn more fat, even if you eat the same total number of calories as a standard diet. This suggests that high-protein diets may be more effective for fat loss than standard diets when calories are matched.

Isocaloric substitution of ultra-processed foods (NOVA 4) with minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients (NOVA 1+2) is associated with greater weight loss, body fat reduction, and trunk fat reduction in individuals following an energy-restricted diet.

If you are trying to lose weight, focus on swapping ultra-processed foods (like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and processed meats) for minimally processed foods (like whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) while keeping your total calories the same. This swap can help you lose more weight and body fat than just counting calories alone.

Maintaining high cardiovascular health (defined by the AHA's Life's Simple 7 metrics: smoking status, physical activity, weight, diet, blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure) is associated with a significant reduction in major cardiovascular disease events, with 70% of events attributable to low/moderate health and 2 million events potentially preventable annually if all US adults attained high health.

Focus on the 'Life's Simple 7': stop smoking, stay active, maintain a healthy weight, eat a heart-healthy diet, and keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar in check. You don't need to be perfect; moving from poor to moderate health on these metrics significantly lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke.