Browse the evidence

Complex training (alternating heavy resistance exercises with sport-specific plyometric drills) and soccer-specific power actions are preferred over traditional resistance exercises due to superior ecological validity and transfer to performance.

Incorporate complex training methods where you alternate heavy resistance exercises (e.g., squats) with explosive, sport-specific movements (e.g., jumps, sprints) in the same session. This approach has better 'ecological value' for soccer players than doing traditional strength exercises alone.

Concurrent high-intensity strength and high-intensity endurance training (HIT) enhances overall performance capacity in soccer players, provided the training is periodized correctly.

Combine high-intensity strength and endurance training in your soccer program. Ensure both are high-intensity and periodized to manage fatigue, as this concurrent approach enhances overall performance capacity for highly trained players.

Adopting a Mediterranean diet, characterized by high fiber, polyphenols, and unsaturated fats, promotes beneficial gut microbiota growth and reduces the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.

To lower your risk of heart disease and obesity, shift your diet toward the Mediterranean pattern. Prioritize whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Use olive oil as your primary fat source and include oily fish like salmon or sardines regularly. Limit red meat, sweets, and highly processed foods. This dietary pattern supports beneficial gut bacteria and reduces inflammation.

In a health context, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a viable and effective method to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce morbidity/mortality risk, often superior to Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) when volume is matched.

If you are sedentary or have health conditions, HIIT is a highly effective way to boost heart health and longevity in less time than traditional cardio. Aim for intervals above moderate intensity (vigorous) at least 3 times a week, keeping total session time under 15 minutes. Start with medical clearance if you have conditions, but do not let fear of intensity prevent you from trying this time-efficient strategy.

Performing endurance training before strength training within the same session yields significantly greater improvements in aerobic capacity and endurance performance than performing strength training before endurance training or performing them separately.

If you combine running and weightlifting in one session, do the running first. This study shows that doing endurance training before strength training leads to significantly better improvements in your 4km run time and aerobic capacity (VO2max) compared to doing weights first. Fatigue from strength training likely compromises the quality of your subsequent endurance work, reducing aerobic adaptations.

Strength training (heavy resistance, explosive resistance, or plyometric) performed 2-3 times per week improves running economy, time trial performance, and maximal sprint speed in middle- and long-distance runners.

Add 2-3 strength sessions per week to your running program. Use heavy weights, explosive movements, or plyometrics. This will improve your running economy and race times without making you heavier or slower. Ensure your running volume and intensity remain consistent with your previous training.

High-intensity resistance training (approx. 90% 1RM, 3-5 reps) produces greater improvements in muscular strength and lean arm mass than high-volume training (approx. 70% 1RM, 10-12 reps) in resistance-trained men over an 8-week period.

If you are an experienced lifter looking to maximize strength and muscle size, prioritize lifting heavier weights (around 90% of your one-rep max) for fewer reps (3-5) rather than doing many reps with lighter weights. Train 4 times a week, focus on progressive overload, and ensure you rest adequately (3 minutes) between sets. This approach yielded nearly double the strength and arm mass gains compared to high-volume training in this study.

Combined dietary weight loss and moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychological health (depression, stress, social support) in overweight/obese postmenopausal women more effectively than diet or exercise alone.

For overweight or obese postmenopausal women, combining a calorie-restricted diet (aiming for 10% weight loss) with regular moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (225 minutes per week) significantly improves physical functioning, mental health, and reduces stress compared to either intervention alone. While exercise alone did not significantly improve quality of life in this study, the combination did, suggesting that addressing both physical and psychological factors is key.

High-intensity strength training (82% 1RM) produces significantly greater gains in muscular strength, anaerobic power, and mobility in inactive older men compared to low-intensity training (55% 1RM).

If you are an older adult looking to maintain independence and mobility, high-intensity strength training (lifting weights that feel very heavy, around 80-85% of your max) is more effective than light weights. You should train three times a week for 24 weeks, focusing on major muscle groups. This approach not only builds more strength but also helps you maintain those gains for longer periods, even if you take breaks from training.

High-intensity strength training preserves functional gains (strength and mobility) for a longer duration during detraining compared to low-intensity training.

If you are an older adult who might have periods of inactivity due to illness or travel, prioritize high-intensity strength training. The strength and mobility gains you build are more likely to be preserved for over a year, whereas lighter training benefits may disappear within months of stopping.

Supplementing with 40g/day of Resistant Starch (Type 2) for 8 weeks facilitates significant weight loss and improves insulin sensitivity in individuals with overweight or obesity by reshaping gut microbiota to increase Bifidobacterium adolescentis and alter bile acid profiles.

To lose weight using resistant starch, take 40 grams daily (split into two 20g doses) mixed with water, drinking it 10-15 minutes before your main meals. This must replace other calories in your diet to maintain energy balance, not be added on top. Stick to this for at least 8 weeks to see significant results, as the mechanism relies on gut bacteria adaptation.

Replacing sedentary time with vigorous physical activity (VPA) reduces the risk of more types of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) than replacing it with light (LPA) or moderate (MPA) physical activity.

If you sit for more than 6 hours a day, try to replace that time with vigorous activity rather than just light movement. Swapping 1 hour of sitting for 1 hour of vigorous activity (like running or fast cycling) is associated with a significantly lower risk of multiple chronic diseases compared to swapping it for light or moderate activity. While achieving 1 hour of VPA daily is challenging, even partial substitutions offer substantial health protection.

Physical activity interventions probably prevent frailty in adults aged 65 years and older, based on moderate certainty evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Engage in regular physical activity, including resistance, balance, and functional exercises, to help prevent frailty. While the specific dose varies, consistent movement is key for maintaining physiological reserves in older adults.

Regular moderate-intensity exercise training is safe and significantly improves cardiorespiratory function, body composition, and patient-reported outcomes (fatigue, depression, quality of life) in breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer survivors should engage in regular moderate-intensity exercise, combining aerobic and resistance training if possible. Aim for 3 sessions per week, lasting 30-45 minutes. This is safe and helps improve heart health, muscle strength, and reduces fatigue and depression. Consult your oncology team to tailor the intensity.

Dietary nitrate supplementation (typically via beetroot juice) improves exercise efficiency by reducing the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise and enhances muscle power/sprint performance, primarily through the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway.

If you are a recreational runner or cyclist, try 5-8 mmol of nitrate (approx. 500mg) from beetroot juice 2.5 hours before exercise. You may see a small but meaningful boost in endurance. If you are an elite pro cyclist, it likely won't help you, but if you do kayaking or rowing, it might.

Malnutrition management must prioritize the maintenance and restoration of muscle mass rather than generalized weight gain, as low muscle mass is a critical determinant of adverse health outcomes including mortality, readmission, and functional decline.

Stop focusing only on the scale. If you are sick, older, or recovering, your body loses muscle, which is dangerous. Ask your doctor or dietitian to check your muscle mass (using tools like BIA or DXA) and not just your weight. Eat enough protein (1.0-1.5g/kg/day) and consider high-protein supplements, especially those with HMB, combined with resistance exercise to rebuild muscle and reduce hospital readmission risk.

High-load resistance training (80% 1RM) produces greater neural adaptations and strength gains than low-load training (30% 1RM) despite inducing similar muscle hypertrophy.

If your goal is to get stronger, you must lift heavy weights (around 80% of your max). While lifting lighter weights (30% of max) to failure will build muscle size just as well, it will not make you as strong because it fails to train your nervous system to recruit muscle fibers efficiently. To maximize strength, prioritize high-load training.

Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes; low in refined grains, sugary drinks, sweets, and animal products) is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

To lower your risk of death, heart disease, and cancer, focus on a diet rich in whole plant foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Minimize refined grains, sugary drinks, sweets, and animal products. You don't need to track complex scores; just prioritize these healthy plant foods and limit the less healthy ones.

Low-intensity concentric resistance training combined with blood flow restriction (BFR) produces significant muscle hypertrophy and strength gains, whereas the same protocol using eccentric contractions fails to produce significant hypertrophy or strength gains.

If you use Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training, you must perform the concentric (lifting) phase of the movement. Using the eccentric (lowering) phase with BFR at low loads will not build muscle or strength. Stick to concentric-focused movements with BFR to get the hypertrophy benefits.

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet (MD) reduces central adiposity (waist circumference and visceral fat) and prevents weight gain, even when energy intake is unrestricted.

Adhere to a Mediterranean Diet pattern focusing on vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. You do not need to strictly count calories or restrict fat intake to avoid weight gain and reduce belly fat, although combining it with exercise and caloric restriction yields the best weight loss results.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) using an 8s/12s sprint-rest protocol is as effective as Moderate-to-Vigorous Continuous Training (MVCT) for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) in obese young women, while requiring half the time and yielding higher exercise enjoyment.

If you are an obese young woman looking to improve your heart health without spending hours at the gym, try this specific HIIT protocol: cycle for 8 seconds as hard as you can, then rest for 12 seconds. Repeat this 60 times (20 minutes total), 4 days a week. Start with low resistance and increase it only when you can finish two sessions in a row comfortably. This method improves your cardiovascular fitness just as much as 40 minutes of steady cycling, but you will likely enjoy it more and spend less time exercising.

Modern lifestyle modification programs that integrate dietary recommendations, physical activity, and cognitive-behavioral therapy are more effective for weight loss than single-modality interventions, as the components interact to address weight loss and maintenance obstacles.

To lose weight and keep it off, you need a three-part plan: eat less (calorie deficit), move more (exercise), and change your habits (CBT). Doing just one (like just dieting) often fails because it doesn't address the psychological triggers or the physical activity needed for maintenance. Success comes from integrating all three.

For healthy older men (65-74 years), a combined training protocol consisting of once-weekly resistance and once-weekly endurance exercise yields similar gains in leg muscle mass, leg maximal strength, and cardiovascular fitness (Wmax) as twice-weekly resistance or endurance training alone.

If you are an older man looking to stay strong and healthy, you do not need to spend hours in the gym every week. Combining one day of heavy resistance training with one day of moderate-to-vigorous cycling (just two days total per week) can build muscle and heart health just as effectively as doing more frequent single-type training. This approach is highly practical and may be easier to stick with long-term.

When total volume load is equated, high-intensity resistance training (3 sets of 3RM with 3-minute rest) produces significantly greater maximal strength gains than moderate-intensity training (3 sets of 10RM with 90-second rest), while both protocols yield equivalent increases in muscle thickness.

If your goal is maximum strength, use heavy weights (around 3 reps per set) with longer rest periods (3 minutes), even if you are experienced. If your goal is just muscle size, you can use lighter weights (10 reps) with shorter rest (90 seconds) and get the same muscle growth, but you will likely gain less strength. Make sure you are doing the same total amount of work (sets x reps x weight) in both cases to make a fair comparison.