Browse the evidence

Reducing pitch size in soccer small-sided games increases technical actions like shots and tackles, while larger pitches increase aerobic metabolic demands.

Use pitch size to target specific training goals. If you want to improve shooting and defensive actions, use a smaller pitch to increase proximity and contact. If you want to build aerobic endurance and lactate threshold, use a larger pitch to increase displacement and metabolic load.

Continuous small-sided games (SSG) elicit higher maximum heart rate and RPE than intermittent SSG, but intermittent SSG allows for higher sprint ratios and total distance at high speeds.

Use intermittent SSG (with rest intervals) to improve your sprinting ability and high-speed running, as the rest allows you to recover and sprint harder. Use continuous SSG if your specific goal is to build aerobic endurance and tolerance to high heart rates and perceived exertion.

Nutrition interventions targeting 25-30 kcal/kg/day energy and 1.0-1.5 g/kg/day protein intake can prevent or attenuate low muscle mass (MM) in cancer patients, though current evidence is limited by short intervention durations and lack of oncology-specific study designs.

For cancer patients, maintaining adequate energy (25-30 kcal/kg/day) and protein (1.0-1.5 g/kg/day) intake is crucial to prevent muscle loss. While evidence is still evolving, these targets are recommended to support treatment tolerance and recovery. Be patient, as muscle restoration takes time, and focus on consistent intake rather than quick fixes.

Supplementation with Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), specifically leucine (2-4 g/day), may help ameliorate muscle loss in cancer by promoting protein synthesis, though long-term effects on muscle mass require further investigation.

BCAA supplements, particularly those high in leucine (2-4g/day), may support muscle protein synthesis in cancer patients. However, they are not a standalone solution for gaining muscle mass and should be part of a broader nutritional strategy including adequate total protein and energy.

β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation (3 g/day) may help improve body composition in cancer patients, particularly those with smaller initial weight loss, by minimizing protein degradation.

HMB supplements (3g/day), often combined with arginine and glutamine, may help gain lean mass in cancer patients, especially those who haven't lost much weight yet. It may not be effective for patients with severe cachexia.

Residing in high-walkability neighborhoods is associated with a slower increase in overweight/obesity prevalence and a significant decline in diabetes incidence compared to low-walkability neighborhoods.

If you have control over where you live, prioritize neighborhoods with high walkability scores (high density, mixed destinations, connected streets). This environmental factor is associated with stabilizing weight and reducing diabetes risk over time, independent of some individual lifestyle factors.

Active travel (walking or cycling for transport) provides modest health benefits, including reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular mortality, but robust evidence for reducing obesity in adults is lacking.

Incorporate walking or cycling into your daily commute where possible. While this may not directly lead to significant weight loss in adults, it offers measurable benefits for heart health and diabetes prevention. Aim for at least 30 minutes of active travel per day to see reduced risks for chronic diseases.

Cycling to school is associated with improved cardio-respiratory fitness in children, but not necessarily with reduced body fat or obesity.

Encourage your children to cycle or walk to school if safe. It will significantly boost their cardiovascular fitness. However, do not expect this alone to solve obesity issues; diet and other physical activities remain crucial for weight management.

Micronutrient deficiencies (specifically antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Zinc) are consistently associated with increased adiposity and obesity, potentially through mechanisms involving leptin dysregulation, insulin resistance, and altered adipogenesis.

Ensure your diet includes adequate sources of antioxidants (Vitamins C, E, Selenium), Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Zinc. While this won't replace the need for a caloric deficit, correcting deficiencies may improve metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and hormone regulation, potentially aiding weight management efforts.

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in obese populations and is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism and insulin resistance, potentially due to sequestration in adipose tissue.

If you are obese, you are likely Vitamin D deficient due to sequestration in fat tissue. Consult a doctor for testing. Weight loss can naturally improve Vitamin D levels by reducing this sequestration.

Reallocating time from sedentary behavior to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with improvements in cardiometabolic biomarkers among adults, though evidence is lacking for children, adolescents, and older adults.

For adults, replacing sedentary time with physical activity (especially MVPA) is associated with improved cardiometabolic biomarkers. However, current evidence is insufficient to confirm these benefits for children, adolescents, and older adults.

Reducing meal frequency to 1-2 meals per day with a prolonged overnight fast (Time-Restricted Feeding) improves metabolic health, reduces inflammation, and lowers disease risk compared to higher meal frequencies (≥6 meals/day).

Try eating your meals within a 6-8 hour window each day, aiming for 1-2 main meals. Prioritize eating your largest meal earlier in the day (breakfast/lunch) and avoid late-night eating. This approach may reduce inflammation and improve metabolic health more effectively than eating 5-6 small meals, without needing to count calories.

Dietary patterns, specifically the source of protein (vegetable vs. meat), influence plasma glycine levels more than total glycine intake, with vegetable proteins associated with higher circulating glycine compared to meat proteins.

If you are trying to improve metabolic health, consider the source of your protein. Plant-based proteins are associated with higher circulating glycine levels compared to meat proteins, which may offer some protection against type 2 diabetes risk.

Increased egg consumption is inversely associated with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

For the general population, eating more eggs might be associated with a lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke. However, this finding is based on a small number of studies, so it should be interpreted with caution. Do not change your diet solely based on this subgroup finding without consulting a professional.

Both short sleep duration (≤5 hours) and long sleep duration (≥9 hours) are independently associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to 7 hours of sleep.

Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night to minimize cardiovascular risk. Both sleeping less than 5 hours and more than 9 hours is associated with a significantly higher risk of heart disease and stroke. If you consistently need 9+ hours of sleep, consult a doctor to rule out underlying conditions like sleep apnea, as this may be a marker for health issues rather than just a preference.

Daily electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) of the lower extremities significantly reduces the rate of muscle mass loss in critically ill patients compared to standard care without EMS.

For critically ill patients unable to move, daily electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) applied to the legs for about an hour can help preserve muscle mass better than doing nothing. This is not a cure-all but a supportive tool to counteract the rapid muscle wasting that happens in the ICU due to illness and immobility.

Consumption of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (GI) shortly before bedtime reduces sleep latency (time to fall asleep) by increasing insulin-mediated tryptophan transport to the brain, whereas high-GI diets consumed chronically increase the risk of insomnia.

If you struggle to fall asleep, try eating a carbohydrate-rich meal (like pasta or rice) about 4 hours before bed. The resulting insulin spike helps tryptophan enter your brain, potentially speeding up sleep onset. However, do not make high-sugar/refined carb foods your daily staple, as this chronic pattern increases the risk of developing insomnia.

Consumption of saturated fatty acids reduces slow-wave sleep duration and increases nighttime awakenings, whereas consumption of unsaturated fatty acids (specifically from fatty fish) improves sleep regulation and increases drowsiness.

Replace saturated fats (fried foods, animal fats) with unsaturated fats, particularly omega-3s from fatty fish like salmon or mackerel. This shift may help you stay asleep longer and improve sleep quality.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation reduces body fat mass in humans, but this effect is modest and often accompanied by adverse metabolic changes, specifically insulin resistance and reduced adiponectin levels.

CLA supplements can lead to a small reduction in body fat (approx. 1-2 kg over several months) in overweight adults, but this comes with a significant trade-off: it often worsens insulin sensitivity and lowers adiponectin, a protective hormone. For most people, the metabolic risks outweigh the modest fat loss benefits. Focus on diet and exercise instead; CLA is not a recommended primary intervention for weight loss.

Circadian rhythm disruption (caused by artificial light, shift work, and irregular eating) is a primary underlying etiological factor for the clustering of metabolic risk factors (obesity, T2DM, CVD) and comorbidities (depression, sleep disturbance), constituting the 'Circadian Syndrome'.

Treat your body's internal clock as a primary health lever. Align your sleep, eating, and light exposure with natural day/night cycles. Minimize artificial light at night, avoid late-night eating, and prioritize consistent sleep times to support metabolic health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Prolonged physical inactivity during lockdowns causes adverse metabolic and structural health changes, including insulin resistance, muscle atrophy, bone loss, and increased cardiovascular risk.

You must move to avoid health deterioration. If you cannot go outside, do indoor exercises like bodyweight squats, pushups, or stair climbing. Use resistance bands if available. Aim for moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes per week.

Social isolation increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and neurocognitive problems, which can be mitigated by reinforcing social care measures and using technology for contact.

Stay connected with friends and family using phone calls or video chats. This helps reduce depression and anxiety. Ensure you have access to necessary supplies.

Bedtime procrastination—the voluntary delay of going to bed despite no external constraints—is a distinct behavioral phenomenon negatively associated with self-regulation and a significant predictor of insufficient sleep, daytime fatigue, and experienced sleep insufficiency, independent of general procrastination traits and demographic factors.

If you consistently go to bed later than you intend, you are likely engaging in 'bedtime procrastination,' a self-regulation failure distinct from general laziness. This behavior directly causes insufficient sleep and daytime fatigue. To fix this, do not rely on willpower in the evening when it is depleted. Instead, use 'implementation intentions' (e.g., 'If it is 10 PM, then I will turn off the TV and brush my teeth') to create automatic cues that bypass the need for active decision-making. This approach requires less cognitive effort and is more effective for people with low self-control.

Consumption of small indigenous fish species provides high bioavailability of Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc, and Calcium, serving as a cost-effective strategy to mitigate micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries.

In regions where small fish (like sardines, anchovies, or local small indigenous species) are available, prioritize consuming them whole (including bones and heads) to maximize intake of Calcium, Iron, and Zinc. For Vitamin A, prefer fresh or steamed preparations over sun-dried ones, as drying destroys this vitamin, though the body's liver stores can mitigate some loss.