Browse the evidence

Whey protein supplementation significantly increases biceps curl strength and lower limb lean mass in postmenopausal women, but ONLY when combined with resistance training.

If you are a postmenopausal woman looking to build muscle or strength, whey protein alone will not do it. You must combine whey protein (20-40g) with resistance training (2-3 times a week). The combination significantly boosts arm strength and leg muscle mass, whereas protein without exercise offers no muscle benefit.

Maintaining a weight loss of ≥7% of initial body weight for a sustained proportion of time (Time in Target Range, TTR) is associated with a significantly lower risk of composite kidney outcomes in patients with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity, the goal should not just be to lose weight, but to keep it off. Aim to maintain a 7% reduction from your starting weight. Even if you fluctuate, spending more time within this target range significantly lowers your risk of kidney disease. This involves a combination of eating fewer calories and moving more, supported by regular counseling or self-monitoring.

Low-carbohydrate diets significantly improve glycemic control (HbA1c and FPG) and lipid profiles (reduced triglycerides, increased HDL) in overweight or obese patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus compared to control diets.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and are overweight, reducing your carbohydrate intake to under 26% of your daily calories can significantly lower your HbA1c and fasting blood sugar. It also improves your blood fat profile by lowering triglycerides and raising good HDL cholesterol, without negatively affecting your LDL. You should work with your doctor to adjust diabetes medications (like insulin) to avoid low blood sugar as you start this diet.

Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, provides superior glycemic control and weight loss compared to monotherapy by leveraging synergistic mechanisms of both incretin hormones.

Tirzepatide is a weekly injection that mimics two gut hormones (GIP and GLP-1) to improve blood sugar control and promote significant weight loss. It is a newer option for T2DM and obesity, offering benefits beyond what single-hormone therapies provide.

Adherence to a structured multidisciplinary follow-up program significantly increases the likelihood of achieving superior weight loss outcomes after endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs).

If you are getting an endoscopic weight loss procedure, your success depends less on the device used and more on showing up. Commit to attending 20-24 visits in the first year. Start with weekly or biweekly visits, then space them out as you stabilize. This structured support is the strongest predictor of keeping the weight off.

A high-protein diet (60-80 g/day or 1.5 g/kg/day) combined with strength training prevents loss of lean body mass and promotes satiety after endoscopic bariatric therapy.

Eat 60-80 grams of protein daily (or 1.5g per kg of body weight) to protect your muscles while you lose fat. This also helps you feel full longer. Combine this with strength training for best results.

Intermittent fasting variants (specifically ADF and TWF) cause significant lean mass loss when combined with energy restriction, unless resistance training and high protein intake are utilized.

If you fast, you must lift weights and eat high protein (>=1.6g/kg). Fasting without these two factors will likely cost you muscle. Modified fasting days should prioritize protein.

Lifestyle modifications, specifically calorie-restricted diets combined with moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise, are first-line interventions that can induce Type 2 Diabetes remission and improve insulin sensitivity.

Adopt a daily caloric deficit of 500-750 kcal and aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking) spread across at least three days, plus resistance training twice a week. This approach is the primary, evidence-based method to manage obesity and potentially reverse Type 2 Diabetes without medication.

Modifying the food environment to reduce the availability of hyperpalatable, low-nutrient foods and increase access to healthy options is a critical step in reducing obesity incidence at the population level.

Advocate for changes in your community to make healthy food more accessible and appealing. This includes supporting policies that limit the availability of hyperpalatable, low-nutrient foods.

Resmetirom (80-100 mg daily) is the first FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for MASH with fibrosis, demonstrating significant improvement in liver fibrosis and MASH resolution compared to placebo.

Resmetirom is the first approved drug for MASH with fibrosis. It works by targeting thyroid hormone receptors in the liver to reduce fat and inflammation. Take 80mg or 100mg daily. Expect possible mild stomach issues, but the drug has proven to improve liver scarring in clinical trials.

Tirzepatide (10-15 mg weekly) is more effective than placebo in resolving MASH without worsening fibrosis, showing substantial weight loss and metabolic improvements.

Tirzepatide (10-15mg weekly) is more effective than placebo for resolving MASH without worsening fibrosis. It causes significant weight loss and has an acceptable safety profile.

Ingesting 30 g of whey protein after resistance exercise maximizes myofibrillar protein synthesis in trained women, while 60 g provides no additional benefit.

If you are a trained woman doing resistance exercise, aim for 30g of high-quality protein (like whey) after your workout. Taking 60g won't help your muscles grow any faster than 30g, and 15g isn't enough to trigger the growth response. Stick to 30g to maximize efficiency.

Cluster sets (CS) and rest redistribution (RR) set structures serve as effective, cost-free alternatives to velocity-based training (VBT) prescriptions using a 20% velocity loss (VL20) threshold, allowing the majority of repetitions to be performed with less than 20% velocity loss.

If you want to train with high velocity without buying a velocity-tracking device, use Cluster Sets or Rest Redistribution. For Bench Press, Rest Redistribution (9 sets of 2 reps with 45s rest) was most effective at keeping speed high. For Squat, both worked well, but Rest Redistribution still outperformed Cluster Sets. Avoid Traditional Sets (continuous reps) if you want to maintain speed, as velocity drops significantly faster.

Training at long muscle lengths (via full or partial range of motion that includes the stretched position) is superior or equal to training at short muscle lengths for maximizing muscle hypertrophy.

Prioritize exercises or variations that stretch the target muscle significantly. Whether you use a full range of motion or a partial range, ensure the movement includes the 'stretched' position at the bottom. Avoid partial reps that only occur in the shortened position (e.g., the top half of a squat), as these are less effective for growth.

Combining GLP-1RA therapy with resistance exercise and high protein intake preserves fat-free mass better than GLP-1RA therapy alone in older adults with obesity.

To get the most benefit from GLP-1 medications without losing muscle, you must also do resistance exercise (like weights) at least twice a week and eat enough protein (1.0-1.2g per kg of body weight). This combination helps you lose fat while keeping your strength.

Tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, produces significant weight loss (17.8% placebo-subtracted) in individuals with obesity without diabetes.

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injection that significantly reduces body weight in people with obesity, even without diabetes. It works by mimicking two gut hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) to reduce appetite and improve metabolism. While effective, it can cause temporary gastrointestinal issues like nausea, which usually subside as your body adjusts.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly produces significant weight loss (14.9% reduction) in individuals with obesity.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg is a once-weekly injection approved for chronic weight management. It significantly reduces body weight by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control appetite. Common side effects include gastrointestinal issues, which often improve over time.

Integrating real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) into a low glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) diet significantly improves body weight, BMI, fat mass, and metabolic parameters (fasting glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol) in overweight/obese young adults compared to diet education alone.

If you are overweight and want to lose weight, try using a continuous glucose monitor (like FreeStyle Libre) while eating a low-glycemic diet. The monitor gives you instant feedback on how different foods affect your blood sugar, helping you make better food choices (like swapping white rice for brown rice) without needing to count calories strictly. This study showed that this feedback loop led to greater weight loss and better cholesterol levels than diet education alone.

High-quality weight loss, defined as maximizing fat loss while preserving skeletal muscle mass, is critical for maintaining metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and long-term weight maintenance.

When losing weight, prioritize strategies that protect your muscles, such as adequate protein intake and resistance exercise. Losing muscle along with fat can harm your metabolism and insulin sensitivity, making long-term weight maintenance harder.

Resistance exercise combined with caloric restriction is the most effective non-pharmacological strategy for preserving skeletal muscle mass and strength during weight loss.

Do not rely on diet alone. Incorporate resistance training into your weight loss plan to prevent muscle loss and maintain strength.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide) are the most efficacious weight-loss drugs currently available in clinical use.

GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide are currently the most effective pharmaceutical option for weight loss. If you are struggling with obesity, this class of medication offers the highest potential for efficacy, though you must manage potential side effects like nausea. Discuss with your doctor if this injectable treatment is appropriate for you.

GLP-1 agonists (specifically Semaglutide and Liraglutide) induce significant weight loss (≥15%) which improves Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) severity, measured by Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index (AHI), particularly in patients who cannot tolerate CPAP.

If you have OSA and struggle with CPAP or cannot lose enough weight through diet alone, GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide (2.4mg weekly) are a clinically proven option to reduce sleep apnea severity. Be prepared for potential gastrointestinal side effects and the likelihood that you may need to stay on the medication long-term to keep the weight off and your airway open.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide 3 mg and semaglutide 2.4 mg) produce significantly greater weight loss in patients with obesity compared to orlistat, with average losses of 7 kg more than control groups in meta-analyses.

If you have obesity and a related health condition (like diabetes or high blood pressure), GLP-1 medications (liraglutide or semaglutide) are significantly more effective for weight loss than older drugs like orlistat. You must combine the medication with a healthy diet and exercise. Start with the lowest dose and increase slowly to minimize stomach upset, which usually goes away.

Consuming a twice-daily protein-polyphenol beverage (post-exercise and pre-bed) during the early phase of resistance training (first 10 sessions) increases daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and accelerates early muscle functional gains compared to a placebo.

If you are just starting resistance training, adding a protein-polyphenol supplement twice a day (after workouts and before bed) can help your muscles repair and function better in the first few weeks. This involves a specific blend of whey/pea/casein protein with pomegranate extract post-workout, and casein with tart cherry extract before bed. This strategy speeds up early strength gains and protein synthesis, though it may not change long-term muscle size compared to standard protein.