Browse the evidence

Severely Energy-Restricted Diets (SERDs) utilizing meal replacements achieve approximately 10% body mass loss in people with class III obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) when followed for 6 weeks or longer.

For individuals with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40), a medically supervised Severely Energy-Restricted Diet using meal replacements can yield approximately 10% body weight loss if maintained for at least 6 weeks. Success requires strict adherence to the prescribed caloric intake (500-1200 kcal/day depending on the specific protocol), adequate protein supplementation, and engagement with supportive counseling to manage behavioral challenges.

Adopting a proinflammatory diet (Energy-Adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index > 0) is associated with significantly increased risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, whereas maintaining a neutral or anti-inflammatory diet minimizes these risks.

Focus on avoiding proinflammatory foods rather than striving for a perfect anti-inflammatory diet. A neutral diet is likely sufficient to minimize your risk of heart disease and early death. Small, sustainable improvements to reduce inflammatory potential are more effective and maintainable than extreme dietary restrictions.

Twice-daily consumption of a multi-ingredient nutritional supplement (whey protein, creatine, calcium, vitamin D, omega-3s) reduces systemic inflammation (TNF-α, IL-6) in healthy older men, an effect enhanced by subsequent resistance and high-intensity interval training.

Older men looking to reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation should consider a specific multi-ingredient supplement containing whey protein, creatine, calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, taken twice daily. This nutritional strategy, combined with a mix of resistance and high-intensity interval training, was shown to significantly lower inflammatory markers like TNF-α and IL-6 more effectively than exercise or carbohydrate control alone.

Ingesting a 1:1 blend of native whey protein and micellar casein (25g) produces peak plasma leucine and essential amino acid (EAA) concentrations equivalent to whey alone, while sustaining higher EAA levels in the late postprandial period (2-6 hours) compared to whey or casein alone.

If you are consuming protein to support muscle growth, a 1:1 mix of whey and casein (25g) is an effective strategy. It gives you the fast leucine spike of whey to kickstart muscle synthesis, but keeps amino acids in your blood longer than whey alone, potentially supporting muscle building for hours after the meal. You do not need to take both separately; a pre-mixed blend achieves this.

A Mediterranean-style diet with high unsaturated fats and low carbohydrates reduces epicardial fat volume, whereas a standard low-calorie diet and exercise alone do not.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet (high in unsaturated fats, low in carbs) can reduce epicardial fat in obese HFpEF patients, even without significant weight loss. Combine this with physical activity for best results. Avoid standard low-calorie diets if they do not reduce EAT.

Sustained weight loss of 15 kg or more through structured lifestyle interventions (such as total meal replacement diets) can induce remission of type 2 diabetes in early-stage patients.

If you have early-stage type 2 diabetes, losing a significant amount of weight (around 15 kg or 33 lbs) through a structured program can potentially put your diabetes into remission. This often involves a short period of very low-calorie intake (around 800-850 calories/day) using meal replacements, followed by a careful return to normal food. This is most effective when done under professional guidance and is most likely to work if you haven't had diabetes for very long.

Pharmacological interventions with GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide 2.4 mg, tirzepatide) and SGLT2 inhibitors promote weight loss and improve glycemic control, contributing to diabetes remission and reduced cardiovascular/renal risks.

If lifestyle changes alone aren't enough to control your diabetes or help you lose weight, ask your doctor about GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide. These are weekly injections that help you lose weight and can put type 2 diabetes into remission for many people. They also protect your heart and kidneys. They are not just 'diet pills' but powerful tools for managing the disease.

Obesity is a root cause of type 2 diabetes, and weight loss reduces the risk of microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy) and improves renal function.

Keeping your weight down is one of the most important things you can do to protect your eyes and kidneys from diabetes-related damage. Even modest weight loss can significantly lower your risk of these serious complications. This is because excess fat contributes to inflammation and stress on these organs.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg combined with diet and exercise is cost-effective for adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and comorbidities in Portugal, yielding 0.098 QALYs gained at an ICER of 13,459 EUR per QALY compared to diet and exercise alone.

For patients with obesity and comorbidities in Portugal, adding semaglutide 2.4 mg to diet and exercise is a cost-effective strategy that improves quality-adjusted life years compared to diet and exercise alone, particularly for those with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m².

Achieving early weight loss of ≥10% body weight in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes significantly increases the likelihood of diabetes remission and sustains glycaemic improvements compared to losing <10%.

For newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, aiming for a 10% body weight loss within the first five years is a critical threshold. This specific magnitude of loss is strongly associated with a 4-fold increase in the chance of achieving diabetes remission and sustained lower HbA1c levels compared to smaller weight losses.

Theory-based lifestyle interventions combining dietary and physical activity components with specific behavior change techniques (goal setting, self-monitoring, instructions, credible source) are effective for treating overweight/obesity in post-treatment breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer survivors aiming for weight loss should engage in structured lifestyle programs that combine a moderate caloric deficit (500-1000 kcal/day) with gradually increasing physical activity (starting at 30 mins/day). These programs must be grounded in behavioral theory and explicitly use techniques like goal setting, self-monitoring, and credible instruction to be effective.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (specifically Semaglutide) induce significant weight loss (10-15%) and improve metabolic and endocrine markers (including menstrual regularity and insulin sensitivity) in women with PCOS, although long-term sustainability requires continued treatment.

Semaglutide (a GLP-1 RA) is an effective treatment for women with PCOS who are obese and haven't succeeded with lifestyle changes alone. It promotes significant weight loss (approx. 11-15 kg) and can restore menstrual regularity and improve insulin sensitivity. However, stopping the medication often leads to partial weight regain, suggesting it may need to be a long-term therapy for sustained benefits.

Tirzepatide, a GLP-1/GIP receptor co-agonist, produces superior weight loss and glycemic control compared to selective GLP-1 receptor agonists and insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, tirzepatide is a once-weekly injection that lowers blood sugar and helps you lose more weight than older diabetes medications. It is generally well-tolerated, though you may experience gastrointestinal side effects. Discuss with your doctor if this once-weekly option is right for you.

When higher training frequency allows for greater total training volume (unequalized volume), higher frequency yields greater strength and hypertrophy gains due to the volume increase.

If you choose to train a muscle group 3 times a week, you likely will get better results than training it once, but this is because you can perform more total sets (volume). If you can match the total volume of the 3x/week program in a single 1x/week session, the frequency itself adds no extra benefit.

A single dose of a creatine-based multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement (MIPS) containing 3g creatine, 2g arginine, 1g glutamine, 1g taurine, and 800mg beta-alanine improves performance fatigability (measured by time to task and EMG conduction velocity) compared to placebo when ingested 2 hours before resistance exercise.

If you take a pre-workout containing creatine, beta-alanine, arginine, glutamine, and taurine, taking it 2 hours before your workout may help you sustain effort longer during high-intensity resistance training compared to taking a placebo. However, taking just creatine alone (3g) 2 hours before the workout did not show the same benefit, and the multi-ingredient mix was not superior to creatine alone in this study. Focus on the timing (2 hours prior) and the specific mix if you seek acute fatigue resistance.

Supervised resistance training produces greater site-specific muscle hypertrophy and strength gains compared to unsupervised training in resistance-trained individuals.

If you are already experienced with resistance training, working with a coach or trainer who provides real-time feedback and encouragement will likely lead to better muscle growth and strength gains than training alone. The supervision helps you push closer to failure with better technique, which drives adaptation.

Higher training volumes impose greater recovery demands, particularly when combined with proximity to failure, requiring strategic placement within the microcycle to avoid performance impairment in subsequent sessions.

Start with moderate volume (e.g., 10-15 sets per muscle group per week) and monitor recovery. If performance drops or fatigue accumulates, reduce volume before increasing it. Prioritize volume on less critical days or for specific muscle groups (specialization) while keeping other volumes lower.

Daily undulating programming (DUP) and strategic microcycle construction (e.g., prioritizing high-intensity sessions after low-intensity recovery sessions) can optimize recovery and enhance performance on priority sessions.

Use Daily Undulating Programming (DUP) to schedule high-intensity or high-volume sessions after low-intensity 'easy' sessions. This allows you to recover fully for your priority lifts while maintaining training frequency.

High-intensity exercise training (77-95% max HR) improves walking performance and cardiorespiratory fitness more than low-intensity training in PAD patients.

To maximize your walking distance, aim for high-intensity exercise. Target 77-95% of your maximum heart rate or a Borg scale rating of 14-17. This may involve significant leg pain, which is expected and part of the adaptation process.

Tirzepatide achieves body weight loss of ≥ 5% significantly faster than semaglutide 1 mg in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If your goal is weight loss alongside blood sugar control, tirzepatide (10 or 15 mg) will likely get you to a 5% body weight reduction in about 12 weeks, which is half the time it takes with semaglutide 1 mg. This benefit persists despite the slower dose escalation schedule required to manage side effects.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg administered subcutaneously once-weekly produces significant body weight reduction (mean 12.2 kg or 11.8%) and improves cardiometabolic parameters in adults with obesity, with real-world evidence confirming efficacy similar to randomized controlled trials.

Semaglutide 2.4mg once weekly is a highly effective treatment for obesity, producing an average 12kg weight loss when combined with lifestyle changes. Real-world data confirms it works as well as in clinical trials. Be aware of common side effects like nausea, which often subside, and discuss cost-effectiveness with your provider as it varies by region and insurance.

Tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, produces significantly greater body weight reduction (up to 20.9% at 15mg) compared to semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists in patients with obesity, with real-world studies confirming superior efficacy.

Tirzepatide (up to 15mg once weekly) is the most effective current pharmacological treatment for obesity, producing up to 21% weight loss. Real-world data shows it outperforms semaglutide. Discuss side effects like nausea with your provider, and consider cost-effectiveness as data is still emerging.

Replacing ultra-processed foods with minimally processed foods leads to significant weight loss and reduced energy intake even when macronutrients and calories are matched.

Stop eating ultra-processed foods. The paper shows that even if you eat the same number of calories, UPFs make you eat more because they are hyper-palatable. Switch to minimally processed foods to naturally reduce calorie intake and lose weight.

Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) reduces cardiovascular event risk by 17% and offers greater protection than replacing them with carbohydrates.

Replace saturated fats (found in animal products and tropical oils) with polyunsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils). This substitution reduces your risk of cardiovascular events by 17% and is more effective for heart health than replacing fat with carbohydrates.