Browse the evidence

Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, produces dose-dependent weight loss and glycemic control, often superior to other GLP-1 agents.

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injection that helps with weight loss and blood sugar. It works by targeting two hormones. Higher doses lead to more weight loss. It is an option if other GLP-1 drugs are not enough.

Fixed-ratio combinations of GLP-1 receptor agonists and basal insulin provide superior glycemic control and weight loss compared to insulin alone, without increasing hypoglycemia risk.

If you need insulin for diabetes, adding a GLP-1 drug might help you control your blood sugar better without gaining weight. It's a single injection that combines both medications.

Soy protein supplementation improves exercise performance, particularly in high-intensity, high-speed, and endurance activities, by delaying fatigue and improving isometric strength.

If you are an athlete, soy protein can help you perform better. It improves endurance, speed, and delays fatigue. It is particularly beneficial after strenuous exercise or muscle damage. You can use it to boost your performance without relying solely on animal proteins or other supplements.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with a significantly increased risk of colorectal and breast cancer, with a 10% increase in UPF intake linked to a 4% higher risk of colorectal cancer.

Limit your intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), defined by the NOVA classification system as industrial formulations with little whole food content. This meta-analysis links high UPF consumption to increased risks of colorectal and breast cancer. For every 10% increase in UPF intake, colorectal cancer risk rises by 4%. Focus on whole or minimally processed foods to reduce this risk.

Resistance training (RT) and aerobic training (AT) induce distinct molecular signaling pathways in skeletal muscle, with RT primarily activating mTORC1 to drive myofibrillar hypertrophy and AT primarily activating AMPK to drive mitochondrial biogenesis.

If your goal is to build muscle size, focus on resistance training to activate the mTOR pathway. If your goal is to improve cardiovascular endurance and mitochondrial function, focus on aerobic training to activate the AMPK pathway. Doing both simultaneously may blunt specific adaptations due to the 'interference effect' where AMPK suppresses mTOR signaling.

Repeated (chronic) application of post-exercise cooling blunts muscle strength adaptations and decreases fatigue resistance following resistance training interventions.

If your goal is to build maximum strength over months, avoid using cold water immersion after every resistance training session. It may prevent you from gaining as much strength as you could have. Save the cold plunge for endurance events in the heat or for specific early recovery needs.

Glucagon receptor activation in triple agonists increases energy expenditure and lipid oxidation, contributing to weight loss without causing hyperglycemia when combined with GLP-1 and GIP.

The addition of glucagon receptor activation in triple agonists helps burn more energy and fat, contributing to weight loss without raising blood sugar, thanks to the balancing effects of GLP-1 and GIP.

Genetic variants that increase skeletal muscle expression of the mitochondrial supercomplex assembly factor COX7A2L are causally associated with improved cardiorespiratory fitness, lower body fat, and increased energy expenditure in humans and mice.

Your genetic makeup influences your mitochondrial efficiency and cardiorespiratory fitness. While you cannot change your DNA, recognizing that some individuals have a genetic advantage in fat oxidation and VO2max can help tailor expectations. Focus on consistent aerobic training to maximize your genetic potential, as even small genetic advantages in COX7A2L expression correlate with better fitness outcomes.

Consumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA) increases large, buoyant LDL particle mass and decreases small, dense LDL (sdLDL) particles compared to unsaturated fats or carbohydrates.

If you consume saturated fats, they tend to make your LDL particles larger and less dense compared to unsaturated fats or carbohydrates. While this lowers total LDL cholesterol, it may also increase small, dense LDL particles in some individuals, which are more strongly linked to heart disease risk. The net effect on cardiovascular risk is complex and depends on the overall dietary pattern.

Replacing saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) decreases total LDL cholesterol but may increase small, dense LDL particles or have no effect on LDL particle size.

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats (like olive oil or nuts) lowers total LDL cholesterol, which is generally beneficial. However, this shift may also increase small, dense LDL particles in some individuals, which are more strongly linked to heart disease. The net effect on cardiovascular risk is complex and depends on the overall dietary pattern.

Plyometric jump training induces small to moderate skeletal muscle hypertrophy in healthy individuals, with larger effects observed in non-athletes compared to athletes and greater hypertrophy in knee extensors compared to plantar flexors.

If you want to build muscle without heavy weights, incorporate plyometric jumps (like squat jumps or box jumps) into your routine. Aim for about 2 sessions per week, with each session lasting around 30 minutes. You don't need to be an athlete to see results; in fact, beginners (non-athletes) may see larger muscle growth than experienced athletes. Focus on exercises that involve jumping, as these can effectively increase muscle size, particularly in the legs.

Increasing the weekly frequency of plyometric jump training sessions leads to larger hypertrophic gains, whereas total training duration, session duration, and total number of jumps per week do not significantly moderate hypertrophy.

To maximize muscle growth from jumping exercises, focus on how often you train rather than how long or how many jumps you do in one session. Aim for more frequent sessions per week (e.g., 3-4 times) rather than fewer, longer sessions. The total number of jumps or the length of the workout does not appear to significantly change muscle growth outcomes.

Real-world users of semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight management rarely follow recommended dose titration protocols, with the majority stopping at or below 1.0 mg rather than reaching the target 2.4 mg dose evaluated in clinical trials.

If you are using Wegovy, know that most people do not reach the maximum 2.4 mg dose. Many stop at 1.0 mg due to side effects or cost. This does not mean the drug isn't working for you, but it may mean your weight loss potential is lower than what is seen in clinical trials. Discuss your dose with your provider to see if escalation is appropriate for your tolerance and financial situation.

Bariatric surgery significantly reduces the incidence of overall cancer and obesity-related cancers, with a more pronounced effect in women.

Bariatric surgery is a highly effective intervention for reducing cancer risk in people with severe obesity, particularly women. It offers a significant reduction in overall and obesity-related cancers compared to non-surgical controls.

Physical activity reduces cancer risk independently of its effect on body weight, through mechanisms like improved immune regulation and reduced oxidative stress.

Regular physical activity lowers your risk of breast and colon cancer, even if you don't lose weight. It works through mechanisms like better immune function and less inflammation.

In older adults (55-70 years), long-term lifestyle interventions for weight loss in prediabetes result in greater sustained weight loss but inferior preservation of fat-free mass and bone mineral content compared to younger adults (25-45 years).

If you are over 55 and losing weight, expect to lose more muscle and bone than a younger person would for the same amount of weight lost. To counter this, you must prioritize resistance training and adequate protein intake, as standard lifestyle interventions alone may not preserve lean mass effectively in this age group.

In adults with prediabetes, women experience less sustained weight loss and greater loss of fat-free mass and bone mineral content compared to men during long-term lifestyle interventions, despite showing greater improvements in some cardiometabolic markers like fasting glucose and HDL.

Women in this study lost less weight and more muscle/bone than men following the same lifestyle program. To mitigate this, women should prioritize resistance training and protein intake to protect lean mass, and focus on metabolic improvements (like blood sugar and cholesterol) rather than just scale weight, as these may improve even if weight loss is modest.

Adding 30-second no-load isometric holds (iso-holds) during the inter-set rest period of resistance training enhances mid-thigh (quadriceps) muscle hypertrophy compared to passive rest, but may impair lower-body maximal strength gains.

If you want to maximize quadriceps growth without spending extra time in the gym, try holding a strong isometric contraction (like a seated knee extension) for 30 seconds immediately after each set of squats or leg presses. Do this for the first 30 seconds of your 2-minute rest, then relax for the remaining 90 seconds. Note: This might slightly reduce your ability to increase the weight on the bar for lower body strength, so prioritize this strategy if hypertrophy is your main goal.

Low-volume high-intensity interval training (LV-HIT) significantly reduces circulating miRNA-27b expression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), whereas high-volume HIT (HV-HIT) does not, despite both improving cardiorespiratory fitness.

For women with PCOS, low-volume high-intensity interval training (10 one-minute maximal efforts with rest) is effective at reducing circulating miRNA-27b levels, a marker linked to metabolism and inflammation. Interestingly, a higher-volume protocol (4x4 minutes) improved fitness but did not change this specific marker, suggesting that training volume and structure matter for molecular adaptations even when fitness gains are similar.

Women tend to lose more weight than men when treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide) for obesity, despite men often losing more weight with lifestyle interventions alone.

If you are a woman being treated with GLP-1 medications like Wegovy or Saxenda, you are statistically likely to lose more weight than a man on the same drug. This is due to how your body processes the medication. Do not compare your progress to male baselines or lifestyle-only results; your pharmacological response is typically superior.

Men tend to lose more absolute weight than women when undergoing non-pharmacological lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise), although the difference is small.

If you are a woman doing lifestyle changes (diet/exercise), you might lose slightly less weight than a man on the same plan. This is normal. Focus on consistency, as women often have better long-term weight maintenance success.

Concurrent resistance and endurance training combined with high protein availability (2 g/kg/day) does not impair maximal strength or muscle hypertrophy compared to resistance training alone, but it does attenuate anaerobic power gains.

If you want to train for both strength and endurance, do them on separate days (e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday for weights, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday for cardio). Eat 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. You will likely gain strength and muscle just as well as if you only lifted weights, but you might not get as fast or powerful as if you only lifted weights.

Tirzepatide 15mg is associated with a higher risk of hypoglycemia compared to GLP-1 receptor agonists, although it has a lower risk of hypoglycemia compared to basal insulins.

If you are on the 15mg dose of Tirzepatide, especially if you also take insulin or sulfonylureas, your risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is higher than if you were on a standard GLP-1 drug like semaglutide. Monitor your blood sugar closely and discuss dose adjustments with your doctor if you experience symptoms of low blood sugar.

Naltrexone/bupropion reduces food cravings and reward-driven eating by antagonizing opioid receptors, thereby decreasing the subjective delightfulness of energy-dense foods.

If you struggle with intense cravings for sugary or fatty foods, standard dieting may fail because your brain's reward system is driving your intake. Naltrexone/bupropion targets this by blocking opioid receptors, reducing the 'high' you get from these foods. This is prescribed alongside lifestyle changes for obesity management.