Browse the evidence

High-intensity resistance training (HI-RT) combined with moderate protein supplementation significantly reverses sarcopenia (increases skeletal muscle mass and strength) in older men with osteosarcopenia, whereas protein supplementation alone is insufficient to maintain muscle mass and function.

If you are an older man with low muscle mass and weak bones, doing just one set of resistance exercises twice a week, pushing close to your limit, is highly effective. You must combine this with adequate protein (up to 1.5g per kg of body weight) and Vitamin D. Simply taking protein without exercising will not stop muscle loss. This approach is safe, supervised, and efficient, requiring only about 50 minutes per session.

In individuals with high central adiposity (high trunk fat), replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with either unsweetened beverages or artificially sweetened beverages leads to greater weight loss compared to continuing to consume sugar-sweetened beverages.

If you carry extra weight around your stomach, switching your daily sugary drinks to water or diet soda can help you lose weight or prevent weight gain over a year. This benefit is specific to those with higher belly fat; if you are lean, you might not see a weight change, but you also won't gain weight from the switch.

Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with unsweetened beverages (USBs) reduces sweet taste preference (threshold and favorite concentration) more effectively than replacing them with artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs).

If your goal is to reduce your craving for sweet tastes, switching from sugary drinks to water is more effective than switching to diet soda. Over a year, water drinkers significantly lowered their preference for sweetness, while diet soda drinkers did not change their threshold for what tastes sweet.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg is a cost-effective treatment for obesity and overweight in the US, providing greater weight loss and QALYs than diet/exercise, no treatment, or other anti-obesity medications, provided the willingness-to-pay threshold is $150,000 per QALY.

For patients with obesity or overweight plus comorbidities, semaglutide 2.4 mg combined with diet and exercise is a cost-effective medical option in the US, offering significant weight loss and quality-adjusted life years compared to lifestyle changes alone or other medications, assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000 per QALY.

Higher total daily protein intake (1.2–1.5 g/kg body weight) mitigates age-related muscle loss in older adults, and when this higher intake is achieved, the specific source of protein (animal vs. plant) has no significant differential effect on muscle mass or strength gains.

If you are an older adult trying to maintain or build muscle, focus on hitting 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. You do not need to buy expensive whey protein supplements. Plant-based proteins like soy or pea work just as well as animal proteins, provided you eat enough of them (typically >30 grams per meal) to trigger muscle growth. If you have severe kidney disease, consult a doctor before increasing protein.

Bodybuilders should consume 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight daily, distributed in doses of 0.40–0.55 g/kg per meal across 3–6 meals.

Eat 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body weight each day. Split this total into 3 to 6 meals, aiming for roughly 0.4 to 0.55 grams per kilogram per meal. This ensures you hit the leucine threshold for muscle growth in each feeding without overconsumption.

Creatine monohydrate (3-5 g/day), caffeine (5-6 mg/kg pre-exercise), beta-alanine (3-5 g/day), and citrulline malate (8 g/day) may yield ergogenic effects beneficial for bodybuilders.

Consider creatine (3-5g daily) and caffeine (5-6mg/kg before training) for proven performance benefits. Beta-alanine and citrulline may help depending on your specific training goals, but prioritize food and training first.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (Liraglutide, Semaglutide) and other weight loss medications produce significant mean weight loss compared to placebo.

If lifestyle changes are insufficient, discuss GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide or Liraglutide with your doctor. These medications can produce significant weight loss (up to 15% with Semaglutide) by reducing appetite and slowing digestion.

Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats (PUFA/MUFA) significantly reduces cardiovascular disease risk and all-cause mortality, whereas replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates does not improve overall cardiovascular risk.

To lower your heart disease risk, swap high-saturated-fat foods (like fatty meats and full-fat dairy) for unsaturated fats found in plant oils (olive, canola), nuts, and seeds. Do not replace these fats with refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugar, as that fails to improve cardiovascular risk.

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) provided by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) significantly improves cardiometabolic risk factors (LDL-C, TG, BMI, BP, HbA1c) and reduces medication costs in patients with dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic risk.

If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or obesity, ask your doctor for a referral to a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Multiple visits with an RDN are proven to improve your numbers and may reduce your need for medications.

Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) are effective adjuncts for weight reduction and treating adiposopathy, but their efficacy is contingent upon adherence and individual metabolic response, with weight regain occurring if treatment is discontinued.

Use FDA-approved anti-obesity medications as a long-term tool to manage obesity, not just for short-term weight loss. They work best when combined with nutrition and exercise. Do not stop the medication just because you hit a target weight; stopping often leads to regain. Discuss specific drugs (like Semaglutide or Phentermine) with your doctor based on your health profile.

External provision of all food significantly improves adherence to both ketogenic and Mediterranean diets compared to self-provided food, although adherence drops for both when participants must source and prepare their own meals.

If you are trying to follow a specific diet like Keto or Mediterranean, your environment matters more than you think. The study shows that providing all meals for the first month significantly boosts adherence for both diets. When you switch to buying and cooking your own food, adherence drops for everyone, regardless of the diet type. To succeed, consider using meal delivery services or heavy pre-preparation for the first few weeks to build the habit and knowledge, rather than relying on willpower alone to source specific foods from scratch.

Sustained weight loss of at least 15% significantly improves glycemic control, reduces cardiometabolic risk, and can induce remission of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM).

To potentially reverse Type 2 Diabetes, aim for a sustained loss of 15% or more of your body weight. This threshold is linked to significant improvements in blood sugar control and reduced heart disease risk. Be aware that maintaining this loss is biologically challenging due to appetite changes, so long-term strategies (like medication or surgery) may be necessary to support this goal.

Excessive sets per workout negatively interact with muscle mass gain, meaning that performing too many sets per session can reduce the overall hypertrophy outcome.

While resistance training builds muscle, doing too many sets in a single workout may reduce your overall muscle gain. Focus on quality and moderate volume rather than maximizing the number of sets per session.

Low muscle glycogen availability prior to soccer match-play causes early fatigue, characterized by reduced high-intensity sprinting and increased low-intensity walking, whereas maintaining normal glycogen stores preserves high-intensity performance.

Ensure you have high muscle glycogen stores before kickoff. If you start with low glycogen, you will likely slow down, walk more, and sprint less effectively. Prioritize carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the match to maintain 'normal' glycogen levels and preserve high-intensity performance.

High protein diets increase satiety and preserve fat-free mass during weight loss through increased anorexigenic hormones (GLP-1, PYY, CCK), decreased orexigenic hormones (ghrelin), and higher diet-induced thermogenesis, though long-term satiety benefits may diminish due to adaptation.

Prioritize protein intake (approx. 27-35% of calories) to help manage hunger and preserve muscle mass. This works by boosting satiety hormones and increasing the energy cost of digestion, though be aware that your body may adapt to this over very long periods.

Among patients receiving intensive lifestyle intervention, achieving ≥10% weight loss in the first year is associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality compared to the control group.

If you are doing an intensive lifestyle program for type 2 diabetes, aim for 10% weight loss in the first year, as this specific threshold is associated with lower mortality risk. However, even if you don't reach 10%, the health benefits for blood pressure, fitness, and quality of life are still valuable.

Adhering to healthy dietary patterns, including calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, and plant-based diets, significantly reduces the risk of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) and all-cause mortality.

Focus on your overall eating pattern rather than isolating single nutrients. Adopt established healthy patterns like the Mediterranean diet, plant-based diets, or structured calorie restriction. These approaches are proven to lower CMD risk and extend lifespan more effectively than restrictive single-nutrient diets.

Calorie restriction (CR) of 25-30% without malnutrition improves cardiometabolic risk factors (body composition, lipids, glucose, inflammation) and may extend healthy lifespan.

Reduce your daily calorie intake by 25-30% while ensuring you still get all essential nutrients. This can be done continuously or via intermittent fasting patterns. Combining this with exercise yields the best cardiovascular outcomes.

A high-protein vegan diet rich in mycoprotein supports daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and skeletal muscle hypertrophy comparable to an isonitrogenous omnivorous diet during progressive resistance training in young adults.

If you are vegan and want to build muscle, ensure you are eating approximately 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Focus on high-quality plant sources like mycoprotein (found in products like Quorn), soy, or pulses. Combine this with a consistent resistance training program (at least 3-4 times per week). You do not need animal products to achieve muscle growth or strength gains comparable to omnivores, provided you meet your protein targets.

Soy protein supplementation supports muscle growth and strength development comparably to whey protein when both are matched for leucine content during resistance training.

If you are using soy protein to build muscle, ensure your supplement provides about 2-3 grams of leucine per serving (which may require slightly more total soy powder than whey). When matched for this key amino acid, soy supports muscle growth and strength gains just as effectively as whey during resistance training.

Adherence to a traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern (rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, unrefined cereals, moderate fish/shellfish, and fermented dairy) is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Adopt a dietary pattern centered on vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and unrefined cereals. Use olive oil as your primary fat source. Include moderate amounts of fish, shellfish, and fermented dairy. Limit red and processed meats. This approach is more effective for long-term cardiovascular health than focusing solely on reducing saturated fat.

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats (particularly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) provides the greatest cardiovascular benefit, whereas replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates does not.

Reduce intake of saturated fats (found in butter, fatty meats, full-fat dairy) and replace them with unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fatty fish). Do not replace them with refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugar, as this does not improve cardiovascular outcomes.

A pragmatic 15-week intensive lifestyle modification program involving meal replacements and counseling produces clinically relevant weight loss (mean 6.7%) and significant improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

If you have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity, a structured 15-week program using meal replacements for two meals a day, combined with weekly counseling, can help you lose about 7% of your body weight. This weight loss significantly improves your ability to walk and your overall quality of life, even without supervised exercise. The program is designed to be safe and scalable, using existing healthcare resources.