Browse the evidence

Mediterranean diets rich in monounsaturated fats (from olive oil and nuts) are more effective at preventing cardiovascular mortality and coronary artery disease than low-fat, low-cholesterol diets.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes healthy monounsaturated fats from olive oil and nuts, is a more effective strategy for preventing heart disease and stroke than following a strict low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

Lifestyle programs focused on diet and physical activity are more effective than diabetes-specific self-management education (DSME) for reducing body mass index (BMI) in adults with type 2 diabetes.

If your primary goal is weight loss, choose a lifestyle program that explicitly focuses on diet and physical activity, rather than one focused solely on diabetes education. These programs resulted in the greatest reductions in BMI.

Short-term energy deficit (5 days) reduces resting myofibrillar protein synthesis by 27%, but this reduction is fully rescued to energy-balance levels by a single bout of resistance exercise.

If you are cutting calories to lose fat, do not skip resistance training. A single session of heavy resistance exercise will restore your muscle's ability to build protein to normal levels, protecting your muscle mass despite the low energy intake.

Ingesting 15g or 30g of whey protein after resistance exercise during an energy deficit increases myofibrillar protein synthesis above energy-balance resting levels in a dose-dependent manner.

After your resistance workout while dieting, consume 15-30g of high-quality protein (like whey). This will push your muscle protein synthesis rates higher than they would be at rest, helping you preserve or build muscle despite being in a caloric deficit.

Adopting a Western dietary pattern (high in red/processed meats, refined grains, sweets, potatoes) is associated with greater long-term weight gain in women, whereas adopting a prudent pattern (high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry) is associated with less weight gain or weight maintenance.

To maintain a healthy weight, focus on your overall eating style rather than just cutting one nutrient. Prioritize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and poultry (a 'prudent' pattern). Limit red/processed meats, refined grains, sweets, and potatoes (a 'Western' pattern). Shifting towards the prudent pattern, even gradually, is associated with significantly less weight gain over time.

To maximize lean body mass retention during caloric restriction, natural bodybuilders should aim for a weekly bodyweight loss rate of 0.5% to 1%.

Set your weekly weight loss target between 0.5% and 1% of your current bodyweight. If you weigh 200 lbs, aim to lose 1-2 lbs per week. This rate maximizes the likelihood that the weight you lose comes from fat rather than muscle. If you are already very lean, you may need to lose weight faster, but be aware that the risk of losing muscle increases as you get leaner.

Creatine monohydrate, caffeine, and beta-alanine are the only popular supplements with beneficial effects relevant to natural bodybuilding contest preparation.

If you choose to use supplements, focus on creatine monohydrate, caffeine, and beta-alanine, as these have the most evidence for benefits in contest preparation. Avoid other popular supplements as they may not be effective or may warrant further study.

Improving the quality of a plant-based diet over a 12-year period is associated with a lower risk of total and cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas increasing consumption of an unhealthful plant-based diet is associated with higher mortality risk.

If you follow a plant-based diet, prioritize whole, unprocessed plant foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Avoid refined grains, sugary beverages, and sweets. Improving the quality of your plant-based intake over time is linked to a lower risk of dying from heart disease or other causes.

Adherence to healthful dietary patterns (aMED, DASH, aHEI) is inversely associated with a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

If you have had gestational diabetes, adopting a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats (like the Mediterranean, DASH, or aHEI patterns) can significantly lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Aim to minimize red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains. This is a long-term lifestyle shift, not a quick fix.

Ingestion of 6–9 mg/kg caffeine 1 hour before exercise improves 2000-m rowing performance time by approximately 1.2% in well-trained rowers.

If you are a competitive rower, taking 6 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight one hour before your race can improve your time by about 1%. This dose is effective and stays within legal doping limits, whereas higher doses (9 mg/kg) may push you over the limit without offering extra benefit. Ensure you have abstained from caffeine for 72 hours prior to the event.

Caloric restriction (25% energy deficit) and caloric restriction combined with structured exercise (12.5% deficit + 12.5% increased expenditure) significantly reduce intrahepatic lipid (IHL) content in healthy overweight adults over 6 months, as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

To reduce liver fat, you primarily need to eat less. This study shows that a 25% caloric deficit over 6 months significantly reduces liver lipids in overweight individuals. Adding exercise to this deficit does not provide additional benefit for liver fat reduction compared to diet alone. Focus on sustainable caloric restriction rather than trying to 'out-exercise' liver fat accumulation.

Improving adherence to diet quality scores (AHEI, AMED, or DASH) over a 4-year period is associated with a 7-8% lower risk of cardiovascular disease in the subsequent 4-year period compared to stable diet quality.

To lower your cardiovascular disease risk, focus on improving your overall diet quality over time. This means gradually increasing your intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats, while reducing processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sodium. You do not need to be perfect; even small, consistent improvements in your dietary patterns over a few years can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, regardless of your starting diet.

Replacing one serving per day of red meat with healthier alternatives such as nuts, fish, whole grains, or vegetables is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality.

To lower your risk of death, try replacing one serving of red meat each day with a healthier alternative. The best substitutes are nuts, fish, whole grains, or vegetables. Even replacing red meat with poultry, dairy, eggs, or legumes can reduce risk, but nuts and fish offer the greatest benefit. This substitution should be maintained over time to see the long-term health benefits.

Habitual walking at a pace above 3 mph is associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and total cardiovascular disease in older adults (mean age 73), including those aged 75 and older.

If you are an older adult, aim to walk at a brisk pace (faster than 3 mph). This specific intensity is linked to roughly half the risk of heart disease and stroke compared to slow walking. You don't need high-intensity gym workouts; consistent, brisk walking is highly effective for cardiovascular health in later life.

Replacing one serving per day of red meat with poultry, nuts, fish, or dairy products significantly reduces the risk of stroke.

To lower your stroke risk, swap one daily serving of red meat for poultry, nuts, fish, or dairy. This substitution is associated with a 10-27% lower risk of stroke. Focus on maintaining your total calorie and protein intake by choosing these alternatives to keep your diet balanced.

Strength athletes should consume 1.6–1.7 g/kg/day of protein, distributed across 5-6 meals with ~20g high-quality protein per dose to maximize muscle protein synthesis.

Eat 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. Don't just eat it all at dinner. Split it into 5 or 6 meals, each containing about 20 grams of high-quality protein (like meat, eggs, or whey). This keeps your muscles building throughout the day.

Post-exercise co-ingestion of carbohydrate and protein (approx. 20g protein + 0.8 g/kg/h carb) optimizes recovery by maximizing muscle protein synthesis and glycogen resynthesis.

After your workout, eat a mix of carbs and protein. Aim for about 20g of protein and some carbs (around 0.8g per kg of body weight). This helps your muscles recover faster and rebuild glycogen better than eating just one or the other.

Short-term high-velocity (3.66 rad/s) isokinetic lengthening training induces greater hypertrophy and strength gains in elbow flexors compared to low-velocity (0.35 rad/s) lengthening training.

To maximize muscle growth in your biceps, prioritize fast eccentric (lowering) phases in your resistance training. Specifically, aim for a lowering speed of roughly 3.66 rad/s (approx. 210 degrees per second) rather than a very slow 0.35 rad/s. Perform maximal effort lengthening contractions 3 times per week for at least 8 weeks, progressively increasing your sets from 1 to 4. This approach leverages greater protein remodeling and force generation to drive superior hypertrophy, particularly in fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Intensive combined lifestyle behavioral counseling (diet and physical activity) in adults with cardiovascular risk factors significantly improves intermediate health outcomes, including reducing total cholesterol, LDL, blood pressure, fasting glucose, diabetes incidence, and weight, with effects most robust at 12-24 months.

If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or pre-diabetes, intensive counseling focusing on both diet and exercise can significantly improve your numbers. The key is intensity: expect multiple contacts over several months (median 13 hours of contact). While the average drop in blood pressure or cholesterol might seem small on paper, these consistent improvements add up to a meaningful reduction in your long-term risk of heart disease and diabetes. Combined lifestyle changes are more effective than exercise alone.

Higher levels of physical activity at the time of registry entry are associated with greater magnitude of weight loss maintained, although activity level does not predict the duration of maintenance.

While you don't need to exercise excessively to maintain weight, engaging in higher levels of activity (e.g., >3,500 kcal/week) is associated with having lost more weight initially. However, this does not mean you must keep exercising at that high level to *keep* the weight off; duration of maintenance was not linked to activity level.

Walking is the most common form of physical activity among successful weight loss maintainers, followed by resistance training, cycling, and running.

You don't need to do exotic or extreme exercises to maintain weight loss. Walking is the most common activity among successful maintainers. Resistance training, cycling, and running are also common. Choose activities you enjoy and can stick with.

Sustained caloric restriction (800 kcal/day) followed by weight maintenance significantly reduces low-grade inflammation and improves lipid metabolism biomarkers in overweight/obese individuals.

For overweight individuals, a short period of strict caloric restriction (around 800 kcal/day) can significantly reduce chronic inflammation and improve lipid profiles. Crucially, maintaining the weight loss keeps these biological benefits active, suggesting that the initial 'shock' to the system has long-term metabolic advantages if the weight is kept off.

Regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise (≥4 hours/week) significantly reduces the long-term risk of sudden cardiac death in women, despite a transiently elevated risk during acute exertion.

For women concerned about heart health, engaging in at least 4 hours of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week (such as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming) significantly lowers the long-term risk of sudden cardiac death. While there is a tiny, transient increase in risk during the actual act of vigorous exertion, this risk is negligible and is completely offset by the protective benefits of regular exercise.

Ingesting carbohydrate during prolonged exercise (≥120 min) improves subsequent time-trial performance, whereas ingesting carbohydrate only before exercise does not.

If you are exercising for more than two hours, do not rely on eating 30 minutes before you start. Instead, consume carbohydrates (approx. 2g per kg of body weight) continuously during the exercise. Eating only before the workout may actually hinder your performance due to blood sugar fluctuations, whereas eating during the workout improves your ability to finish strong.