Browse the evidence

For trained powerlifters, a Repetitions in Reserve (RIR)-based Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale accurately gauges intensity across the squat, bench press, and deadlift, with 1RM attempts consistently yielding RPE scores of 9.6–9.7.

If you are an experienced lifter, use the RIR-based RPE scale (1-10) to gauge your sets. At your 1RM, you should consistently report an RPE of 9.6-9.7. This scale allows you to adjust your training load daily based on how you feel, rather than rigidly sticking to a percentage of a 1RM test that may not reflect your current readiness. Combine this with velocity tracking if possible for best results.

Adopting a low-glycemic index (GI) or low-glycemic load diet promotes greater weight loss and improves metabolic health compared to conventional low-fat diets, primarily by modulating post-prandial insulin and glucagon ratios to favor fat oxidation and preserve lean body tissue.

To manage weight and metabolic health, prioritize carbohydrates that digest slowly. Replace refined grains, sugars, and processed snacks with legumes, whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, and nuts. This approach helps stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, reducing hunger and promoting fat loss more effectively than simply reducing fat intake alone.

Low-glycemic index diets increase satiety and reduce voluntary food intake by flattening post-prandial glucose and insulin curves, thereby preventing reactive hypoglycemia and subsequent hunger spikes.

To control hunger naturally, choose carbohydrates that digest slowly. Foods like beans, lentils, and whole grains keep your blood sugar stable, preventing the hunger spikes and crashes associated with refined sugars and white flour. This makes it easier to eat less without feeling deprived.

Combining amylin receptor agonist (cagrilintide) with GLP-1 RA (semaglutide) results in greater weight reduction than semaglutide monotherapy.

Combining cagrilintide 2.4 mg and semaglutide 2.4 mg, both injected once weekly, leads to 17.1% body weight loss over 20 weeks, which is significantly better than semaglutide alone (9.8%).

High carbohydrate intake (≥7 g/kg/day) during intensified training optimizes performance and glycogen storage, whereas low glycogen training may enhance specific metabolic adaptations but risks blunting strength adaptations.

If you are training hard (soccer, endurance, or strength), eat at least 7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight daily. This maximizes your energy stores and performance. While 'low glycogen' training might boost some metabolic enzymes in beginners, it can hurt strength gains and overall performance in trained athletes. Stick to high carbs to train harder and recover better.

Resistance training load (intensity) and weekly frequency impact muscular strength gains, whereas volume (number of sets) influences both strength and hypertrophy.

To maximize strength, prioritize higher loads and higher training frequencies. To maximize muscle size, prioritize higher training volumes (more sets per muscle group). These variables are distinct drivers for different adaptations.

Semaglutide induces significant weight loss in type 2 diabetes patients across all BMI subgroups, with the effect being primarily direct rather than mediated by gastrointestinal side effects.

If you have type 2 diabetes, semaglutide (0.5mg or 1.0mg once weekly) will likely help you lose weight (2-6kg more than other common diabetes drugs), regardless of your starting weight. This weight loss happens directly through hormonal mechanisms, not just because you feel nauseous, although nausea is a common side effect.

Resistance exercise combined with protein ingestion stimulates myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) to a similar extent in men and women, despite men having significantly higher post-exercise testosterone levels.

If you are a woman, do not worry about your lower testosterone levels preventing muscle growth. Research shows that when you combine resistance exercise with protein intake, your muscles synthesize protein at the same rate as men's, despite men having much higher post-workout testosterone spikes. Focus on lifting heavy and eating enough protein; your body is equipped to build muscle effectively.

High-intensity aerobic exercise stimulates mTOR phosphorylation (Ser2448) early in recovery (0.5h), which correlates with sustained myofibrillar protein synthesis, whereas low-intensity exercise does not.

High-intensity aerobic exercise triggers the mTOR signaling pathway early in recovery, which is linked to sustained muscle protein synthesis. Low-intensity exercise does not trigger this specific early signaling response to the same degree. This suggests that intensity is a key driver of the molecular environment for muscle growth after cardio.

High levels of physical inactivity and consumption of sugary beverages are primary drivers of obesity prevalence in Saudi Arabia, with inactive individuals showing significantly lower risk reduction compared to active males.

Focus on reducing sugary beverage intake and increasing physical activity, even in small amounts, as inactivity is a major driver of obesity in this region.

Endurance athletes should consume approximately 20-25g of high-quality protein (specifically rapidly digested, leucine-enriched sources like whey) within the first 30-60 minutes post-exercise to maximize muscle protein synthesis and facilitate muscle remodelling.

After your endurance workout, consume 20-25 grams of high-quality protein (like whey) within the first hour. This specific timing and dose maximizes your body's ability to repair and remodel muscle tissue, leading to better adaptations over time. Do not delay this feeding by more than 3 hours, as the anabolic window closes.

Endurance athletes should distribute their daily protein intake into multiple feedings of approximately 20g every 3-4 hours to maximize chronic muscle remodelling and net protein balance.

Do not rely on just 2-3 large meals. Aim to eat roughly 20 grams of protein every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day. This pattern keeps your body in a state of muscle repair and growth, which is especially important if you are training hard or trying to lose fat.

High intake of refined grains (≥350 g/day) is associated with a significantly higher risk of total mortality and major cardiovascular disease events compared to low intake (<50 g/day).

If you eat a lot of refined grains (like white bread, pasta, or pastries), try to reduce your intake. This study suggests that eating less than 50g per day (very low) is associated with the lowest risk, while eating 350g or more (about 7 servings) is linked to higher death and heart disease risk. You don't necessarily need to cut out whole grains or white rice, which showed no significant association in this study, but reducing refined grains is a key step for heart health and longevity.

Female endurance athletes can achieve muscle glycogen supracompensation comparable to men by increasing total energy intake alongside high carbohydrate intake, whereas increasing carbohydrate percentage alone is insufficient.

If you are a female endurance athlete, simply increasing the percentage of carbs in your diet (e.g., to 75%) may not increase your muscle glycogen stores because your total calorie intake is likely too low. To maximize glycogen stores, you must increase your TOTAL energy intake alongside the high carbohydrate diet. This allows you to consume enough absolute carbohydrates (approx. 8-10 g/kg body weight) to trigger supracompensation, matching male responses.

Post-bariatric resistance training combined with whey protein supplementation significantly increases relative lower-limb muscle strength compared to usual care or protein supplementation alone.

If you've had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, don't just rely on protein shakes to keep your strength. Start supervised resistance training about 6 weeks after surgery. Do 3 days a week, focusing on major muscle groups. Start with light weights (50% of what you can lift once) and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger. Also, make sure you're getting about 48 grams of whey protein daily in addition to your regular diet to support your muscles.

In individuals with type 2 diabetes, achieving a large initial weight loss (8-20%) provides significant long-term improvements in cardiovascular risk factors (HbA1c, SBP, HDL-C, triglycerides) even if the weight is partially or fully regained, whereas maintaining only moderate weight loss (3-8%) fails to sustain these improvements over 4 years.

If you have type 2 diabetes, aiming for a larger initial weight loss (8-20%) is crucial for long-term heart and metabolic health, even if you don't keep all of it. Studies show that losing a significant amount of weight initially improves blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol for years, even if you regain some of it. Simply losing a small amount (3-8%) and keeping it may not be enough to sustain these benefits over 4 years. Focus on achieving a substantial initial loss through lifestyle changes, as the metabolic benefits persist even with partial regain.

Distributing daily protein intake in a balanced pattern (approx. 25% per meal, ~30g/meal) stimulates myofibrillar protein synthesis more effectively than a skewed distribution (majority at dinner) during energy restriction in older men.

If you are older and trying to lose weight, don't just focus on your total protein for the day. Spread it out. Aim for about 30 grams of high-quality protein at each of your 3-4 main meals. This strategy helps protect your muscle mass better than eating most of your protein at dinner, especially if you are also doing strength training.

Sustained, long-term improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and weight loss are associated with a lower risk of incident heart failure in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Maintaining fitness and weight loss over several years is crucial for preventing heart failure in type 2 diabetes. Focus on long-term consistency rather than quick fixes, as sustained improvements in aerobic capacity and weight are linked to better heart health outcomes.

Produce prescription programs, which provide financial incentives for low-income individuals to purchase fruits and vegetables, significantly improve fruit and vegetable intake, reduce food insecurity, and yield clinically relevant improvements in glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and BMI for adults with poor cardiometabolic health.

If you or your family are struggling to afford fresh produce, look for local 'produce prescription' programs often offered through community health centers or clinics. These programs provide vouchers or cards to buy fruits and vegetables, often for free or at a reduced cost, which can help lower blood pressure and blood sugar while improving overall diet quality.

Young adults (18-35) achieve significant long-term weight loss comparable to older adults by relying on high-intensity physical activity and appearance/social motivations rather than medical triggers or commercial programs.

If you are a young adult trying to lose weight, do not rely on medical scares or rigid commercial programs. Instead, focus on high-intensity exercise (like classes or intense workouts) and leverage social connections (exercising with friends) and appearance goals. These are the primary drivers of success for your age group, allowing you to maintain weight loss comparable to older adults.

Successful long-term weight loss maintenance is associated with high physical activity levels (≥2300 kcal/week) and low fast food consumption, regardless of shifts in macronutrient composition (increased fat, decreased carbohydrate).

Focus on moving enough to burn ~2300 kcal per week (roughly 60 mins of moderate activity daily) and minimizing fast food. Don't obsess over whether your diet is low-carb or low-fat; successful maintainers use various macronutrient profiles, but they all share high activity and limited fast food intake.

Resistance exercise is a potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) that acts synergistically with protein feeding to counteract age-related and disuse-induced muscle loss.

To build or maintain muscle, especially as you age, you must combine resistance exercise with adequate protein intake. The exercise stimulates the machinery (MPS), and protein provides the building blocks. You do not necessarily need to lift maximal weights; ensuring you recruit muscle fibers (even via lower loads with higher volume or occlusion) and consuming protein is the key synergy.

Combining incretin-mimetic drug therapy with resistance training and adequate protein intake minimizes skeletal muscle loss and preserves metabolic health.

To keep your muscle while losing weight on GLP-1 drugs, you must lift weights at least twice a week and eat enough protein (aim for 1.0-1.5g per kg of your goal weight). This combination is the only way to ensure the weight you lose comes from fat, not muscle.

Middle-aged men require a high protein dose (36g from 170g beef) to significantly stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis, as lower doses (12g or 24g) fail to elicit a significant anabolic response.

If you are a man in your late 50s or older trying to build or maintain muscle, a standard 3-ounce serving of protein might not be enough to trigger muscle growth. You likely need to consume a larger portion, providing around 30-40 grams of protein, to effectively stimulate your muscles, especially when combined with resistance exercise.