Browse the evidence

Regular self-weighing (daily or weekly) is associated with greater weight loss and weight loss maintenance in adults, without causing adverse psychological outcomes such as depression or anxiety.

Weigh yourself daily or weekly using a consistent scale at the same time of day. Do not use the scale as a measure of self-worth; treat the number as feedback. If you see a trend upward, use it to adjust your food intake or activity levels immediately. This practice is linked to better long-term weight maintenance and does not increase the risk of depression or anxiety.

Low-volume sprint interval training (SIT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) elicit similar physiological and health-related adaptations (e.g., VO2max, mitochondrial content) to high-volume moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) despite significantly lower time commitment and total work volume.

You do not need to spend hours exercising to improve your heart health and fitness. Short bursts of intense effort (like 30-second sprints or 1-minute high-intensity intervals) repeated a few times, with rest in between, can improve your cardiovascular fitness and muscle efficiency just as much as long, steady-state cardio, but in a fraction of the time.

Acute sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation (0.3-0.5 g/kg) enhances performance during high-intensity exercise and may augment chronic training adaptations (e.g., mitochondrial mass) when combined with interval training.

If you are doing short, intense sprints, taking sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) at a dose of 0.3-0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight before exercise might slightly improve your power output. Be aware that it can cause stomach upset, so individual tolerance varies.

Performing constant or interval aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes, three times per week, for at least five weeks is safe and improves cardiopulmonary fitness, body composition, and psychological status in adults living with HIV.

If you live with HIV, engaging in aerobic exercise (like walking, cycling, or jogging) for at least 20 minutes, three times a week, for at least five weeks is a safe and effective way to improve your heart and lung fitness, body composition, and mood. Start with a program that fits your current ability and gradually increase duration and intensity as tolerated.

High intake of dietary fiber and nuts is associated with less long-term weight gain in adults, whereas high intake of meat is associated with more weight gain.

To prevent weight gain, prioritize high-fiber foods like vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, and limit high-fat dairy, refined grains, meat, and sweets. Do not focus on changing the ratio of protein to carbs or fats, as the type of food matters more than the macronutrient breakdown.

Consuming a high carbohydrate diet (8.5 g/kg/day) during intensified running training significantly attenuates the decline in physical performance and mood state compared to a moderate carbohydrate diet (5.4 g/kg/day).

If you are increasing your training volume or intensity significantly, you must increase your carbohydrate intake to approximately 8.5 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. Failing to do so will likely result in a faster decline in your running performance and a noticeable drop in your mood and energy levels, signaling overreaching. Stick to this high-carb intake throughout the intensified training block to maintain your fitness and well-being.

Resistance training induces hypertrophy in older adults with magnitude and signaling responsiveness comparable to young adults, refuting the notion that aging inherently blunts the muscle protein synthesis machinery's ability to adapt to mechanical load.

If you are an older adult, do not assume resistance training is less effective for building muscle than it is for younger people. This study demonstrates that with a consistent progressive resistance training program (3 days/week, 16 weeks), older adults can achieve similar increases in muscle fiber size and strength as younger adults. The key is consistency and progressive overload, not age.

Maintaining higher daily step counts (median 7,731–8,290 steps) is associated with a significantly lower risk of incident chronic diseases, including obesity, sleep apnea, GERD, major depressive disorder, diabetes, and hypertension.

Track your daily steps using a wearable. Aim to consistently exceed 8,200 steps per day to gain protection against common chronic conditions like obesity, sleep apnea, and depression. You do not need to hit 10,000 to see benefits; the risk reduction is linear and starts lower. Consistency over years matters more than hitting a perfect daily number.

Central (visceral) obesity is a primary driver of hypertension through multiple mechanisms including sympathetic nervous system activation, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation, and renal sodium retention, with weight loss serving as the cornerstone for management.

If you have high blood pressure and carry extra weight, especially around your waist, losing weight is the most effective way to lower it. This isn't just about looks; excess fat releases hormones that raise your blood pressure. You can achieve this through diet, exercise, or medications. Talk to your doctor about a plan that works for you.

Lifestyle interventions targeting diet, body composition, physical activity, or stress are significantly more likely to produce positive health and wellbeing outcomes for nurses than interventions relying solely on education.

For nurses, simply attending health seminars or reading pamphlets is rarely enough to improve health. To see real results, interventions must be active and behavioral, focusing on concrete actions like dietary changes, physical exercise, or stress-reduction techniques (like mindfulness). Purely educational approaches are largely ineffective for changing long-term habits in this population.

A moderate-intensity web-based behavioral weight loss intervention combined with health coaching produces statistically significant weight loss in primary care patients with obesity and hypertension compared to usual care.

Use a structured web-based program that tracks simple habits like steps and TV time, combined with regular check-ins from a health coach. This approach is effective for weight loss in primary care patients with high blood pressure, offering a scalable alternative to traditional counseling.

Higher frequency of website utilization is associated with greater weight loss in web-based interventions.

To maximize weight loss, use the web-based tool as frequently as possible, aiming for at least 3 logins per week. Higher engagement leads to significantly better results.

Breaking prolonged sitting with standing and light-intensity walking improves 24-hour glucose control and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes patients more effectively than energy-matched structured moderate-to-vigorous exercise.

If you have type 2 diabetes, you do not need to perform intense gym workouts to improve your blood sugar control. Simply standing up and walking lightly every 30 minutes throughout the day is more effective for improving insulin sensitivity than doing one hour of intense cycling. Aim to replace sitting time with light movement and standing, breaking up long periods of inactivity.

A low-FODMAP diet significantly improves general symptoms and quality of life in adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) compared to a standard high-FODMAP diet.

If you have IBS, a low-FODMAP diet is more effective than standard dietary advice for reducing symptoms like pain and bloating. Because this diet restricts many healthy foods, you should work with a dietitian to ensure you stay healthy and get enough nutrients. This approach is recommended as a first-line treatment option.

Older adults require a daily protein intake of 1.0–1.2 g/kg (and up to 1.5 g/kg for those with acute or chronic disease) to preserve muscle mass, as the standard 0.8 g/kg RDA is insufficient due to age-related anabolic resistance.

If you are older, the standard protein recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is likely not enough to stop muscle loss. Aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram daily. If you are sick or recovering, aim for 1.2 to 1.5 grams. Focus on high-quality sources like meat, dairy, or eggs at every meal to trigger muscle building.

Leucine-enriched protein sources (e.g., whey, meat) or HMB supplementation are more effective than plant-based proteins or low-dose amino acids for stimulating muscle protein synthesis in older adults due to their ability to overcome anabolic resistance.

To build muscle as you age, the type of protein matters. Choose sources high in leucine, such as meat, dairy (whey/casein), or eggs. If you eat plant-based, ensure you are eating larger portions or combining sources to get enough leucine (approx. 3g per meal). Supplements like HMB (2g/day) or leucine-enriched whey can also help.

High-intensity exercise suppresses relative energy intake more effectively than low-intensity exercise when energy expenditure is matched, promoting a greater negative energy balance.

If you want to maximize fat loss, high-intensity exercise might be more effective than low-intensity exercise, provided you can tolerate it. This is because high-intensity exercise suppresses your hunger relative to the calories you burned, creating a larger energy deficit. Start with low intensity if you are new to exercise, but consider increasing intensity as your fitness improves.

Preoperative malnutrition, identified by standard nutritional indices (SGA, NRI, MI, MNA), significantly increases the risk of postoperative morbidity (specifically severe infectious and non-infectious complications) and mortality in patients undergoing major elective surgery.

Before major surgery, assess your nutritional status. If you are malnourished, your risk of complications like infections or wound healing issues increases significantly (by 2-3x). Work with your care team to optimize nutrition preoperatively, as this is a critical factor in surgical outcomes, not just the surgery itself.

High intensity intermittent training (HIIT) improves cardiac structure (left ventricular wall mass, stroke volume) and function (diastolic filling, torsion) and reduces liver fat in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can significantly improve your heart's structure and function while reducing liver fat. The protocol involves 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks, using intervals of vigorous effort (RPE 16-17) interspersed with recovery. Start with shorter intervals (2 minutes) and gradually increase them. This approach is safe and effective for reversing early cardiac dysfunction and lowering liver fat, which are major risks in diabetes.

Twelve weeks of creatine supplementation (6g/day) combined with heavy resistance training increases myosin heavy chain (MHC) mRNA and protein expression, leading to greater gains in muscle strength, fat-free mass, and myofibrillar protein compared to resistance training alone.

If you are new to resistance training, adding 6 grams of creatine monohydrate daily to your routine can help you build more muscle and strength than training alone. You do not need a loading phase; just take 6g every day for at least 12 weeks while training hard (85-90% of your max) 3 times a week.

Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for sarcopenia in CKD patients, with higher levels of physical activity associated with a lower likelihood of sarcopenia.

For CKD patients, staying physically active is crucial for maintaining muscle strength. Aim for regular activity, as those who are more active have a significantly lower risk of developing sarcopenia. Start with manageable activities and gradually increase as tolerated.

Nudging interventions that alter the physical placement of fruit and vegetables (e.g., proximity, availability) significantly increase the likelihood of consumers selecting them, demonstrating a medium effect size.

To increase fruit and vegetable consumption, place these items in the most accessible, visible, and convenient locations within a food environment (e.g., at eye level in fridges, at the entrance of cafeterias, or on the main counter). This environmental change leverages automatic decision-making to significantly boost selection rates without restricting other options.

Animal-derived proteins (dairy, meat) elicit a superior postprandial muscle protein synthesis response in older adults compared to plant-based proteins (soya, wheat) due to higher digestibility, superior essential amino acid profiles (specifically leucine, lysine, methionine), and faster amino acid absorption kinetics.

If you are older and rely on plant proteins, you likely need to eat more of them than you would animal protein to get the same muscle-building benefit. Try combining different plant sources (like rice and peas) to get a complete amino acid profile, or consider adding a small amount of dairy/whey if your diet allows, as it is more efficient at stimulating muscle growth in aging muscles.

High-intensity resistance training (HIT) is more efficient than moderate-intensity (hypertrophic) training for improving soccer performance, with two weekly sessions sufficient for pre-season gains and one weekly session adequate to prevent in-season detraining.

For elite soccer players, prioritize high-intensity, low-repetition resistance training (85-90% 1RM) over high-volume bodybuilding-style workouts. Perform these sessions twice a week during the pre-season to build strength and power, then reduce to once a week during the competitive season to maintain gains without causing fatigue. Focus on exercises that transfer to soccer movements (squats, jumps, sprints).