Browse the evidence

A digitally enabled cardiometabolic lifestyle intervention involving personalized coaching on nutrition and physical activity significantly improves lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, HDL) in adults with baseline dyslipidemia.

If you have high cholesterol or triglycerides, a structured 16-week program that combines digital tracking with regular coaching from health professionals can significantly improve your lipid levels. Focus on the specific dietary and activity advice provided for your risk profile rather than generic advice.

Resistance training with heavy loads performed at maximal volitional velocity yields superior power gains compared to light-load power training, contradicting the view that lighter loads are inherently superior for power output.

To build power, you must lift heavy weights (relative to your strength) but move them as fast as you possibly can. Do not move slowly even if the weight is heavy. The speed of your intent matters more than the absolute weight number for power development.

Adjuvant semaglutide at lower doses (≤1 mg/week) achieves clinically significant weight loss (median 7.5% TWL) in post-bariatric surgery patients with refractory obesity, with a favorable side effect profile compared to higher doses.

If you have had bariatric surgery and are experiencing weight regain or insufficient loss, ask your doctor about adjuvant semaglutide. You may not need the highest dose (2.4 mg); many patients achieve significant weight loss (around 7.5% of total body weight) at lower doses (1 mg or less). This approach is often more affordable, has fewer side effects, and is sufficient for long-term management, especially if supply of higher doses is an issue.

Regular supervised walking significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes patients, with supervised programs showing statistically significant benefits compared to non-supervised ones.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate walking per week, spread over at least three days. Supervised walking programs appear to offer better glycemic control than unsupervised efforts. If you cannot commit to long sessions, try breaking up long periods of sitting with short walks every 30 minutes.

Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern (high in fiber, low in fat/sugar) is significantly associated with a lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, specifically obesity, hypertension, and high serum triglycerides, in middle-aged adults.

Focus on your overall dietary pattern rather than single nutrients. A 'good' pattern involves eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish regularly, choosing whole grains and low-fat dairy, and limiting sweets, soda, and salty foods. Adhering to this pattern is strongly linked to lower risks of obesity, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides in middle age.

Post-bariatric patients with insufficient weight loss or weight regain achieve significant additional weight loss and comorbidity improvement when treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide or dulaglutide).

If you have had bariatric surgery and are not losing enough weight or are gaining it back, ask your doctor about GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or dulaglutide. These drugs can help you lose more weight and improve health conditions like high blood pressure and sleep apnea. They are taken as weekly injections and are generally well-tolerated, though nausea is a common side effect.

Semaglutide (Ozempic) induces significant weight loss in obese patients primarily through appetite suppression and reduced energy intake, with efficacy directly correlated to dosage.

Semaglutide is an effective tool for weight loss, working by reducing hunger and calorie intake rather than burning more fat directly. It requires a weekly injection with a specific titration schedule to manage side effects like nausea. While effective, it is not a magic bullet; long-term safety data is still emerging, and it is contraindicated for people with certain thyroid or pancreatic histories.

An 8-week combined functional strength and balance training program with nutrition education significantly improves grip strength, sit-to-stand functioning, and dynamic balance in older adults with pre-frailty and frailty.

If you are an older adult feeling frail, start with a structured program that focuses on functional movements like squats and stepping, performed twice a week. Focus on form first, then gradually increase difficulty. Combine this with eating more protein (aiming for 1.2g per kg of body weight) spread across your meals, using affordable sources like dairy, eggs, or beans. This approach improves your strength, balance, and ability to perform daily tasks without needing expensive equipment.

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) supplementation improves peak torque and muscle hypertrophy associated with strength training more effectively than whey protein concentrate (WPC) or whey protein isolate (WPI).

If your goal is maximizing strength and muscle size from training, choose Whey Protein Hydrolysate (WPH) over Concentrate (WPC) or Isolate (WPI). Take it before and immediately after your workout. While WPC and WPI support muscle protein synthesis, WPH is specifically noted to be more effective for improving peak torque and hypertrophy.

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) reduces muscle damage associated with aerobic exercise, evidenced by decreased creatine kinase (CK) levels, whereas WPC and WPI do not show this specific benefit.

If you do aerobic exercise and want to minimize muscle damage, choose Whey Protein Hydrolysate (WPH). It has been shown to significantly decrease creatine kinase (CK) levels, a marker of muscle damage, compared to other whey forms. Take it before and after your workout.

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) supplementation promotes weight loss, satiety, and improved body composition without compromising lean body mass loss.

If you are trying to lose weight, choose Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). It helps you feel full (satiety), lose weight, and improve your body composition while protecting your lean muscle mass. Incorporate it into your daily diet.

Powerlifters commonly use IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and flexible dieting as long-term nutritional strategies to support performance and body composition goals across competitive phases.

If you are a competitive powerlifter, you do not need to eliminate entire food groups to succeed. Many successful lifters use IIFYM (tracking macros without food restrictions) to maintain adherence and performance. Focus on hitting your protein, carb, and fat targets while allowing flexibility in food choices to support long-term consistency.

A 12-week telehealth-delivered home resistance training program combined with dietary advice to increase plant-based protein intake (target 1.2–1.5 g/kg/d) is safe and feasible for adults with NAFLD, resulting in significant improvements in physical function (sit-to-stand performance) and total protein intake compared to usual care, despite modest adherence rates.

If you have NAFLD, a home-based resistance training program delivered via telehealth, combined with advice to eat more plant-based protein (aiming for 1.2-1.5g per kg of body weight), is a safe and effective way to improve your physical function and protein intake. You should perform 6-8 exercises, 2 sets of 10 reps, 3 times a week at a moderate effort level. While sticking to this routine can be challenging, the intervention is feasible and improves strength.

Carbohydrate intake of 10 g/kg/day for 36-48 hours prior to competition optimizes glycogen stores and improves sports performance without requiring prior depletion.

If you are an athlete preparing for a major event, eat 10 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight each day for the two days before the race. Keep your meals light, low in fat and fiber, and easy to digest to avoid stomach issues. You do not need to starve yourself of carbs beforehand.

Protein intake of 1.2-2.0 g/kg bodyweight per day is required for athletes to repair muscle damage and avoid catabolism, with post-exercise doses of 0.25-0.3 g/kg being optimal for synthesis.

Eat 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. After exercise, aim for 15-25 grams of protein. Ensure you are also eating enough carbohydrates and total calories so your body uses the protein for muscle building rather than energy.

High-intensity functional training (HIFT) is a time-efficient exercise modality that elicits positive affect and improves fitness and glucose metabolism in individuals with metabolic syndrome, potentially mitigating barriers to exercise adherence such as lack of enjoyment and time constraints.

If you struggle with sticking to an exercise routine because you feel you don't have time or you find it boring, try High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT). It involves short, intense workouts (under an hour) using bodyweight and simple equipment, often in a group setting. This approach is designed to be more enjoyable and time-efficient, which may help you stick with it longer and improve your metabolic health markers like blood sugar and lipids.

High-intensity sprint training can reduce abdominal fat tissue more effectively than moderate-intensity aerobic training with similar energy expenditure.

If you have time constraints or want to target abdominal fat, consider incorporating high-intensity sprint training. It may be more effective for abdominal fat loss than moderate-intensity exercise, even if you burn the same number of calories.

Inpatient very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) at 5 kcal/kg/day for approximately 20 weeks significantly reduces liver size and abdominal adipose tissue, thereby minimizing surgical risks and enabling successful bariatric surgery in patients with extreme obesity (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m²).

If you have extreme obesity (BMI 50+), standard dieting often fails to reduce surgical risks enough for safe operation. This protocol suggests a supervised, inpatient very-low-calorie diet (5 kcal/kg/day) for about 20 weeks. This drastic measure shrinks the liver and fat, making surgery much safer, even without exercise or drugs. It is a high-commitment bridge to a life-changing surgery.

Ballistic movements should be included in home-based training to maintain or develop muscle power, regardless of whether external loads are used.

To keep your explosive power, include movements where you move quickly through the exercise (ballistic), even if you use light weights, bands, or just your body weight. This helps maintain the speed component of fitness.

For patients with Type 2 Diabetes and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2, multidisciplinary weight management services or bariatric surgery result in superior glycaemic control and medication reduction compared to standard specialist diabetes clinic care.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and a BMI over 35, standard diabetes care often fails to control your blood sugar or weight. You should ask for a referral to a specialized multidisciplinary weight management clinic or discuss bariatric surgery. These interventions are proven to lower HbA1c and reduce the need for diabetes medications more effectively than standard care alone.

A commercial weight-loss program utilizing portion-controlled meal replacements (MRs) combined with one-on-one behavioral support produces therapeutic weight loss (≥5% baseline) and improves cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes or high blood sugar (D/HBS) to a degree equivalent to those without these conditions.

If you have diabetes or high blood sugar, a structured program using meal replacements and weekly counseling can help you lose weight just as effectively as it does for people without diabetes. Focus on the 800-1500 calorie meal plans provided, which include enough protein to protect your muscle, and attend your weekly counseling sessions to stay on track. You can expect to lose around 14% of your body weight over 24 weeks, which is a therapeutic amount that improves heart health markers.

Consuming yerba mate drink (YMD) alongside a pre-exercise carbohydrate meal significantly increases fat oxidation and improves time trial cycling performance compared to consuming either YMD alone in a fasted state or a carbohydrate meal alone.

If you are a trained cyclist, drinking yerba mate daily and eating a carbohydrate-rich meal (1g per kg of body weight) about an hour before your workout can boost your fat burning and improve your performance. This combination works better than drinking yerba mate while fasted or just eating the carbs alone.

Female volleyball players should consume 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day of protein to optimize training adaptation and preserve lean mass, particularly during energy deficits.

Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight every day. This helps your muscles recover and grow, especially if you are training hard or trying to lose fat. You can get this from food like chicken, fish, eggs, or dairy, or supplements if needed.

Female volleyball players should consume 6–10 g/kg/day of carbohydrates to optimize muscle glycogen storage and 7–10 g/kg/day for recovery.

Eat 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight each day. On days with heavy training or matches, aim for the higher end (7-10 g/kg) to help your muscles recover and store energy. Good sources include pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.