Browse the evidence

Lifestyle modifications (balanced diet and regular exercise) are the most reasonable and cost-effective therapy for obesity, whereas pharmaceutical interventions offer modest, transient effects with significant long-term costs and side-effect risks.

Focus on sustainable diet and exercise habits first. While new drugs like Semaglutid show impressive weight loss numbers, they come with high costs, side effects, and unknown long-term risks. Lifestyle changes are cheaper, safer, and address the root cause, even if the weight loss is slower.

Retatrutide, a triple hormone agonist (GLP-1, GIP, glucagon), administered subcutaneously once weekly, produces substantial, progressive weight loss (up to 24.2%) and HbA1c reduction in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, significantly outperforming placebo and, in some metrics, the dual agonist tirzepatide.

Retatrutide is a once-weekly injection that combines three hormones to help you lose significant weight and lower blood sugar. It works best if you start with a low dose and increase it slowly to manage stomach side effects. While it causes more nausea than other drugs, it leads to greater weight loss, potentially helping you reach a level of weight loss that can put type 2 diabetes into remission. You should expect regular check-ins and lifestyle counseling alongside the medication.

Engagement with a digital weight management platform (coaching, app usage, weight tracking) significantly enhances weight loss outcomes in individuals using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists compared to pharmacotherapy alone.

If you are using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications for weight loss, actively using the supporting digital tools (app, coaching, tracking) will help you lose significantly more weight than just taking the medication alone. Aim to attend coaching sessions, track your weight weekly, and use the app regularly to maximize your results.

GLP-1 receptor agonists and co-agonists induce significant weight loss (10–25%) in adults without diabetes, with newer multi-agonists (e.g., tirzepatide, retatrutide) demonstrating superior efficacy compared to earlier single-agonists.

If you have obesity or overweight with related health issues, GLP-1 medications (like semaglutide or tirzepatide) are now a standard, effective treatment option that can produce significant weight loss (10-25%), comparable to surgery. Newer oral options exist, and these drugs work independently of diabetes status. Consult a doctor to see if you qualify, as they are typically reserved for those who haven't succeeded with lifestyle changes alone.

Retatrutide (LY3437943) administered subcutaneously once weekly produces significant, dose-dependent weight loss and improved glycaemic control in adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes, outperforming placebo and dulaglutide at higher doses (8-12 mg).

Retatrutide is a once-weekly injection that significantly reduces body weight (up to 26 kg in trials) and improves blood sugar control in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes. It works by targeting three hormone receptors (GIP, GLP-1, Glucagon). Higher doses (8-12 mg) are more effective but may cause mild gastrointestinal side effects that usually improve over time. It appears more effective than some existing treatments like dulaglutide for weight loss.

Adjuvant GLP-1 RA therapy combined with high-protein intake (≥1.2 g/kg/day) and resistance training is necessary to counteract metabolic adaptation and preserve lean body mass after bariatric surgery.

After bariatric surgery, your body fights back against weight loss by slowing your metabolism. If you experience weight regain, adding a GLP-1 medication can help. Crucially, to prevent losing muscle along with fat, you must eat at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily and engage in supervised resistance training. This combination helps maintain your metabolic health and muscle mass.

Tirzepatide treatment in patients with obesity and type 1 diabetes results in significant weight loss (median 8.5-12.2%) and reduced insulin requirements without increasing hypoglycemia or serious adverse events.

If you have Type 1 Diabetes and obesity, Tirzepatide is a viable option for weight loss and reducing insulin needs. Start with a low dose (2.5mg) and increase slowly to minimize nausea. You must work with your doctor to adjust your insulin doses to prevent hypoglycemia. Combine the medication with a modest calorie deficit and regular exercise for best results.

85.6% of powerlifters reported paying specific attention to nutrition practices in the pre-exercise period by ingesting more carbohydrate rich foods.

Practitioners should emphasize carbohydrate intake before training for optimal performance.

80% of powerlifters reported paying attention to postexercise nutrition, primarily ingesting more protein rich foods.

Advise powerlifters to prioritize protein intake after training for optimal recovery.

Supplementing resistance training with defatted peanut protein (35g protein/day) significantly increases vastus lateralis muscle thickness and knee flexion torque in older, untrained adults compared to resistance training alone.

If you are over 50 and new to resistance training, adding 35 grams of defatted peanut protein daily to your routine can help you build more muscle in your thighs and increase your knee flexion strength compared to training alone. Stick to a twice-weekly full-body resistance training program focusing on progressive overload.

Long-term low caloric deficit diets (20-28 weeks) with high protein and carbohydrate diets are main strategies in the precontest phase.

Bodybuilders should adopt a structured approach to dieting over several months leading up to competitions.

When protein intake is matched for quantity and leucine content, plant-based protein supplements produce equivalent gains in muscle mass and strength compared to animal-based protein supplements during resistance training.

If you are training to build muscle, you do not need to buy expensive animal protein powders. You can use plant-based proteins (like soy, pea, or rice) and get the same results, provided you consume enough total protein and ensure the supplement provides a similar amount of leucine as animal sources. Match the dose (e.g., ~25g protein) and train consistently.

Higher knowledge of macronutrients is significantly associated with a decrease in BMI, with a beta coefficient of -0.310 and a p-value of 0.005.

Understanding macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) is linked to better weight management in athletes. Focus on learning how these nutrients function in your body.

Post-exercise ingestion of 1.2 g/kg/hour of carbohydrates for 6 hours, combined with 0.2-0.4 g/kg/hour of protein, optimizes glycogen restoration and muscle recovery in athletes, mitigating the risk of Overtraining Syndrome.

After intense training, prioritize eating carbohydrates immediately. Aim for 1.2 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight each hour for the next 6 hours. Include 10-20 grams of high-quality protein in the first hour. Also, drink enough fluids to replace 150% of the weight you lost during exercise over those 6 hours.

A high-carbohydrate diet (50-70% of energy) improves endurance performance, sprint speed, and recovery compared to low-carbohydrate diets by maximizing muscle glycogen stores.

If you are an endurance athlete (runner or cyclist), ensure 50-70% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates. This maximizes muscle glycogen, which is critical for maintaining intensity, delaying fatigue, and improving race times. Focus on foods with low to moderate glycemic indices.

A high-protein diet (1.4-2g/kg body weight) supports muscle repair, lean body mass gains, and strength improvements in resistance-trained individuals, with animal proteins potentially offering superior lean mass benefits compared to plant proteins.

If you lift weights, aim for 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This supports muscle repair and strength gains. While animal proteins may offer a slight edge in lean mass for younger adults, plant proteins are also effective, especially if your baseline intake was previously low.

A combined supplementation protocol of creatine, beta-alanine, and caffeine yields superior strength gains (+15.2%) and faster recovery (22 hours) in powerlifters compared to protein supplements or no supplements.

If you are a powerlifter, consider a stack of creatine, beta-alanine, and caffeine. In this study, this combination increased strength by 15.2% and reduced recovery time to 22 hours over 8 weeks, outperforming protein-only supplements and no supplements.

Balanced macronutrient intake (1.6-2.2g protein/kg, 4-6g carbs/kg) results in significantly greater strength gains (12.5%) and faster recovery (24 hours) compared to protein or carbohydrate deficits.

Eat a balanced diet with 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight and 4-6g of carbohydrates per kg. This supports maximum strength gains and faster recovery (24 hours) compared to restricting either nutrient.

Adapted physical activity (APA) consisting of 3 moderate-intensity sessions per week (20-30 minutes) leads to a statistically significant gain in lean mass (average +0.64%) in hospitalized hematology patients.

For hematology patients, 3 short (20-30 min) moderate sessions per week of light resistance and balance exercises (like yoga or Pilates with light weights) can help preserve or slightly increase muscle mass and reduce fatigue, provided blood counts are monitored and sessions are paused if counts drop too low.

Whey protein is the only protein source shown to have statistically significant effects on both endurance performance and muscle strength in this meta-analysis.

If you use protein supplements for performance, whey protein is the only source with demonstrated significant benefits for both endurance and strength in this analysis. Other sources (soy, casein, etc.) did not show significant effects.

Higher protein intake is significantly associated with greater hand muscle strength in adolescent karate athletes, whereas energy, fat, and carbohydrate intake are not.

For adolescent karate athletes, ensuring adequate protein intake is more critical for hand strength than simply eating enough total calories or focusing on carbs/fat. While knowing nutrition is good, it doesn't replace the need for specific nutrient intake and training. Focus on distributing protein intake throughout the day to support muscle protein synthesis alongside training.

High protein intake combined with physical rehabilitation improves muscle mass retention and functional recovery in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.

If you are recovering from ACL surgery, ensure your diet includes adequate protein alongside your physical therapy. This combination is associated with better muscle retention and functional recovery, though more high-quality research is needed to define exact dosages.

Using a wellness app that combines nutrition education, continuous food tracking (self-monitoring), and personalized macro-nutrient meal planning improves adherence to healthy eating behaviors by increasing nutrition knowledge, fostering mindfulness, and optimizing macro distribution.

To improve your diet, don't just count calories. Use an app that tracks your food, gives you nutrition info, and suggests personalized meals based on your goals. This helps you learn, stay mindful, and balance your macros without feeling deprived.

Carbohydrate intake of 3–12 g/kg/day, adjusted for exercise duration and intensity, is recommended for athletes with diabetes to optimize glycogen storage and performance.

As a diabetic athlete, you need carbohydrates to perform. Aim for 3 to 12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of your body weight each day. If you train for a long time or at high intensity, aim for the higher end of this range. This helps store glycogen in your muscles and liver, which is your main energy source during exercise. Monitor your blood sugar to see how your body responds to different amounts.