Browse the evidence

Performing resistance training in the morning improves morning performance, while evening training improves evening performance, allowing athletes to optimize for competition times.

If you have a competition at a specific time of day, train at that same time of day for several weeks. This will shift your peak performance to match your event time, improving your results.

Higher self-reported protein and energy intake is significantly associated with greater appendicular lean mass (ALM) in older adults performing resistance training, whereas muscle strength (handgrip) is not associated with nutritional intake.

If you are an older adult doing resistance training, ensure you are eating enough protein and total energy. This study shows that higher intake correlates with higher muscle mass, even in people who are already exercising. Don't rely on exercise alone; nutrition is a key lever for maintaining muscle.

Higher self-reported physical activity (PASE score) is associated with faster gait speed (GS) in older adults, regardless of the type of gym equipment used.

Keep moving outside of your gym sessions. This study shows that older adults who report higher general physical activity tend to walk faster, even if they are already doing resistance training. Don't let gym time replace daily walking.

High protein intake (>236 g/day or >3.30 g/kg/day) combined with long-term supplementation (>1 year) significantly decreases glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and increases serum creatinine in CrossFit athletes compared to adequate intake without supplementation.

If you are a CrossFit athlete consuming more than 3.30 g of protein per kg of body weight daily, especially using supplements for over a year, monitor your kidney function (GFR and creatinine) regularly. High doses over long periods may reduce kidney filtration efficiency, even in healthy athletes.

Training to concentric muscle failure provides greater hypertrophy benefits than non-failure training only when using low-load resistance training; in high-load training, volume-equated failure training offers no significant hypertrophy advantage over non-failure training.

If you are lifting heavy weights (high intensity), you do not need to train to failure to maximize muscle growth; stopping a few reps short is likely equivalent if total volume is matched. However, if you are lifting lighter weights (low intensity), training to failure is likely necessary to stimulate growth comparable to heavy lifting. Adjust your proximity to failure based on your load.

Support Vector Regression (SVR) machine learning models can accurately predict weight loss, fasting blood glucose, and HbA1c outcomes in Type 2 diabetic patients treated with Exenatide, enabling optimized nursing care and treatment decisions.

For nurses managing diabetic patients on Exenatide, using validated machine learning models (specifically SVR) can significantly improve the accuracy of predicting weight loss and glycemic control (HbA1c/Fasting Glucose). This allows for proactive adjustments to nursing care plans, dietary advice, and lifestyle interventions before complications arise, rather than reacting to poor outcomes after they occur.

Regular meal patterns and larger, less frequent meals maximize the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) compared to irregular or frequent small meals.

Try eating fewer, larger meals rather than grazing throughout the day. Regular, larger meals may trigger a higher thermic effect of food (more calories burned during digestion) and help manage hunger signals better than frequent small snacks.

Garcinia cambogia (Hydroxycitric acid/HCA) supplementation reduces visceral fat and improves fasting blood glucose and insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese individuals.

Garcinia cambogia (HCA) at 1,000 mg/day may help reduce visceral fat and improve blood sugar in overweight people, but it is not a magic bullet. It works by blocking fat synthesis and suppressing appetite.

Coleus forskohlii (Forskolin) supplementation reduces body fat, increases lean mass, and improves insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese men.

Coleus forskohlii (Forskolin) taken daily for 12 weeks may help reduce body fat and increase lean mass in overweight men, improving insulin sensitivity. It works by increasing cAMP, which stimulates fat breakdown.

Banaba leaf extract (Corosolic acid) and Resistant Maltodextrin (RMD) improve blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity through distinct mechanisms.

Banaba leaf extract and Resistant Maltodextrin (RMD) can improve blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity. Banaba works by promoting glucose uptake, while RMD delays carbohydrate absorption and increases SCFA production.

High intake of linoleic acid (LA) relative to n-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) promotes inflammation, thrombosis, and allergic diseases by increasing the tissue ARA/EPA ratio and producing more potent inflammatory eicosanoids (LT C4, TX A2).

To reduce inflammation and thrombotic risk, prioritize foods rich in n-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) and limit high-linoleic acid vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn). A lower tissue ARA/EPA ratio is associated with reduced allergic, inflammatory, and thrombotic disease risk.

Carriers of the TCF7L2 rs7903146 T allele exhibit significantly attenuated weight loss and metabolic improvements compared to non-T allele (CC) carriers when following a partial meal replacement (pMR) hypocaloric diet.

If you have the TCF7L2 rs7903146 T allele, expect your weight loss to be roughly half as fast as someone with the CC genotype on a similar meal-replacement diet. Focus on metabolic health markers (blood sugar, insulin) as early wins, as these improve significantly even if the scale moves slower.

Both Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat diets can cause negative side effects, including gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, and in the case of LCD, potential risks like ketosis and kidney failure.

Be prepared for side effects when starting either diet. LCD may cause ketosis, fatigue, or kidney stress, while LFD may cause constipation and fatigue. Monitor your health and consult a physician, especially if you have pre-existing conditions.

A low-carbohydrate diet (20-30% carbohydrates) produces significantly greater short-term weight loss (1 month) compared to balanced dietary guidance or pharmacotherapy (semaglutide/metformin) in individuals with overweight or obesity, but this advantage disappears by 3 months.

If you choose a low-carb diet, expect faster results in the first month, but do not assume it will keep working better than other diets after 3 months. The initial advantage likely comes from reduced calorie intake due to diet simplicity, not magic. For long-term success, focus on adherence and sustainable habits rather than just macronutrient ratios.

Pharmacotherapy with semaglutide (1 mg/week) and/or metformin (0.5g 3x/day) combined with lifestyle interventions produces weight loss comparable to low-carbohydrate diets and balanced diets at 3 months, despite potentially faster initial results.

Pharmacotherapy (semaglutide/metformin) combined with lifestyle changes is an effective weight loss strategy that yields similar results to dietary changes after 3 months. It is not just for 'severe' cases but can be a valid option for those struggling with diet alone.

Food reformulation and innovation can contribute to reducing obesity if products are affordable, palatable, and sustainably consumed, but face barriers related to cost, consumer perception, and technical feasibility.

When choosing foods, look for reformulated options that have reduced sugar, salt, and saturated fat, but be aware that they may not always be affordable or palatable. Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods when possible and budget allows.

Higher total sugar intake is positively associated with increased adiposity markers (body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio) in Chilean adults, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and physical activity.

In this population, eating more sugar is linked to carrying more weight and having a larger waistline. To manage weight, focus on reducing overall calories, particularly from added sugars in processed foods and sugary drinks, while maintaining physical activity.

A digital weight loss program augmented with a human-enhanced kick-off session yields significantly greater 3-month weight loss (-4.06%) compared to a fully automated program (-4.57%), though the difference was not statistically significant in this pilot.

If you are motivated and can lose weight quickly (2% in a month) using an app, you might not need extra human coaching. If you struggle, a brief check-in or more intensive counseling can help. The app itself is the core driver.

Replacing carbohydrates with saturated fatty acids (SFA) increases the prevalence of dyslipidemia, specifically elevated total cholesterol and LDL-C, in Filipino women.

For Filipino women, swapping carbohydrates for saturated fats (like those in coconut oil or animal fats common in their diet) raises the risk of high cholesterol and LDL. To improve lipid profiles, prioritize unsaturated fats (MUFA/PUFA) or complex carbohydrates instead of saturated fats when adjusting macronutrient ratios.

Replacing carbohydrates with Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA) is associated with a reduced prevalence of dyslipidemia in Filipino women.

For Filipino women, swapping carbohydrates for Monounsaturated Fats (found in olive oil, avocados, nuts) lowers the risk of dyslipidemia. This suggests that increasing MUFA intake is a beneficial dietary strategy for improving lipid profiles.

Higher daily plain water intake is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause, cerebrovascular, and cancer mortality in patients with NAFLD or MASLD, with a non-linear dose-response relationship.

If you have fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD), aim to increase your daily plain water intake. The study suggests that consuming around 2.8 liters (approx. 95 oz) of plain water per day is associated with a significantly lower risk of death from all causes, heart issues, and cancer compared to drinking less than 0.15 liters. If you currently drink sugary or artificial beverages, try replacing them with plain water; even small swaps (100mL) can reduce mortality risk. Always consult your doctor before making major changes, especially if you have fluid restrictions.

Higher protein intake per kilogram of body weight is inversely associated with the severity of abdominal obesity in adult men.

If you are concerned about abdominal fat, ensure your protein intake is sufficient relative to your body weight. This study suggests men with higher abdominal obesity had significantly lower protein intake per kg of body weight compared to those with less abdominal fat. Aim for a protein intake that supports muscle maintenance, potentially above 1.2 g/kg, while monitoring your waist circumference.

High carbohydrate-to-protein ratios (3.48-3.69) characterize diets associated with abdominal obesity, and reducing this ratio may be beneficial.

Your diet likely contains a high ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Try to increase your protein intake relative to carbohydrates. The study notes that all subjects consumed high carbohydrate diets, and cited literature suggests that high glycemic index carbohydrates and high carb-to-protein ratios are associated with metabolic risks. Prioritize protein sources to improve this ratio.

Dietary fat intake, particularly unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), is associated with reduced mortality and cardiovascular disease incidence, challenging standard guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fat (SFA).

Focus on the quality of fats rather than just minimizing total fat. Prioritize unsaturated fats (like olive oil) over saturated fats, but do not fear dietary fat as a primary cause of heart disease. Ensure your carbohydrate intake is not excessively high, especially if you are from a population with high carb consumption.