Browse the evidence

Low baseline rates of energy expenditure and low fat oxidation predict future body weight gain, and low fat oxidation specifically predicts weight gain independently of energy expenditure.

If you tend to burn fewer calories at rest or prefer burning carbohydrates over fat, you may be predisposed to gain weight. This is a biological risk factor, not a moral failing. Awareness of this can help you tailor your diet and activity to counteract these tendencies.

Low-glycemic index diets reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes by improving lipid profiles (lowering triglycerides, raising HDL) and reducing markers of inflammation and insulin resistance.

To protect your heart and reduce diabetes risk, focus on the quality of your carbohydrates. Choose foods that digest slowly (low GI) like beans, lentils, and whole grains. This helps improve your cholesterol levels (higher HDL, lower triglycerides) and reduces inflammation, offering protection against heart disease and diabetes.

Prior endurance training history does not blunt the acute upregulation of metabolic genes (PGC-1α, PDK-4, VEGF) in skeletal muscle following a single bout of endurance exercise.

If you are a strength athlete, don't skip cardio thinking it won't work for you. Your muscles will still respond to endurance exercise by increasing the mRNA for key metabolic and blood vessel genes, just as an endurance athlete's would.

Prior strength training history significantly alters the acute myogenic gene response (MyoD, myogenin) to endurance exercise compared to endurance-trained individuals.

If you are a strength athlete, your muscles react to cardio differently than an endurance athlete's. You may not see the same 'muscle-building' gene signals (MyoD/myogenin) during cardio that an endurance runner does. This doesn't mean cardio is bad for you, but your body is prioritizing different adaptations.

Prior endurance training history enhances the acute myogenic gene response (MyoD increase, MAFbx/myostatin decrease) to resistance exercise compared to strength-trained individuals.

If you are an endurance athlete, don't worry that your cardio prevents you from building muscle. A single resistance workout triggers strong muscle-building gene signals (MyoD) and reduces muscle-breakdown signals (myostatin/MAFbx) in your muscles, even more so than in strength athletes.

Post-exercise protein and carbohydrate co-ingestion enhances net muscle protein balance and signaling (mTOR/p70S6k) after resistance training, but does not consistently improve subsequent endurance performance compared to carbohydrate alone.

After resistance training, consuming ~6g of protein with carbohydrates can help your muscles build protein. However, for endurance athletes, adding protein to a carb recovery drink doesn't seem to improve your next workout compared to just carbs. Focus on getting enough total protein throughout the day rather than stressing over the exact post-workout mix.

Five years of supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in older adults (70-77 years) shows a non-significant trend toward reduced all-cause mortality compared to following national physical activity guidelines, whereas moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) showed no benefit and potentially increased risk.

If you are in your 70s, simply following general activity guidelines (like daily walking) may not be enough to maximize your lifespan. Incorporating high-intensity intervals (like 4 minutes of hard effort repeated 4 times, twice a week) under supervision shows a promising trend toward lower mortality compared to moderate activity alone. However, the study was not large enough to prove this statistically, so consistency and safety are key.

Rinsing the mouth with a 10% carbohydrate (maltodextrin) solution and expectorating it improves cycling time-trial power output in both fed and fasted states, with a greater magnitude of improvement observed in the fasted state.

If you are competing in an event under 90 minutes, rinse your mouth with a sports drink (containing carbs) for 10 seconds every 7-8 minutes during the race, then spit it out. This will likely improve your power output by roughly 2-3%, especially if you haven't eaten a large meal beforehand. It works by signaling your brain, not by providing fuel.

High consumption of white rice (≥450 g/day) is associated with an increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes, with the strongest association observed in South Asian populations.

If you eat large amounts of white rice (more than 3 cups cooked per day), your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases, especially if you are of South Asian descent. To reduce this risk without necessarily giving up rice, try switching to brown rice, choosing high-fiber white rice varieties, or adding legumes (beans, lentils) to your rice meals to lower the glycemic impact. Be aware that in China, this specific risk was not statistically significant, suggesting regional or varietal differences.

High-intensity aerobic exercise (60% Wmax) sustains myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) into late recovery (24-28h), whereas low-intensity exercise (30% Wmax) does not, despite both stimulating early recovery MyoPS.

If your goal is to maximize muscle protein synthesis from aerobic exercise, intensity matters more than duration. A 30-minute high-intensity session (60% of your max power) sustains muscle-building signals for up to 28 hours, whereas a 60-minute low-intensity session (30% max power) does not. To get the most out of your cardio for muscle health, prioritize higher intensities, even if the workout is shorter.

High-intensity aerobic exercise stimulates mitochondrial protein synthesis (MitoPS) in late recovery (24-28h), whereas low-intensity exercise does not, although neither intensity stimulated MitoPS in early recovery (0.5-4.5h) in the fasted state.

If you are doing fasted cardio, high-intensity intervals may be more effective than low-intensity steady state for stimulating mitochondrial protein synthesis in the 24-28 hour window after exercise. Low-intensity cardio did not stimulate mitochondrial synthesis in this study, regardless of intensity, in the early recovery phase.

Sustained weight loss via caloric restriction or bariatric surgery resolves hepatic inflammation and improves systemic glucose homeostasis, but fails to reverse adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in a significant subset of patients.

If you have lost significant weight, do not assume your metabolic health has fully recovered. While your liver function and blood sugar control likely improved, your fat tissue may still harbor inflammation and insulin resistance. Continue to monitor metabolic markers (like inflammation and insulin sensitivity) with your doctor, as these may not improve as much as your weight does.

Single oral doses of 150–900 mg naringenin (from whole orange extract) are safe and well-tolerated in healthy adults, with serum concentrations proportional to the dose.

Taking 300mg of naringenin (from a whole orange extract) twice daily is predicted to reach effective levels (8 μM) in your body to potentially support metabolic health, and it is safe to do so. You cannot get these levels from drinking orange juice alone.

Vegan and low-fat dietary patterns, when implemented as intended, mostly align with 2021 AHA Dietary Guidance but face challenges regarding nutrient adequacy and adherence due to severe restrictions.

If you follow a vegan or low-fat diet, it can support heart health, but you must be careful about nutrient adequacy. Work with a registered dietitian to ensure you are getting enough essential nutrients, especially if you exclude animal products or fats.

Maintaining tissue n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) levels below 50% of total HUFA (by shifting the n-6/n-3 balance toward n-3) reduces the risk of coronary heart disease mortality, whereas levels above 50% increase risk.

Focus on balancing your intake of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. Aim to reduce the proportion of n-6 fatty acids (found in many vegetable oils) relative to n-3 fatty acids (found in fish, flax, walnuts) in your body tissues. This balance is a stronger predictor of heart disease risk than cholesterol levels alone.

Obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) walk significantly fewer steps per day than normal-weight individuals, contributing to a higher risk of weight gain.

If you are obese, you likely walk about 2,000 fewer steps per day than a normal-weight person. This deficit contributes to weight gain. Starting with a goal of adding 2,000 steps to your current routine can help close this gap and prevent further weight gain.

Higher circulating levels of dairy fat biomarkers (plasma 15:0, 17:0, and t-16:1n-7) are associated with a significantly lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes.

Instead of avoiding all dairy fat, focus on consuming whole dairy sources like cheese and yogurt, which are associated with specific fatty acids (15:0, 17:0, t-16:1n-7) that correlate with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This suggests that the source and composition of fat matter more than simply avoiding saturated fat.

Mendelian randomization analysis confirms a causal relationship between diabetes and an increased risk of coronary artery disease, independent of other risk factors like lipids and BMI.

If you have diabetes or high blood sugar, managing your glucose levels is crucial for protecting your heart. Genetic evidence suggests that long-term control of blood sugar can reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Work with your healthcare provider to find a sustainable glucose management plan.

Leisure-time physical activity (mild to strenuous) and moderate occupational physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, whereas heavy occupational physical labor shows no protective association compared to sedentary work.

Prioritize leisure-time physical activity (walking, cycling, sports) for at least 150 minutes per week. If your job involves heavy physical labor, do not rely on it for heart protection; you must still engage in dedicated leisure-time exercise to significantly reduce your risk of heart attack.

Higher BMI categories (overweight and obese classes I-III) are significantly associated with increased odds of suboptimal glycemic control (HbA1c ≥7%) in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients, independent of medication use and comorbidities.

If you have diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight is critical for keeping your blood sugar in range. This study shows that being overweight or obese significantly increases your odds of having high HbA1c levels, even if you are taking your medications. For Type 1 diabetics, this is partly because insulin therapy can cause weight gain, and for Type 2 diabetics, excess weight directly impacts glucose metabolism. Focus on weight management as a core part of your diabetes treatment plan, not just an aesthetic goal.

Sugars are not inherently harmful; their effect on cardiometabolic health depends on energy balance and food source. Sugar-sweetened beverages cause harm due to excess energy, while sugars in high-quality foods (fruit, yogurt, whole grain cereals) provide benefit when substituted for refined starches.

Do not fear sugars in whole foods. Fruit, yogurt, and whole grain cereals containing sugars are beneficial when they replace refined starches. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages which provide excess energy without nutrients.

Low muscle glycogen availability during prolonged aerobic exercise increases net skeletal muscle protein degradation and decreases protein synthesis, resulting in a more negative whole-body protein balance compared to high glycogen conditions.

If you are doing long-duration cardio (e.g., >1 hour) and your glycogen stores are low, your body will break down more muscle protein and build less of it. To protect muscle, consider consuming carbohydrates before or during the exercise, or ensure your post-exercise protein intake is sufficient to counteract this increased breakdown.

SGLT2 inhibitors promote weight loss and improve metabolic parameters (blood pressure, lipid profile, uric acid) by increasing urinary glucose excretion, resulting in an energy deficit of 240-320 kcal/day.

SGLT2 inhibitors help with weight loss by excreting glucose in urine, creating a daily calorie deficit of about 240-320 kcal. This can help reduce abdominal fat and improve blood pressure and lipids. However, weight loss tends to plateau, so combining the medication with lifestyle changes is important for long-term success.

SGLT2 inhibitors lower HbA1c by 0.6-0.8% without increasing hypoglycemia risk when used as monotherapy, but require dose adjustment of insulin/secretagogues when combined.

SGLT2 inhibitors effectively lower blood sugar (HbA1c) by about 0.6-0.8% without causing low blood sugar on their own. If you are also taking insulin or sulfonylureas, your doctor may lower your dose of those medications to prevent hypoglycemia. This makes them a safer option for many patients compared to older drugs.