Browse the evidence

Tailored, supervised exercise training serves as an effective multisystemic therapy for post-COVID-19 syndrome, mitigating symptoms such as fatigue, dyspnea, and neurocognitive impairment.

If you have persistent symptoms after COVID-19, do not avoid exercise, but do not push through fatigue. Start with low-load, low-volume resistance training and interval-based endurance training that does not take you to failure. The goal is to gradually improve functional capacity and reduce symptoms like breathlessness and brain fog. Consult a specialist to create a tailored plan that respects your current limits and allows for adequate recovery.

Intentional weight loss, particularly through bariatric surgery or significant lifestyle changes, reduces the risk of obesity-associated cancers, including endometrial and breast cancer.

If you are obese, losing weight can significantly lower your risk of endometrial and breast cancer. Even a modest loss of 20 pounds or more has been shown to reduce risk. Bariatric surgery, for those eligible, offers even greater protection.

Using a mobile app to self-monitor physical activity increases the frequency of exercise recording and total intentional energy expenditure, leading to greater weight loss and lower BMI compared to not using a PA app.

If you are trying to lose weight, use a mobile app to track your exercise. This study suggests that using an app helps you exercise more often and burn more calories intentionally compared to not using an app or using other methods. The key is the ease of tracking, which likely improves adherence.

Mobile phone interventions, specifically text messaging and smartphone applications, are effective tools for promoting weight reduction and increasing physical activity, with the majority of studies showing statistically significant improvements in weight, BMI, or waist circumference.

Use a mobile phone intervention to help with weight loss or physical activity. This can be as simple as sending text messages (SMS) or using a smartphone app to track calories and exercise. The most effective interventions often combine the technology with some form of education or support (like weigh-ins or group meetings). Most users find these tools acceptable and helpful.

Combining resistance training with nutritional supplementation (specifically amino acids/protein) improves motor function and muscle strength in elderly patients with age-related sarcopenia.

If you are an older adult losing muscle mass, you need both food and movement. Specifically, eat enough protein (or amino acid supplements) and perform resistance exercises. Doing only one is less effective than doing both together.

Reallocating 2 hours of daily sitting time to standing significantly improves fasting glucose, triglycerides, and lipid ratios, whereas reallocating that same time to stepping (walking) additionally reduces BMI and waist circumference.

To improve your blood sugar and cholesterol, try to stand for 2 hours a day instead of sitting. You don't need to walk; just standing helps. If you also want to lose weight or reduce belly fat, you must replace sitting with walking (stepping) for those 2 hours, as standing alone won't change your waist size. Start by standing during phone calls or while cooking.

Exercise interventions for hip or knee osteoarthritis reduce pain and improve physical function, with moderate quality evidence supporting these outcomes.

If you have hip or knee osteoarthritis, exercise is recommended to reduce pain and improve function. While the benefits are modest (around 6% pain reduction), they are significant for quality of life. Start with exercises tailored to your abilities and preferences, and focus on consistency rather than intensity.

Sustained nutritional ketosis achieved through a continuous remote care intervention (CCI) involving carbohydrate restriction (<30g/day initially) leads to significant improvements in glycemic control, weight loss, and diabetes remission in Type 2 Diabetes patients over 2 years, while reducing medication dependence without adverse effects on bone health.

To manage Type 2 Diabetes long-term, consider a continuous care approach that includes nutritional ketosis. Start with less than 30g of carbs per day, aiming for a blood ketone level of 0.5-3.0 mmol/L. Work with a healthcare team to monitor your progress and adjust medications as needed. This approach has been shown to improve blood sugar, reduce weight, and even reverse diabetes in many cases over 2 years, without harming bone health.

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency is a medical emergency in bariatric patients presenting with rapid weight loss, vomiting, or neurological symptoms, requiring immediate treatment without waiting for blood test results.

If you have had bariatric surgery and experience severe vomiting, rapid weight loss, or confusion/numbness, tell your doctor immediately. They may give you high-dose thiamine (Vitamin B1) right away, even before blood tests come back, to protect your brain. This is a critical safety step.

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with lower odds of developing incident chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily to lower your risk of developing kidney disease. This is a primary prevention strategy that aligns with cardiovascular health guidelines. Avoid prolonged periods of being sedentary.

Older adults require higher protein intake (1.4-1.6 g/kg/day) than the standard RDA (0.8 g/kg/day) to maintain muscle mass and bone health.

Increase your daily protein intake to 1.4-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to help preserve muscle and bone as you age.

In short-term trials (≤16 weeks), increasing physical activity expressed as weekly energy expenditure is positively related to reductions in total adiposity in a dose-response manner.

If you want to lose fat using only exercise, you must burn a significant amount of calories (around 3000 per week) over a short period (under 4 months). This typically means walking 45-60 minutes at a moderate pace most days. Do not expect this to work well or be sustainable over many months, as the dose-response relationship disappears in long-term studies.

Adolescents who regularly obtain 6-8 hours of sleep on school days exhibit significantly higher frequencies of health-promoting behaviors (including stress management, nutrition, and exercise) and have a lower probability of being overweight compared to peers with inadequate sleep.

Ensure adolescents aged 13-18 get 6-8 hours of sleep on school nights. This is not just about rest; it is strongly linked to better stress management, healthier eating, more exercise, and lower obesity rates. Prioritizing sleep supports the health-promoting behaviors needed for long-term well-being.

Strength training for sprinters must be specific to the phase of the sprint: knee and ankle extensors are critical for acceleration, while hamstrings are critical for maximum speed.

Train your acceleration phase with exercises focusing on knee and ankle extension. Train your top speed phase with exercises focusing on hamstring strength and swing mechanics.

Effective sprint strength training requires a combination of hypertrophy, neuronal activation, and speed-strength (plyometric) methods to prevent fiber type conversion and maintain contraction speed.

Structure your training to include heavy lifting for strength, explosive movements for power, and plyometrics for speed. Do not rely on just one type of training.

Obesity and high-fat diets impair male fertility by increasing oxidative stress, reducing sperm concentration, motility, and DNA integrity, while moderate exercise and healthy diets (e.g., Mediterranean) can improve these parameters.

Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet (like the Mediterranean diet) and regular moderate exercise can improve sperm quality by reducing oxidative stress. Avoid high-fat diets and sedentary behavior.

Transferring the Mediterranean Diet to non-Mediterranean countries (like the US) requires specific behavioral and ingredient substitutions, particularly using olive oil as the main culinary fat and reducing red/processed meats.

To adopt the Mediterranean Diet in a non-Mediterranean setting like the US, start by swapping your cooking fat to extra-virgin olive oil. Replace red and processed meats with fish, legumes, or nuts. Swap sugary drinks for water or moderate wine with meals. Use whole grains instead of refined ones, and eat fresh fruit for dessert instead of sweets. These changes are affordable and can be adapted to local tastes.

Successful long-term weight loss maintenance is associated with specific behavioral strategies, including high levels of physical activity, frequent self-monitoring, and strict dietary adherence, which counteract physiological adaptations.

To keep weight off, you must treat maintenance as a full-time job. This means eating fewer calories (especially fat), exercising regularly (about an hour a day), weighing yourself often, and limiting sedentary time. These behaviors counteract the biological urge to regain weight.

High-intensity progressive resistance training (20 weeks, 2x/week) significantly improves muscle strength, functional performance, and balance in older men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer, while preserving lean mass and bone mineral density.

If you are undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer, do not avoid exercise. A structured resistance training program (lifting weights 2 times a week, focusing on 6-12 reps per set) is safe and highly effective. It will not interfere with your cancer treatment (PSA/testosterone levels remain stable) and will significantly improve your muscle strength, balance, and ability to perform daily activities, while preventing the muscle and bone loss typically caused by the therapy.

Resistance exercise prescribed at two sessions per week with high effort (RPE 3-5 progressing to 6-8 or 40-85% 1RM) is the recommended first-line treatment for sarcopenia in older adults.

Perform resistance exercises twice a week, covering both upper and lower body. Start with 1-3 sets of 6-12 reps per exercise. Use a weight or resistance that feels like 'somewhat hard' to 'hard' effort (RPE 3-5 initially, aiming for 6-8). Focus on correct form before adding weight. If you are very weak, start with just one session a week or use bodyweight only, then build up. Ensure at least 48 hours rest between sessions. Continue for at least 12 weeks to see benefits.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) supplementation (minimum 2 weeks, 5g/day fish oil) is an effective intervention to manage EIMD by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

To use fish oil for recovery, you must take 5g daily (high EPA/DHA) for at least 2 weeks before your event. Taking it only on the day of competition will not provide the anti-inflammatory benefits described.

Lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, or behavioral) significantly improve anthropometric, metabolic, and reproductive markers in women with PCOS compared to minimal treatment.

For women with PCOS, adopting a structured lifestyle program involving diet, exercise, and behavioral strategies is a recommended first-line treatment. This approach significantly improves weight, waist circumference, insulin resistance, and testosterone levels compared to minimal advice. However, current evidence does not support lifestyle changes as a primary method for improving fertility outcomes (pregnancy/live birth) or menstrual regularity. Focus on metabolic and anthropometric benefits rather than expecting immediate fertility improvements.

Regular physical exercise is the most effective non-pharmacological intervention for preventing and treating age-associated skeletal muscle changes (sarcopenia) by modulating anabolic/catabolic pathways and reducing oxidative stress.

To combat age-related muscle loss, engage in regular exercise combining aerobic activity (50-80% of your max heart rate, 2-3 times a week) and resistance training (50-80% of your one-rep max, 2 days a week). This approach is the most effective way to maintain muscle mass, strength, and functional capacity in older age.

Maintaining adequate Vitamin D status and consuming high-quality protein (e.g., leucine-enriched whey) are key nutritional strategies to prevent and treat age-associated muscle changes.

Ensure you get enough Vitamin D and consume high-quality protein, such as leucine-enriched whey protein, to support muscle mass and function, especially if you are older and have sarcopenia.