Browse the evidence

Sleep extension (increasing duration from ~6.6 to 8.5 hours/night) significantly improves sprint performance, shooting accuracy, and reaction time in collegiate athletes.

If you are an athlete sleeping less than 8 hours, try extending your sleep by 2 hours per night for 5-7 weeks. Do this gradually (30-60 minutes extra per night). Monitor your energy and alertness. This simple change has been shown to improve sprint times and shooting accuracy in collegiate athletes. Prioritize consistent sleep and wake times, a cool/dark environment, and avoid screens 1 hour before bed.

Reduced sleep duration (<8 hours) is associated with a significantly increased risk of injury in youth and adolescent athletes, particularly when combined with high training loads.

If you are a young athlete, ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. This is especially critical when your training load is high. The combination of high training and low sleep significantly increases your chance of getting injured. Prioritize sleep to stay healthy and available for training.

A 12-week ketogenic Mediterranean diet (KEMEPHY) significantly improves metabolic and hormonal markers in overweight women with PCOS, including reductions in body weight, fat mass, insulin resistance, and androgens, alongside improvements in lipid profiles and sex hormone binding globulin.

For overweight women with PCOS, a 12-week ketogenic Mediterranean diet (approx. 1600-1700 kcal, <30g carbs) significantly reduces weight, fat mass, and insulin resistance while improving hormonal balance (lower testosterone, higher SHBG). This approach addresses the root hormonal drivers of PCOS more effectively than standard caloric restriction alone, though it requires strict adherence and medical supervision due to the small sample size of supporting evidence.

High levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), specifically around 60-75 minutes per day, can largely mitigate the increased health risks associated with high sedentary behavior.

If you have a sedentary job, prioritize getting 60-75 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. This high level of activity can significantly reduce the health risks associated with sitting for long periods, although limiting sitting time itself is still beneficial.

A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (LCKD) with <20g carbohydrate/day significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c) and reduces or eliminates the need for diabetes medications in overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Adopt a strict low-carb diet limiting carbohydrates to under 20 grams per day. Focus on meats, fish, eggs, and non-starchy vegetables. Monitor your blood glucose closely. If you are on diabetes medication, work with your doctor to reduce or stop these medications as your blood sugar improves, as the diet itself is highly effective at lowering glucose levels.

Moderate-intensity aerobic or resistance exercise improves insulin resistance and ovulation rates in women with PCOS, independent of significant weight loss.

For women with PCOS, engaging in moderate-intensity exercise (like brisk walking or cycling) 3-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes can significantly improve insulin sensitivity and restore regular ovulation. This benefit occurs regardless of whether you lose weight, so consistency is more important than intensity or weight loss goals.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is highly prevalent in vegetarian and vegan pregnant women, increasing in the third trimester, and poses a risk for neural tube defects and neurological impairment if not supplemented.

Vitamin B12 is critical for your baby's brain development. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you are at high risk for deficiency, especially in the third trimester. You likely need a B12 supplement or consistent intake of fortified foods. Do not rely on 'healthy eating' alone, as plant sources are scarce. Get your levels tested.

A software framework using a team of human Digital Twins (DTs) can predict athlete fitness outcomes and generate counterfactual explanations to suggest behavioral modifications for optimization.

Use a fitness tracking system that not only records your data but explains why it suggests changes. Look for platforms that offer 'counterfactual' insights, such as 'If you had slept 1 hour more, your performance would have improved by X%.' This transparency helps you trust and follow the advice.

Weight loss, achieved through lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise) or bariatric surgery, significantly improves or resolves Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and its associated metabolic derangements.

Losing weight is the most effective way to treat OSA. This can be done through lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) or, if those fail, through bariatric surgery. Both methods significantly improve OSA symptoms and metabolic health. If you have OSA, prioritize weight loss as a primary treatment strategy alongside or instead of just using CPAP.

Regular physical exercise performed at home during lockdown significantly mitigates psychological distress (anxiety, stress, frustration) and maintains physical fitness in individuals previously dependent on gym environments.

If you miss the gym, do not stop exercising. Substitute gym workouts with home-based alternatives like yoga, high-intensity bodyweight exercises, or household items (e.g., water bottles as weights). Use music to recreate the gym atmosphere and maintain focus. Consistency at home is more important than equipment for maintaining mental and physical health during restrictions.

Adherence to a dietary pattern characterized by high intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, pasta, and rice, and low intake of fried foods and processed meats, is associated with a significantly lower risk of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and favorable metabolic syndrome features (lower fasting glucose, lower triglycerides, higher HDL) in middle-aged adults.

Adopt a 'healthy balanced' dietary pattern: eat more fruits, salad/raw vegetables, fish, pasta, and rice, while reducing fried foods, sausages, and processed meats. This pattern is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes and better metabolic markers (like HDL and triglycerides) in middle-aged adults, independent of weight and smoking status.

Engaging in home-based physical activity (aerobic, resistance, flexibility) during quarantine mitigates negative psychological effects (stress, anxiety, depression) and maintains physical fitness.

Start moving at home. You don't need a gym. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking or dancing) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, split into 5-7 sessions. If you are a child or adolescent, aim for 60 minutes daily. Use apps or wearables to track progress. Avoid sudden heavy training if you are untrained. If you have symptoms of viral infection, stop exercise and rest.

Frequent self-weighing (weekly or daily) is associated with greater weight loss in weight loss trials and less weight gain in weight gain prevention trials compared to less frequent or no self-weighing.

If you are trying to lose weight or prevent gain, weigh yourself at least weekly, ideally daily. Do not let fear of the number stop you. The data shows that people who weigh themselves more often lose more weight or gain less. This is a behavioral tool, not a judgment. Follow the instructions given in your program, but understand that more frequent monitoring is linked to better outcomes.

Beta-alanine levels decrease in aged skeletal muscle, and supplementation with beta-alanine improves physical performance and executive function in middle-aged individuals.

If you are middle-aged or older and experiencing declines in physical performance or executive function, consider that beta-alanine levels in your muscles may be low. Supplementation with beta-alanine has been shown to improve these metrics.

Post-exercise active warm-down (jogging and stretching) accelerates the recovery of neuromuscular performance (jumping, sprinting) and reduces muscle soreness compared to passive rest.

After your game or hard training, do not just sit down. Spend 10-12 minutes doing light jogging and stretching. This simple active recovery helps your muscles recover faster and reduces soreness for the next few days compared to just resting.

Nutritional intervention with oral nutritional supplements (ONS) providing at least 400 kcal and 30g protein daily for 30 days is recommended to manage post-COVID-19 acute sarcopenia.

To rebuild muscle after COVID-19, aim for oral nutritional supplements delivering at least 400 calories and 30 grams of protein daily for 30 days. If you are at high risk of malnutrition, increase this to 600 calories daily. Continue this for over 60 days if you were in the ICU.

Management of sarcopenic obesity requires a combined approach of resistance and aerobic exercise with moderate caloric restriction and high-quality protein intake, as caloric restriction alone can exacerbate muscle loss.

Do not just diet. Combine moderate calorie cutting with high-protein eating (1-1.2g/kg/day) and a mix of resistance and aerobic exercise. This protects your muscles while losing fat. Avoid extreme low-calorie diets which can harm your muscle mass.

Increasing moderate leisure physical activity (aerobic activity lasting 30 minutes or more at least one day a week) is associated with improved cardiovascular risk profiles, including reduced blood pressure and improved lipid levels, even in the presence of increasing obesity.

Incorporate moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes once a week. This simple step can contribute to better blood pressure and lipid levels, even if other lifestyle factors like diet are being addressed.

In professional athletes with vitamin D insufficiency during winter months, supplementation with 5000 IU/day of vitamin D3 for 8 weeks significantly improves vertical jump height and 10-meter sprint times.

If you are a competitive athlete training in a northern climate during winter, get your Vitamin D levels checked. If you are deficient, taking 5000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily for 8 weeks can significantly improve your sprint speed and jumping power. This is not just about bone health; it directly impacts performance metrics like vertical jump and 10m sprint times.

Six weeks of either High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Moderate Intensity Training (MIT) significantly improves insulin sensitivity, reduces blood lipids, decreases body fat percentage, and improves cardiovascular fitness in sedentary overweight or obese young men.

If you are a sedentary young man who is overweight, starting either high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training (MIT) for just six weeks can significantly improve your insulin sensitivity, lower bad cholesterol, reduce body fat, and boost your cardiovascular fitness. While MIT showed a slight edge in improving maximum oxygen uptake (VO2peak), both methods were effective for overall cardiometabolic health. Choose the one you can stick with, knowing that even a small amount of exercise (as little as 1 hour a week for HIIT) yields benefits.

Diet-induced weight loss of approximately 10% of body weight significantly improves hepatic steatosis, necroinflammation, and insulin resistance in patients with NAFLD/NASH, with histological improvement correlating with the magnitude of weight loss.

To improve your liver health, aim to lose about 10% of your current body weight through a caloric deficit. This can be achieved via low-fat or low-carbohydrate diets, as both show benefit. Consistency is key; even losing 5-7% helps, but 10% yields the best histological improvements. Combine this with moderate exercise (like walking 40 minutes, 3-4 times a week) for synergistic benefits on insulin sensitivity and visceral fat.

A hypocaloric hyperproteic diet (800 kcal deficit, 35% protein) improves insulin sensitivity and reduces androgen levels in obese PCOS patients, leading to improved menstrual cyclicity.

A diet with a moderate caloric deficit (800 kcal) and high protein (35%) improves metabolic markers in obese PCOS patients. However, adherence is challenging, with higher dropout rates compared to exercise programs.

Older adults (65+) require 1.0–1.3 g/kg/day of dietary protein to optimize physical function and prevent muscle loss, which is higher than the standard 0.8 g/kg/day recommendation.

If you are over 65, aim for 1.0 to 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Spread this out across your meals, aiming for about 25-30 grams of high-quality protein (like meat, eggs, or dairy) at each main meal. This strategy works best when combined with resistance exercise at least twice a week to maintain muscle strength and independence.

Distributing protein intake evenly across meals (25-30g per meal) maximizes muscle protein synthesis in older adults, whereas low protein intake at breakfast contributes to adverse health profiles.

Don't just focus on your total daily protein; make sure each main meal contains 25-30 grams of high-quality protein. This is especially important at breakfast, where older adults often consume too little. Try swapping low-protein breakfasts (like cereal) for options like eggs, Greek yogurt, or a protein shake to maximize muscle building signals throughout the day.