Browse the evidence

Resistance training significantly reduces body fat percentage and increases fat-free mass in middle-aged, android-obese men, whereas aerobic training does not significantly alter body composition.

If you are overweight with abdominal fat, incorporate resistance training 3 times a week. Focus on major muscle groups with moderate weights. This approach can significantly reduce your body fat percentage and increase lean muscle mass, even without changing your diet.

Technology-based weight-loss interventions are effective for short-term weight loss when they incorporate five key components: self-monitoring, counselor feedback/communication, social support, structured program, and individually tailored program.

To lose weight using technology, choose a program that includes five key elements: 1) Track your food and exercise daily (self-monitoring), 2) Get regular feedback from a counselor (feedback), 3) Connect with others for support (social support), 4) Follow a structured plan with weekly lessons (structured program), and 5) Have the plan tailored to your specific goals (tailored program). This approach is more effective than commercial programs and can lead to significant short-term weight loss, but you may need booster sessions to maintain it long-term.

Vegan athletes can achieve satisfactory dietary needs and performance outcomes through strategic food selection and supplementation, despite inherent challenges in protein quality and micronutrient density.

To succeed as a vegan athlete, prioritize total protein intake (aim for 1.4-2.0 g/kg daily, higher if cutting weight) and ensure you are eating enough calories to support your training volume. Focus on high-protein plant foods like lentils, beans, tofu, and soy. Supplement with Vitamin B12 and consider a microalgae-based Omega-3 supplement to ensure adequate EPA/DHA levels, as plant-based ALA conversion is inefficient.

High intake of red meat, sweets, and fried foods increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, whereas consumption of fruits and vegetables is inversely correlated with T2DM risk.

Reduce consumption of red meat, sweets, and fried foods to lower insulin resistance risk. Increase intake of fruits and vegetables, which provide protective fiber and antioxidants. Note that while fruits are protective, refined grains like white rice may still increase risk.

Adherence to a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern, characterized by high intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, and olive oil, is associated with improved glucose metabolism and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and olive oil. This pattern is associated with improved glucose metabolism and reduced risk of T2DM and cardiovascular disease. Focus on the quality of fats (olive oil) and whole foods.

Traditional plant-based diets (flexitarian and vegetarian) that substitute animal products with whole plant foods (legumes, nuts, seeds) can meet all daily micronutrient requirements and improve health markers compared to a standard omnivore diet.

You can maintain excellent health on a flexitarian or vegetarian diet by focusing on whole plant foods like beans, nuts, and seeds. This approach can improve your intake of essential nutrients and reduce your consumption of saturated fat and sodium compared to a typical omnivore diet.

Periodization of training into macro-, meso-, and microcycles is essential for ultra-endurance athletes to achieve competition readiness and avoid overtraining syndrome.

Structure your year into distinct blocks: long-term goals (macrocycles), specific training phases (mesocycles), and weekly sessions (microcycles). Do not train at high intensity every day. Follow a plan that progresses from general fitness to specific race skills, ensuring you peak for your event and avoid burnout.

Ultra-endurance athletes should consume 30 to 70 g of liquid carbohydrates per hour during exercise to maintain blood glucose oxidation and delay fatigue.

During long events (>6 hours), drink 30-70 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Use liquid forms (sports drinks) rather than solids to avoid stomach issues. This helps keep your blood sugar stable and delays fatigue.

Consumption of probiotic cheese containing Lactobacillus plantarum TENSIA (50g/day) alongside a hypocaloric diet significantly reduces Body Mass Index (BMI) and morning diastolic blood pressure in obese hypertensive patients compared to control cheese, with effects correlated to the degree of bacterial colonization.

If you are obese and have high blood pressure, adding 50 grams of this specific probiotic cheese (containing L. plantarum TENSIA) to your daily hypocaloric diet for 3 weeks can help you lose more weight and lower your blood pressure than just eating regular cheese on the same diet. The key is that the probiotic must colonize your gut, which happened in about 64% of participants.

Meeting both aerobic (≥150 min/week) and muscle-strengthening (≥2 sessions/week) physical activity guidelines is associated with the lowest prevalence of chronic health conditions compared to meeting neither, only aerobic, or only muscle-strengthening guidelines.

To maximize protection against chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and depression, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) per week PLUS two days of muscle-strengthening activities (like resistance bands or bodyweight exercises). Doing both together offers significantly better health outcomes than doing just one.

Dietary interventions for sarcopenic obesity should prioritize increased protein intake (1-1.5 g/kg/day) and chronic (not acute) caloric restriction combined with resistance training to prevent muscle loss during weight loss.

For sarcopenic obesity, do not just cut calories. Eat 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily and engage in resistance training. This combination helps lose fat while keeping muscle, which is essential for metabolic health.

Replacing seated computer work with walking-and-working on a vertical workstation significantly increases energy expenditure (by ~119 kcal/h) in obese individuals, potentially leading to substantial annual weight loss if sustained.

If you have obesity and sit at a computer all day, try replacing 2-3 hours of sitting with walking on a treadmill desk. This simple change can burn an extra ~120 calories per hour. Over a year, this could theoretically lead to significant weight loss (20-30 kg) without changing your diet, provided you stay consistent. Start with a slow walking speed and adjust as needed.

Daily protein intake of 1.2–1.5 g/kg is required to prevent sarcopenia, significantly exceeding the standard 0.8 g/kg recommendation, with emphasis on distributing 25–30 g of high-quality protein per meal rather than consuming a single large bolus.

To protect your muscles as you age, aim for 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, which is higher than the standard recommendation. Crucially, spread this out: eat 25–30 grams of high-quality protein (like lean meat, fish, or soy) at each main meal. Avoid dumping more than 30 grams into a single meal, as your body cannot use the excess to build muscle more effectively.

Regular physical activity, specifically moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking for 30 minutes daily, reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in elderly adults by approximately 15-20% compared to sedentary lifestyles.

Start by walking briskly for 30 minutes every day. You do not need to run or lift weights to get significant heart benefits. This simple habit can lower your risk of heart problems by up to 20% compared to sitting still. If you have existing conditions, consult your doctor to ensure this intensity is safe for you, but do not let fear of injury stop you from moving.

Beetroot juice supplementation improves cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability, which enhances blood flow, mitochondrial efficiency, and exercise economy, particularly in normoxic conditions.

If you are a trained endurance athlete, consuming beetroot juice providing 5-8 mmol of nitrate 2-3 hours before exercise may improve your efficiency and time to exhaustion, particularly in normal oxygen conditions. However, do not expect guaranteed results, especially if you are training at high altitude or consuming caffeine simultaneously, as these factors may negate the benefits.

Discontinuation of physical exercise during confinement is associated with weight gain, whereas maintaining or starting exercise is associated with weight loss.

Keep exercising or start moving if you haven't. Stopping exercise is linked to gaining about 1 kg, while continuing or starting helps you lose nearly 1 kg during confinement.

A web-based digital therapeutic program (Prevent) based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) curriculum significantly reduces body weight and A1c levels in adults with prediabetes, with effects sustained for at least 2 years.

If you have prediabetes, a structured online program that combines weekly educational lessons, daily weight tracking, and access to a health coach and peer support group can help you lose about 4-5% of your body weight and lower your A1c. This approach works by making lifestyle changes manageable and sustainable over two years, even after the initial intensive phase ends. You need internet access and the ability to perform light physical activity.

High intake of refined grains, sweets, desserts, and refined bread is associated with increased weight gain and larger increases in waist circumference.

Limit refined grains, white bread, sweets, desserts, and sugar-sweetened beverages. These are linked to weight gain and increased waist circumference. Replace them with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

A functional foods-based diet, emphasizing whole grains, legumes, nuts, and phytochemical-rich fruits and vegetables, improves glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetes management.

Replace refined grains with whole grains (oats, barley, rye), include legumes (lentils, beans) and nuts in your daily diet, and eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. This approach helps manage blood sugar and cholesterol more effectively than standard dietary advice alone.

Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL) is causally linked to musculoskeletal pain, muscle atrophy (specifically type II fibers), and increased fall risk in the elderly, while supplementation to levels >30 ng/mL can alleviate pain and improve muscle performance.

If you are over 50 or suffer from unexplained muscle pain or frequent falls, ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D levels (25(OH)D). If they are below 30 ng/mL, supplementation (typically 700-1000 IU/day) is likely to help with muscle strength and fall prevention. Do not assume high doses are better; excessive dosing may actually increase fall risk.

Lifestyle interventions (smoking cessation, diet modification, and regular exercise) are the primary and prioritized strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients, with ART modification considered only if lifestyle changes fail to control risk factors.

For HIV patients, managing metabolic health starts with lifestyle, not drugs. Prioritize quitting smoking, which cuts heart disease risk by half. Adopt a diet low in fat and cholesterol but high in fiber and vegetables, and aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking five to seven days a week. Only if these steps fail to lower cholesterol to target levels should doctors consider changing your HIV medication or adding lipid-lowering drugs.

Distributing protein intake evenly across meals (spread-feeding) with 25-35g of high-quality protein per meal is more effective for sustaining 24-hour muscle protein synthesis than consuming the majority of protein in one or two meals.

Don't skip meals. Try to eat 25-35 grams of protein at every meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks if needed). This keeps your muscles building throughout the day. A large dinner alone won't do as much as spreading it out.

Use of a fully automated conversational AI health coach for weight loss produces weight loss and dietary improvements comparable to in-person lifestyle interventions, without requiring live human assistance.

If you are overweight or obese and struggle with access to dietitians or coaches, a fully automated AI health coach app can help you lose weight and eat healthier. The app works by having you log your meals, weight, and activity, and then receiving personalized, empathetic text-based feedback and coaching. You don't need to talk to a human; the AI guides you through goal-setting and behavior change strategies similar to in-person programs. Consistency is key: the more you engage with the app and log your meals, the more weight you are likely to lose.

Daily carbohydrate intake for professional soccer players should be periodized according to weekly training and match loads, specifically reducing intake to <4-5 g/kg on low-load training days to avoid attenuating training adaptations, while maintaining high availability (6-10 g/kg) on match days and days immediately preceding/following matches.

If you are an elite soccer player, do not eat the same amount of carbohydrates every day. On days when you have multiple games or high-intensity matches, aim for 6-10 grams of carbs per kg of body weight. On days with only light or tactical training (where you cover less distance), reduce your intake to 4-5 grams per kg. This helps your body adapt to training without compromising your performance on match days.