Browse the evidence

Sprint Interval Training (SIT), a variant of HIIT involving near-maximal to 'all out' efforts, can improve endurance performance in highly trained athletes by enhancing fatigue resistance and durability.

For elite endurance athletes, adding short, maximal-effort sprints (SIT) to your regular training can improve your ability to sustain performance when fatigued. This is an advanced technique; ensure it is periodized correctly within your overall training plan to avoid overtraining. It is not for beginners.

Maintaining physical activity during home confinement or social isolation prevents rapid loss of muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness, and metabolic health, thereby reducing mortality risk and susceptibility to severe infection outcomes.

Do not let gym closures stop your exercise. Perform high-volume, low-to-medium intensity resistance exercises at home, aim for at least 5,000 steps daily, and use wearable tech to track progress. If you have chronic conditions, seek telemedicine supervision. Avoid exercising immediately before bed to protect sleep. Remember that even small amounts of activity are significantly better than none.

Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption without substituting other foods leads to a small but significant reduction in body weight (approx. 0.68 kg) and does not increase energy intake in the short term.

To manage weight, simply increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake by about 133 grams (roughly one to one-and-a-half extra portions) without worrying about cutting out other foods. Over a few months, this addition is associated with a small but statistically significant weight reduction (approx. 0.7 kg) compared to not increasing intake, without requiring you to restrict other food groups.

Frequent fast food consumption (more than once per week) is directly associated with higher BMI and a significantly increased risk of obesity in Mediterranean adults.

If you eat fast food more than once a week, you are statistically more likely to have a higher BMI and be obese. To mitigate this, reduce the frequency of fast food consumption or compensate by reducing energy intake from other sources, as fast food is energy-dense and often displaces healthier options.

Lifestyle interventions, specifically the Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity, are the primary therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating metabolic syndrome by addressing modifiable risk factors such as obesity and insulin resistance.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet focusing on whole foods, healthy fats, and limited processed sugars and salts. Combine this with at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity. This is the foundational treatment for Metabolic Syndrome, often more effective than medication alone for long-term management.

Supervised moderate-to-high intensity aerobic training (60-100% VO2peak) performed three times weekly during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer is safe and significantly improves cardiopulmonary function (VO2peak) compared to chemotherapy alone.

If you are undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy, supervised aerobic exercise (cycling) 3 times a week at moderate-to-high intensity is safe and can significantly improve your heart and lung capacity, which typically declines during treatment. Start with supervision to ensure safety and proper intensity progression.

A 5-day fast followed by a modified DASH diet significantly reduces 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure and body weight in patients with metabolic syndrome, effects that are sustained three months post-intervention and distinct from diet alone.

For patients with metabolic syndrome, a 5-day water/tea/broth fast followed by 3 months of a DASH-style diet offers superior blood pressure and weight reduction compared to diet changes alone. This intervention allows many patients to reduce or eliminate antihypertensive medication while maintaining controlled blood pressure.

Postoperative exercise following bariatric surgery is associated with a greater degree of weight loss (mean difference of 4.2% total BMI loss) at 12 months compared to no exercise.

If you have had bariatric surgery, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking, at least three days a week. This habit is associated with losing about 4% more of your total body mass index compared to not exercising. Start with walking, as it is safe and effective.

Digital interventions (mobile apps, web-based platforms, and wearable sensors) effectively promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, including increased physical activity, improved dietary habits, and smoking cessation, primarily through mechanisms of self-monitoring, goal setting, and personalized feedback.

To use digital interventions effectively for lifestyle change, choose a platform that offers self-monitoring (like tracking steps or food) and provides personalized feedback. Ensure the tool is easy to use and fits your daily routine. Consistency is key; use features like reminders and goal-setting to maintain engagement over time.

Combining low-intensity resistance exercise (10-20% 1RM) with moderate vascular occlusion (tourniquet pressure ~218 mmHg) induces significant muscular hypertrophy and strength gains, whereas performing either the exercise or the occlusion alone does not.

To build muscle with light weights, perform low-intensity resistance exercises (10-20% of your one-rep max) while applying moderate vascular occlusion to your thighs using a tourniquet. Do 5 sets of 15-20 reps, twice a week, for 8 weeks. Release the tourniquet immediately after each session. This combination is necessary; neither light exercise nor occlusion alone will produce significant muscle growth.

A Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) is a safe and effective intervention for weight loss and metabolic improvement in patients with obesity and mild chronic kidney disease (Stage 2 CKD), without causing clinically relevant renal deterioration.

If you have obesity and mild kidney issues (Stage 2), a medically supervised VLCKD (450-800 calories, <20g carbs) is a safe and effective way to lose significant weight (~20%) without harming your kidneys. Ensure you take supplements and drink plenty of water.

Higher dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome, with cross-sectional studies showing a pooled odds ratio of 0.70 for highest versus lowest intake categories.

To lower your risk of metabolic syndrome, aim for higher dietary fiber intake. Evidence suggests that consuming more fiber, particularly soluble fiber from sources like oats and legumes, is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. While the evidence is strongest in cross-sectional studies, the consistent inverse association supports increasing fiber as a key dietary strategy.

Higher consumption of whole grains is inversely associated with body weight, BMI, and obesity biomarkers (insulin, C-peptide, leptin) compared to refined grains, primarily through mechanisms involving lower glycemic index, increased satiety from fiber, and improved insulin sensitivity.

To support healthy weight, prioritize whole grain foods like whole-grain bread, cereals, brown rice, and oats over refined grains. This shift helps manage blood sugar and insulin levels, which are key drivers of fat storage and hunger. Aim to replace at least some refined grain servings with whole grain options daily.

Team sport athletes typically consume carbohydrate intakes (4.0–5.6 g/kg/day) that are below expert recommendations (6–10 g/kg/day), necessitating strategic increases on match days and during pre-season to maintain glycogen.

Most team sport athletes do not eat enough carbohydrates on their own. To perform well, you must actively plan to eat 5–7 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight daily, especially during the season. On game days or heavy training weeks, prioritize carbs and reduce fats/proteins slightly to fit the calories. Use sports drinks or gels during the game to get carbs without feeling too full.

Intentional weight loss (5-10% of body weight) through combined diet and exercise improves metabolic health, reduces inflammation, and decreases the incidence of CMS in older adults.

If you are older and overweight, aim for a modest 5-10% weight loss through a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise. This can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes without necessarily causing harmful muscle loss if you include strength training.

Resistance and balance training improves muscle strength, mobility, gait speed, and balance in diabetic patients with mild neuropathy.

If you have mild nerve damage from diabetes, try balance and strength exercises. These can help you walk better, move faster, and stay steady. Talk to a physical therapist to find a safe program for your level of nerve damage.

Obesity is primarily driven by a caloric surplus resulting from a Westernized diet high in fats and sugars combined with reduced physical activity, leading to increased morbidity and mortality risks for type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Focus on reducing intake of Western-style foods (high fat/sugar) and increasing daily physical activity. This combination is the primary lever for preventing and treating obesity and its associated diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Increased dietary protein intake (specifically essential amino acids) stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which translates to preserved or increased muscle mass, strength, and function in older individuals, thereby improving health outcomes and quality of life.

Older adults should consume more protein than the standard recommendation of 0.8g/kg/day to maintain muscle mass, strength, and overall health. Focus on essential amino acids, potentially through protein-rich meals or supplements, especially if activity levels are low or during periods of immobility. This helps prevent sarcopenia and improves quality of life without known adverse effects at reasonable doses.

Limiting sedentary behavior and replacing it with physical activity of any intensity, including light intensity, provides health benefits for adults living with disability.

Try to reduce the total time you spend with low energy expenditure, whether sitting or lying down. Replace this time with any amount of physical activity, even light movements. This substitution provides health benefits. Aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to help reduce the detrimental effects of high sedentary time.

Physical activity recommendations for the general population (60 minutes/day for youth, 150-300 min/week moderate or 75-150 min/week vigorous for adults) apply to people living with disability, with the caveat that activity should be appropriate to their specific condition and ability.

Aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity every day. Include vigorous activities and exercises that strengthen muscles and bones at least 3 days a week. If you are not meeting these recommendations, doing some physical activity will still bring health benefits. Start small and gradually increase.

Adults living with disability should undertake regular physical activity, including 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.

Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity (like running) each week. You can mix these. Also, do muscle-strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups at least 2 days a week. If you are not meeting these recommendations, doing some physical activity will still bring health benefits. Start small and gradually increase.

Heavy-resistance training (2 sessions/week for 12 weeks) significantly increases muscle volume, cross-sectional area, and strength in elderly males (mean age 67.6 years).

If you are an older man, engaging in heavy resistance training twice a week for 12 weeks can significantly increase your muscle size and strength. Focus on exercises like bicep curls with weights that challenge you, increasing the weight as you get stronger. This can help with daily tasks and counteract age-related muscle loss.

Chatbot interventions significantly increase total physical activity, daily steps, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to control conditions.

Use a chatbot app or platform that sends daily prompts or allows you to log your activity and diet. Look for tools that use goal-setting and feedback features. Consistency is key, even if the interaction is brief. This is a low-cost, accessible way to boost your daily movement and healthy eating habits.

Chatbot interventions significantly increase fruit and vegetable consumption, with text-based and AI/NLP-enabled chatbots being more effective than voice-based or non-AI chatbots.

Choose a chatbot that uses text or AI features for dietary tracking. Use it when you are shopping or preparing food to log your intake. This method is more effective for improving fruit and vegetable consumption than voice-only options.