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1. Cardiowell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Lifting weights lowers blood pressure: dose matters

   Pooling trials of at least 4 weeks, all types of strength training significantly lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure; in people not taking medication, isometric exercise reduced systolic pressure more than dynamic exercise, while effects were no longer significant in programmes running beyond 20 weeks or training fewer than three times per week.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review with meta-analysis limited to English-language studies of at least 4 weeks from two databases; the abstract does not report the number of trials or participants, populations and training types were mixed, and the 'optimal dose' conclusion comes from subgroup comparisons rather than a head-to-head trial.Meta-analysis · J Hypertens

   Full breakdown →Heart Age Calculator →Chronic effects and optimal dosage of strength training on SBP and DBP: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Hypertens 2020
2. Supplementspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Pomegranate showed recovery gains in small trials

   A systematic review of 11 studies in 176 athletes and physically active people reported that pomegranate supplementation improved whole-body strength, feelings of vitality, muscle fatigue and soreness, vessel diameter and blood flow, and antioxidant markers, with faster recovery of post-training muscle-damage markers. Doses ranged from 50 ml to 500 ml over 7 days to 2 months.

   ⚠What it shows: Narrative systematic review of 11 studies published 2010-2018 with just 176 participants in total, 155 of them male; no meta-analysis was performed, and supplement form, dose (50 ml-500 ml) and duration (7 days-2 months) varied so widely that results cannot be pooled or a dose inferred.Systematic review · Int J Vitam Nutr Res

   Full breakdown →DOMS explained →Effect of pomegranate fruit supplementation on performance and various markers in athletes and active subjects: A systematic review. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2021
3. Supplementspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Your caffeine boost may hinge on one gene

   Across 19 randomised trials with 732 participants using caffeine doses of 2 to 9 mg/kg, performance benefits were most consistent in people carrying the CYP1A2 AA genotype, smaller in AC carriers, and null or even detrimental in those with the CC genotype, though the studies did not all agree.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review of 19 RCTs in 732 athletes and physically active people published 2012-2024, with no meta-analysis and no consensus between studies; 84% of the included trials were rated as raising 'some concerns' for risk of bias and only two were low risk.Systematic review · Nutr Res

   Full breakdown →Caffeine guide →Caffeine Half-Life Calculator →Influence of the CYP1A2 genotype on the exercise performance of physically active individuals under caffeine supplementation: a systematic review. Nutr Res 2025
4. Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Milk protein beat whey for older lifters' lean mass

   In a meta-analysis of randomised trials in resistance-training adults with a mean age of at least 60 years, 10-15 g of milk protein was sufficient to augment gains in lean body mass, while four out of five studies of whey protein at the same or higher doses showed a negative effect versus control supplementation (-0.49 kg, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.29). Improvements in muscle strength appeared only at protein doses of 22 g or more.

   ⚠What it shows: Twenty studies were reviewed and 17 pooled, all in resistance-training older adults with a mean age of at least 60; the striking whey result rests on just five studies, the review is a between-study comparison rather than a head-to-head trial, and the authors note that adequate daily protein intake dilutes any supplement effect.Meta-analysis · Nutrients

   Full breakdown →Whey protein guide →Protein Intake Calculator →Effects of Milk Protein in Resistance Training-Induced Lean Mass Gains for Older Adults Aged ≥ 60 y: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2021
5. Supplementswell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Moderate caffeine dose beat low dose in time trials

   Pooling 48 randomised placebo-controlled trials (689 healthy adults), low caffeine doses of ≤3 mg·kg-1 shortened aerobic time-trial completion time (SMD -0.27), while moderate doses of 4-6 mg·kg-1 produced a larger and more consistent effect (SMD -0.52). No eligible trial reporting time-to-completion tested doses above 6 mg·kg-1.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 48 randomised placebo-controlled trials in healthy adults aged 18-59 using acute oral anhydrous caffeine, but only 689 participants in total, effects pooled as standardised mean differences across varied time-trial protocols, and no trials of doses above 6 mg·kg-1 met the inclusion criteria, so the top of the dose range remains untested for this outcome.Meta-analysis · Nutrients

   Full breakdown →Caffeine guide →Caffeine Half-Life Calculator →Dose-Response Effect of Oral Caffeine Use on Aerobic Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2026
6. Supplementswell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   BCAA supplements added little to resistance training

   In a meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials (459 older adults with sarcopenia), adding branched-chain amino acid-rich supplements to resistance training improved only skeletal muscle index (SMD 0.337, p = 0.029). Grip strength, walking speed, chair-stand performance, SPPB score, knee extension strength, total lean mass and fat mass showed no significant advantage.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials with only 459 participants in total, all older adults with sarcopenia; the one positive outcome had a confidence interval reaching close to zero and several functional measures pointed in inconsistent directions, so this cannot be read across to younger or healthy trainees.Meta-analysis · Arch Gerontol Geriatr

   Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained →Protein Intake Calculator →Effects of branched-chain amino acid-rich nutritional supplements combined with resistance training on body composition and body function in older patients with sarcopenia. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2026
7. Supplementswell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   HMB added nothing on top of resistance training

   Across 13 randomised trials of 561 adults aged 50 and over, adding HMB to resistance training produced no significant benefit for fat mass (SMD 0.24), muscle mass (SMD 0.05) or muscle strength (SMD 0.04). The authors concluded it cannot be recommended as a routine adjunct for people able to do structured exercise.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials totalling 561 adults aged 50 and over; heterogeneity was high for the strength outcomes and trial durations and doses varied, and the findings say nothing about people unable to train or about younger lifters.Meta-analysis · Age Ageing

   Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained →Protein Intake Calculator →Efficacy of HMB supplementation as an adjunct to resistance training in older adults: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Age Ageing 2026
8. Recoverynot supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Cryotherapy chambers: the evidence still isn't there

   A Cochrane review of four small laboratory trials (64 physically active, predominantly young male adults) found insufficient, very low quality evidence that whole-body cryotherapy reduces self-reported muscle soreness or improves subjective recovery compared with rest. Confidence intervals at 24, 48 and 72 hours included no difference, and no trial actively monitored adverse events.

   ⚠What it shows: Cochrane review of only four laboratory trials covering 64 physically active young adults, all but four of them male, mean age 23; every trial had design features carrying a high risk of bias and all outcomes were graded very low quality, with no data at all in women or elite athletes.Meta-analysis · Cochrane Database Syst Rev

   Full breakdown →Cold Water Immersion →Recovery Readiness Index →Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015
9. Skin & Glow-upwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Eczema linked to higher risk of death from all causes

   A meta-analysis of nine cohort studies found atopic dermatitis was associated with higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.222), along with raised risks of death from infectious, respiratory and gastrointestinal disease and cancer.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of nine observational cohort studies; association, not causation. Results varied by study design and region, and the data cannot show whether treating eczema changes mortality risk.Meta-analysis · Expert Rev Clin Immunol

   Full breakdown →All-cause mortality explained →All-cause and cause-specific mortality in atopic dermatitis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2026
10. Environmentpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Living near lead-releasing sites tied to weaker memory

    Living closer to a lead-releasing facility was associated with poorer episodic memory two years later in two cohorts of older adults (n = 1638 and n = 741): every 5 km closer corresponded to episodic memory scores 0.05 standard deviations lower.

    ⚠What it shows: Observational data from two cohorts of older adults; proximity to a facility is a stand-in for actual lead exposure, which was not directly measured. Association, not causation, and residual confounding is possible despite adjustment.Meta-analysis · Alzheimers Dement

    Full breakdown →Association between proximity to a lead-releasing facility and cognition in diverse cohorts. Alzheimers Dement 2026
11. Cardiopreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    One HIIT session a week cut fat mass in a 16-week trial

    In a 16-week randomised trial of adults with overweight and central obesity (105 per group), 75 minutes of weekly HIIT reduced total body fat mass versus control whether performed as one weekly session (-0.8 kg) or spread across three (-1.0 kg).

    ⚠What it shows: One single-centre RCT in Hong Kong adults with overweight and central obesity, 105 per group; fat-mass reductions versus control were modest (-0.8 to -1.0 kg over 16 weeks) and long-term durability is untested.RCT · Nat Commun

    Full breakdown →HIIT explained →Body Fat Calculator →Once and thrice weekly interval training in adults with central obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Commun 2026
12. Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    One avocado a day cut harmful LDL particle counts

    In a 26-week randomised trial of 786 adults with abdominal obesity, adding one avocado a day reduced total LDL particle concentration by 49.1 nmol/L versus a habitual diet, with no change in LDL particle size, other lipoprotein particles or apolipoproteins A or B.

    ⚠What it shows: Ancillary analysis of one RCT, n=786 adults with abdominal obesity; lipoprotein particles were exploratory outcomes, and ApoB and every other particle measure did not change: this is a shift in one marker, not a demonstrated reduction in heart disease.Study · J Clin Lipidol

    Full breakdown →ApoB explained →Heart Age Calculator →Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day on lipoprotein particle concentrations compared to habitual intake in adults with abdominal obesity: An ancillary study of the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial, a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Lipidol 2026
13. Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Depression tracks with smaller memory-region volume

    Among 2009 cognitively unimpaired older adults aged 50 to 90, those with depression had a smaller CA23DG hippocampal subfield than those without, independent of brain amyloid and tau; within the depressed group, people using antidepressants had smaller CA1 and CA23DG volumes than those who did not.

    ⚠What it shows: Cross-sectional MRI comparison inside one large observational cohort (630 with depression, 1379 without), so it cannot show that depression causes tissue loss; the antidepressant difference is unrandomised and may reflect more severe or longer-standing depression rather than any effect of the drugs.Study · Transl Psychiatry

    Full breakdown →Depression and hippocampal subfield volume in older adults. Transl Psychiatry 2026
14. Mindpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Your chair may be nudging how much risk you take

    An environment quietly engineered to push people into an expansive rather than contractive posture reliably increased risk-taking on the balloon analogue risk task, an effect that held after accounting for discomfort with the posture and awareness of the manipulation. Effects on self-reported pride were partially mediated by participants' measured neck angle.

    ⚠What it shows: A single laboratory experiment using an incidental posture manipulation; the abstract reports no sample size or participant details, outcomes were self-report plus one computerised risk task, and the suggestion that standing desks or ergonomic setups matter in daily life is the authors' extrapolation rather than something they tested.Study · Br J Psychol

    Full breakdown →Manipulating posture implicitly through environmental constraints influences mood and risk-taking behaviour. Br J Psychol 2026
15. Sleepwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Tai chi lifted older adults' sleep at 150 min a week

    In a meta-analysis of nine randomised controlled trials in 1,166 older adults, tai chi reduced Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores by an average of 1.53 points; weekly totals of 150-300 min produced a significant improvement, while less than 150 min did not.

    ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of nine RCTs (1,166 older participants) using self-reported sleep questionnaires, with high statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 78%) and no possibility of blinding participants to an exercise they are doing; the dose findings come from subgroup comparisons, not from trials designed to test dose.Meta-analysis · Eur Geriatr Med

    Full breakdown →Sleep Calculator →At least 150 min per week of Tai chi practice improves sleep quality in the older people: evidence from a meta-analysis. Eur Geriatr Med 2025
16. Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Anthocyanins linked to 26% lower CVD incidence

    Pooling 18 cohorts and 65 randomised trials in healthy people, the highest habitual anthocyanin intakes were associated with 26% lower cardiovascular disease incidence, 18% lower myocardial infarction and 11% lower type 2 diabetes risk, while trials using at least 50 mg/d improved flow-mediated dilation (net change 1.41% with chronic intake) and left lipids, blood pressure and glucose unchanged.

    ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis: the risk reductions come from prospective cohorts, which show association not causation and can be confounded by wider diet quality, while the trial evidence covers surrogate biomarkers such as vessel function rather than heart attacks or deaths. The review was part-funded by a blueberry industry council, and one author advises its grant committee, though the funder is stated to have had no role in study selection or analysis.Meta-analysis · Am J Clin Nutr

    Full breakdown →Metabolic syndrome explained →Heart Age Calculator →Dietary intakes of anthocyanins and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and prospective cohort studies in healthy participants. Am J Clin Nutr 2026
17. Women's Healthpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Combined therapies rank best for perimenopausal mood

    A network meta-analysis of 131 randomised trials in 11,457 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression or panic symptoms found medication combined with psychotherapy ranked highest for depression scores, menopausal symptom scores and sleep quality, while no single strategy was best across all outcomes and the control condition ranked best for safety.

    ⚠What it shows: Network meta-analysis of 131 trials (11,457 women) that mostly ranks treatments indirectly using SUCRA probabilities rather than testing them head to head; rankings are sensitive to the quality and comparability of the included trials, symptom scales are subjective, and the finding that untreated controls ranked best for safety reflects side effects of active treatment.Systematic review · Front Psychiatry

    Full breakdown →Pharmacotherapy, acupoint stimulation, and psychotherapy for perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Psychiatry 2026
18. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Unblinded testers inflated strength gains in trials

    Across 73 progressive resistance training trials in older adults (18 with blinded assessors, 55 unblinded), trials whose outcome assessors were blinded reported smaller lower-limb strength effects, a difference of -0.80 (95% CI -1.35 to -0.25) and -0.65 after adjusting for intention-to-treat analysis, suggesting unblinded trials exaggerated the gains.

    ⚠What it shows: Retrospective meta-regression of 73 resistance training trials in older adults published before 2007, with only 18 of them using blinded assessors; it compares trials rather than randomising blinding, so other differences between those trials could contribute, and the findings may not transfer to younger populations or newer trials.Meta-analysis · Am J Phys Med Rehabil

    Full breakdown →Do unblinded assessors bias muscle strength outcomes in randomized controlled trials of progressive resistance strength training in older adults?. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2011
19. Bones & Jointspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Back pain adherence coaching: small gains, unclear why

    In a meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials covering 1,233 adults with non-specific low back pain, strategies bolted onto exercise programmes to improve adherence showed no clear effect on adherence itself, yet pain and function improved slightly in the medium term on moderate-certainty evidence.

    ⚠What it shows: Fourteen randomised trials, 1,233 adults with non-specific low back pain; risk of bias was low in only six trials, adherence was measured inconsistently (device data in three trials, questionnaires in four), and certainty ranged from moderate to very low.Review · Musculoskelet Sci Pract

    Full breakdown →Do adherence-focused interventions in low back pain have an impact on rehabilitation outcomes? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Musculoskelet Sci Pract 2026
20. Skin & Glow-uppreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Psoriasis: weight lost mattered more than fasting

    In a systematic review comparing dietary strategies for psoriasis, ketogenic and continuous calorie-restriction cohorts lost 10-25.6 kg and showed significant falls in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores, whereas intermittent fasting cohorts lost 0-2 kg and did not; no serious adverse effects were recorded with any approach.

    ⚠What it shows: A systematic review published in protocol form: it reports no number of included trials or participants, includes no head-to-head comparisons, and the authors flag heterogeneity and limited follow-up. The pattern links the amount of weight lost to skin severity rather than proving one diet beats another.Study · J Drugs Dermatol

    Full breakdown →Energy balance explained →Calorie Deficit Calculator →Impact of Intermittent Fasting, Keto Diet vs Continuous Caloric Restriction on Psoriasis Severity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol. J Drugs Dermatol 2026
21. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Passive muscle building is still not proven

    Pooling the only three eligible trials, totalling 37 untrained adults, blood flow restriction combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation produced a medium but statistically non-significant effect on lower-limb muscle growth compared with control (d = 0.64, 95% CI -0.37 to 1.65, p = 0.176).

    ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis, but the entire evidence base is three studies in 37 untrained healthy adults aged 18-64, lower limb only, interventions of at least 14 days; the pooled effect was not statistically significant and the confidence interval crosses zero.Meta-analysis · Sci Rep

    Full breakdown →Hypertrophy explained →Effects of combined blood flow restriction and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy in adults: a systematic review and meta analysis. Sci Rep 2026
22. Metabolic & GLP-1well supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Adding weights beat cardio alone for blood sugar

    Across 16 randomised trials with 1401 participants with type 2 diabetes, exercise significantly lowered HbA1c (SMD -0.46) and fasting blood glucose (SMD -0.52), with combined aerobic plus resistance training (SMD -0.71) beating aerobic exercise alone (SMD -0.32); the insulin resistance index did not improve significantly.

    ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 16 randomised trials totalling 1401 people with type 2 diabetes; trial quality was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool but individual protocols, durations and medication use varied, the BMI reduction only reached significance after removing an outlier study, and the insulin resistance index showed no significant change.Meta-analysis · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)

    Full breakdown →Insulin sensitivity explained →Metabolic Fitness Index →Meta-analysis of the effects of exercise intervention on glucose metabolism and body composition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2026
23. Supplementspreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Creatine's edge may not carry to elite athletes

    A critical review of the creatine literature concluded that the supplement's performance benefits have generally been shown in untrained people doing several exercise bouts under laboratory conditions, while the limited data available on highly trained athletes performing single competition-like tasks showed no benefit. The authors judged that widespread creatine use to improve competition performance was not justified on that evidence, though repeated-effort sports remained a plausible unconfirmed case.

    ⚠What it shows: A narrative critical review from 1997, not a modern pooled analysis: it rests on a small body of studies in highly trained athletes, reports no effect sizes, and says nothing about creatine's use during training blocks or in non-athletes.Meta-analysis · Int J Sports Med

    Full breakdown →Creatine monohydrate guide →Creatine Calculator →Creatine supplementation as an ergogenic aid for sports performance in highly trained athletes: a critical review. Int J Sports Med 1997
24. Metabolic & GLP-1preliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

    Massage added to lifestyle change moved the scales

    Pooling 13 randomised trials in people with simple obesity, adding massage to a lifestyle programme was associated with larger falls in body weight (mean difference -4.85 kg) and BMI (-2.65) than lifestyle change alone, along with reductions in waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. HDL cholesterol also fell rather than rose.

    ⚠What it shows: Thirteen mostly small randomised trials drawn largely from Chinese-language databases, mixing adults with children and adolescents, and with extreme statistical heterogeneity for the blood-lipid outcomes (I² up to 98.3%); effects this large from adding massage are hard to explain and need independent replication before being taken at face value.Meta-analysis · Medicine (Baltimore)

    Full breakdown →Insulin sensitivity explained →Calorie Deficit Calculator →Comparative effectiveness of massage combined with lifestyle intervention and lifestyle intervention alone for simple obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2025

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