Author name: Suryakiran M

When it comes to protein intake, you probably hear people saying that we need protein right after the workout; otherwise, we won’t benefit from the workout we just performed. Most people are advised to take protein within 30-45 minutes after a workout. This 30-45 minute period after a workout is known as the “anabolic window.” Whether this anabolic window does exist or not is still a controversy. In this blog, I will explain whether we need a protein shake immediately after a workout or not?  Nutrient timing has become popular has become very popular in the last 2-3 decades. Based on a 2008 study on nutrient timing, some researchers believe that the timing of food intake may have a greater positive effect on body composition than absolute daily nutrient consumption. These researchers believe we should consume protein before and/ or immediately after the workout to take advantage of this so-called anabolic window. They claim that protein consumption within this anabolic window increases lean body mass. However, on the other hand, most researchers believe that the importance or even the existence of this anabolic window can vary according to several factors, such as training experience, a pre-exercise meal, and muscle mass. Research studies that support the immediate protein intake right after the workout have many limitations. Most of these research studies were conducted on people in a starved or semi-starved state, untrained, and on a low-protein diet. These studies’ positive result was because of the increased protein intake rather than the timing of its consumption. This concept of the anabolic window is highly promoted by supplement companies because Whey protein powders that these companies sell are easy to take within 30-45 minutes of a workout. That is why more than 70% of adults carry whey protein powder to the gym.  A recent review by Aragon and Schoenfeld postulated that the anabolic window of opportunity may be as long as 4–6 hours around a training session, depending on the meal’s size and composition. According to their research, total protein intake is closely related to post-exercise muscle gain, not only your immediate post-workout protein intake. If your pre-workout meal ( 2-3 hours before the workout) includes a good amount of carbs, protein, and fats, there is no extra benefit of taking immediate protein after a workout. In conclusion, post-workout nutrition is essential, but current evidence does not support the claim that immediate (1 hour) protein intake pre or post-workout does not provide extra benefits in muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. If your overall protein intake is low, then there is no harm in taking a protein supplement after a workout, but you should not be compelled to take it within half an hour; you can easily have it even after 2-3 hours of your workout.   References Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A. & Krieger, J.W. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 53 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-53  Aragon, A.A., Schoenfeld, B.J. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 5 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-5 

Whenever I consult a new client, almost everyone asks me this question- How much should I weigh according to my height? It does not surprise me anymore why they ask me this question because everyone from their family doctors to self-proclaimed fitness experts highly recommends a BMI chart to check body composition. This blog will explain why applying this to individuals is useless. If you are unaware, body mass index is based on the concept that weight should be proportional to height. BMI relates body mass (In kilograms) to size (in metres) squared (BMI= weight/ height2). It is a rough estimate of body composition.  This formula(previously known as the Quetelet index) was introduced in the 19th century by a mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet to measure the general population’s degree of obesity. Still, the intentions behind this concept were never something related to health. Remember, he was a mathematician, astronomer, and statistician, not a physician. In the early 1970s, American physiologist and nutrition researcher Ancel Keys changed this Quetelet index’s name to Body mass Index. Ancel keys used this formula for population studies, and he strongly opposed the use of this formula on individuals, but people still use this to measure their body composition. This BMI chart is very popular among insurance companies as they use this chart to determine life insurance rates. So as we can see, the purpose of BMI was never related to individual health.  We should not use BMI to determine body composition for many reasons. First, it does not differentiate between fat-free mass(lean muscle mass) and fat mass. Bone and muscles are denser than fat, so people with strong bones and a huge amount of lean muscle mass, such as some athletes, will have a high BMI. So, should they call them overweight or obese because they have a high BMI? I know many people who are obese according to this BMI chart, but they are incredibly fit and have a very low body fat percentage. Secondly, It does not apply to those who carry an unusual amount of muscle mass and are extremely short such as children.  Even the application of BMI for population studies has some limitations. It differs between different cultures and regions. For example, Mangolian people generally have a high BMI compared to Japanese people, but the prevalence of diseases is high among Japanese.    Older people and women tend to have more body fat percentage than younger men, even though they have the same BMI.  To conclude, if anyone wants to know his/her body composition, do not think of BMI as a reliable method. Far better methods or equipment available in the market can be used to determine body composition. Some reliable methods are the Skinfold calliper, bioelectrical impedance machine(Most gyms have one), and waist-to-hip ratio.  References Kuczmarski RJ, Flegal KM, Campbell SM, Johnson CL. Increasing prevalence of overweight among US adults. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1960 to 1991. JAMA. 1994; 272( 3): 205–211.  Ancel Keys, Flaminio Fidanza, Martti J Karvonen, Noburu Kimura, Henry L Taylor, Indices of relative weight and obesity, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 43, Issue 3, June 2014, Pages 655–665, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyu058  Frank Q. Nuttall, Body Mass Index: Obesity, BMI, and Health: A Critical Review. Nutrition Today. 2015; 50(3):117-128. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4890841/pdf/nt-50-117.pdf 

People who start exercising to lose weight prefer cardio over resistance training. No doubt, cardio helps lose weight, but cardio alone is not a good recipe for faster fat loss. So, the question is, what should a person do if his/her goal is to lose body fat? Let’s find out; Before looking at the research studies on this topic, it is essential to understand the difference between fat loss and weight loss. Our total body weight includes three things- Skeleton muscle mass( Including bones), water weight, and fat mass. Losing muscle mass and water weight is not considered healthy for us. For every overweight person, the aim should be lowering body fat percentage, not muscle mass or water weight. I generally do not recommend my clients check their weight on a weight scale because their total weight does not matter (with some exceptions). Instead, I ask them to check their body fat percentage at least once a month.  When we do high-intensity cardio, we sweat a lot. So if you check your weight on a weight scale immediately after a tough cardio session, you will see a slight reduction in your body weight because, through sweat, you lose a lot of body water. But this is a very short-term phenomenon because after drinking even a glass of water, your weight will come to normal. So sweating more does not mean more fat loss.  No doubt, a single high-intensity cardio session burns more calories than a resisting training session, but there is a catch. Resistance training helps us burn calories during that session and later that day, even at rest. Why? This happens because of the phenomenon called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). According to research, this EPOC can last up to 24-48 hours post-resistance training session. This does not happen after a cardio session unless you combine cardio with resistance exercises. Although the amount of calories we burn due to EPOC is not much, it can provide significant results in the long run. So, our goal isn’t just to burn calories but to reduce body fat levels.  The research study that supports aerobic training over resistance training for fat loss does not differentiate between fat loss and lean mass loss. According to this research study, aerobic training alone results in more fat loss than resistance training and resistance training plus aerobic training. But this research study did not consider the amount of lean muscle mass lost due to aerobic training.  A similar study conducted by scientists at Duke University on 196 obese or overweight men and women ranging from 18 to 70 years old split them into three groups: · Group one did three one-hour resistance training workouts per week · Group two jogged three days per week at a moderate intensity for about 45 minutes per session · Group three did both the resistance training and cardio workouts. Which group lost the most weight? It was group 2- the cardio-only group. But, this was the only group that lost muscle as well. On the contrary, group 3 (resistance plus cardio group) lost the fattest while also gaining muscles. One more benefit of gaining muscle mass is an increase in resting energy expenditure (REE). The more muscle you carry, the higher your resting energy expenditure (REE). Each kilogram of muscle uses at least 10 kcal per day. Suppose you gain 10kg muscle mass; your body will burn 100 extra calories daily, even at rest.  To conclude, we can say that a combination of resistance and aerobic training is the best way to lose fat and build muscles simultaneously. Jobanpreet Singh References Schoeller DA, Ravussin E, Schutz Y, Acheson KJ, Baertschi P, Jequier E. Energy expenditure by doubly labeled water: validation in humans and proposed calculations. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 1986; 250: R823–30.  Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R. Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr; 18(2):115-21.  Slentz CA, Houmard JA, Kraus WE. Modest exercise prevents progressive disease associated with physical inactivity. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 35: 18–23, 2007 [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 

Stretching before a workout is considered a must to properly warm up the muscles and joints, but the question here is what type of stretching should be performed before a resistance training workout? There are 3 types of stretching techniques: static, active, and dynamic. As the name suggests, static stretching is the process of passively taking a muscle to the point of tension and holding the stretch for 10-30 seconds. It does not involve joint movement, whereas active and dynamic stretching involves a joint range of motion. In this blog, I will only talk about static stretching and some controversies.  Why should we not perform static stretching before a workout? Some researchers have suggested that static stretching performed immediately before a workout may decrease muscular strength and power. Research on this topic is still in its developing stage. Still, there is mounting scientific evidence that static stretching decreases strength and power if performed immediately before a resistance training workout, and its effect can last up to 10 minutes. However, some research studies suggest that a periodized stretching program ( Performed after a workout) may increase vertical jump, power, and balance over time. And more surprisingly, static stretching before a workout is not proven to prevent any injury and reduce muscle soreness felt after a workout. The most likely reason why static stretching decreases power and strength is that holding a stretch for a particular period, commonly 30 seconds tires out the muscles.   In 2017, a study was conducted on participants who performed unilateral knee extension ( 4 sets to failure, twice per week for 10 weeks). Every participant performed leg extension on one leg without prior stretching, and on another leg, they did the same exercise after performing intense static stretching before the first set. The researcher found that strength gains were similar between conditions. Still, there was a greater increase in vastus lateralis cross-sectional area in the non-stretching leg. in simple terms, the non-stretching leg gained more muscle than the stretching leg because participants performed seven more reps on average on their non-stretching leg.  “Performing static stretching before weight training could also result in feeling weaker and less stable during training,” according to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  This study also found that static stretching, followed by a dynamic warm-up, resulted in poor performance, especially lower-body resistance training workouts. However, research is minimal on whether clients with known motion limitations react similarly to static stretching.    Static stretching after a workout? There is some evidence that static stretching after exercise is beneficial as it may reduce injury. It is always better to do these stretches when our muscles are warm-up and pliable. This could be during a yoga class or right after exercising. Post-exercise stretching also helps slow our breathing and bring our body to a resting state. How to warm up for your workout? What many people do to warm up for a resistance training workout is rather pointless. They spend 10-20 minutes on the treadmill, followed by stretching, resistance bands, jumping, bending, twisting, and so forth. Interestingly, most research studies that recommend warm-up before a workout to raise our muscle tissues’ temperature to make them less injury-prone were done on rabbits. These research studies found that “when rabbits’ muscles and joints are warm, they are less prone to injury.” We can not apply these studies to humans. It is still unclear whether “warming up our muscles before loading it actually makes it more injury resistant.” It does not mean you should not do a warm-up before a workout, but you don’t need to spend much time on it.  Indeed, warm-up may not help prevent an acute injury, but it can help prevent injury on the whole. It does so by improving our lifting technique. To clarify, that warm-up here does not mean running on a treadmill or jumping. It means performing a warm-up set with a light load or even body weight before your hard set. For example, performing one or two sets of bench presses with an empty bar before your hard set.  Performing warm-up sets increase blood flow to the muscles you are going to work out during that session. Let’s say it is your leg day, and you will do squats, leg presses, and hamstring curls in that session. I recommend you perform at least 2 warm-up sets before your actual hard set. It could be bodyweight, empty bar, or with a light load. For the next exercise, the leg press, you don’t need to perform any warm-up set because the major muscle groups involved are the same as the squats and are already warmed up. The same goes for the hamstring curl.  Conclusion You should avoid static stretching before a resistance training workout, as it can hinder your performance during that session. However, for people with severe motion limitations, static stretching may help regardless of its timing. Active and dynamic stretches are far better than static during the warm-up before a workout. Static stretching can be done either after a workout or on separate days. Performing 2-3 warm-up sets before hard sets are recommended. The biggest takeaway is that any stretching you do pre-training should not be intense enough or take place close enough to your working sets to negatively affect performance. References Matthews, M.  (2018). Bigger Leaner Stronger. Oculus Publishers. AJ, F., BJ, G., & PA, C. (2006). Does warming up prevent injury in sport? J Sci Med Sport, 214-220 Clark, Lucett, McGill, Montel, & Sutton. (2018). NASM essentials of personal training.Arizona: Cathy L. Esperti. 

BCAAs refer to branched-chain amino acids, namely leucine, Isoleucine, and valine. These three are essential amino acids, so we have to take them from our diet because they can not be made by the body. As we know, leucine directly stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which is why it is necessary for muscle building. Isoleucine is responsible for glucose metabolism in the body. Valine’s impact on muscle building is minimal when we compare it with Leucine and Isoleucine. Is there any benefit of taking BCAA in a supplement form? Let’s discuss this in detail. You probably see many people drinking water containing BCAA during their workouts in the gym. If you ask them why you are taking this supplement, you will get these answers- it boosts performance, helps in recovery, and reduce muscle soreness. And then, if you ask them how BCAA helps in all these things, I guarantee you that most of the time, you will not get any answer. They are just taking it because someone in their family or friends uses it or is highly influenced by supplement companies’ marketing campaigns. These companies believe in these supplements by pointing to the research studies that suggest using them and their benefits. Even when it comes to BCAAs, some research studies suggest it improves the immune system, reduce muscle soreness, and diminishes fatigue. Unfortunately, these studies are funded by these supplement companies or have many limitations. The research studies that support BCAAs supplementation were performed on untrained people in a fasted state and on a low-protein diet. Therefore, we can not apply these research studies to a healthy, active individual taking adequate dietary protein.   Researchers R. Rajendram & team, in their text, ‘Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition (https://bit.ly/3bxRUZH), suggests that, like essential amino acids, the human body must consume approximately 40, 20, and 19 mg/kg/day of leucine, valine, and isoleucine, respectively. Collectively, this amounts in total to approximately 5.5 g/day for a 70 kg adult. The best sources of these amino acids are red meat or dairy products. However, vegans can consume sufficient amounts to meet their needs by consuming soy protein and other vegetarian sources. In the typical Western diet, approximately 20 % of all dietary protein consists of the three BCAAs, making deficiency an exceptionally rare occurrence. One such study was conducted by the Study and Research of Aerospace Medicine on wrestlers (who weighed about 150 lbs) who were on a calorie-deficit diet and were taking 52 grams of BCAA per day. The study found that wrestlers who were supplemented with BCAA were able to preserve more muscle mass. The reason BCAA supplementation helped them preserve lean muscle mass was their meagre amount of protein intake during that research study. They were taking only 80 grams of protein per day. For a 150-pound wrestler, 80-gram protein was not even half of what he was supposed to take according to his body composition. So, BCAA supplementation is only helpful when the diet is restricted, and protein intake is inadequate. According to some researchers, people who train several hours a day might get some benefit from the BCAA supplement, but the evidence is not conclusive. Most people who train just 1 hour daily for 5 days per week do not need a BCAA supplement. We will get all the required amino acids from our regular diet, including dairy, meat, eggs, and whey protein.  The research study by Hulmi JJ and Lockwood suggests that “Branched-chain amino acids obtained through whole foods like meat, dairy, and eggs are more conducive than amino acid drinks.” A recent research study by scientists at the University of Arkansas found that BCAA supplementation has no positive effect on muscle growth. According to Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D. (author of science and development of muscle hypertrophy), “BCAAs can increase muscle protein synthesis, but supplementation is suboptimal to whole protein sources as whey and more expansive as well.”  A recent study on the post-exercise use of Branched-chain amino acids suggests that “it does not improve select markers of muscle damage/soreness compared to carbohydrate supplementation.”  Research studies performed on aerobic exercise such as cycling or sports( soccer) found that supplementation of BCAAs may reduce neural fatigue and preserve cognition later in the activity or sport. Still, its intake should be more than 50 grams to see any noticeable effect; that is too high for an average person.  On average, a 150lbs person needs only 5 grams of BCAAs per day that he can easily get from his diet. Kamal Patel, the founder of examine.com, says, ” Branched-chain amino acids are three essential amino acids that benefit muscle growth. However, supplementation is unnecessary for most people because they are at high levels, notably in animal protein”. A study on 21 older men and women found that a 51g amino acid mixture trended towards but was not significantly better than a placebo at reducing muscle soreness and fatigue. Mike Matthews suggests that (https://legionathletics.com/bcaa-supplement/) “a BCAA supplement is useful for preserving muscle while training in a fasted state. And in case you’re wondering why you can’t just use food, remember that food will spike your insulin levels, and you will no longer be in a fasted state. In fact, whey protein is more insulinogenic than white bread. BCAAs, on the other hand, have a smaller impact on insulin levels than food, which allows you to remain in a fasted state while you train.” A 2012 study in the Journal of Nutrition Science and Vitaminology by a Swiss research team led by Beat Knechtle (https://bit.ly/2QWyxjx) investigated the effect of BCAA supplementation on skeletal muscle damage and renal function during a 100km ultra-marathon run. 28 male athletes were divided into two groups. One took 50gm amino, of which 20gm was BCAA, and the other took a placebo. However, the researchers failed to see any improvement in performance, skeletal muscle damage, or renal function in the subjects.  Conclusion The above research studies and trials show that the BCAAs supplement is completely useless and a waste of

You probably heard a personal trainer or dietician saying this: you should eat many small meals in a day if you are trying to lose weight because it will boost your metabolism and help you control your appetite. It is true that when we eat something, our metabolism speeds up as our body starts digesting the food. So if we eat every 2-3 hours, our metabolism will stay elevated all the time, right?  This may seem plausible, but it doesn’t pan out in research studies. So let’s see what research has to say about it: The recommendation of eating 6-8 meals daily usually comes from IFBB professional bodybuilders or high-level sportsmen. Because of their high-calorie requirements and a tremendous amount of training every day, it is impossible for them to fulfill their calorie requirements in 2-3 meals. On the other hand, some world-class athletes have followed intermittent fasting and still gained a lot of success. A decent amount of research has already been conducted on pretty much everything from 1 meal per day all the way up to 17 meals per day. Some people will argue that some athletes taking 8-10 meals a day are much leaner and fitter than other athletes. It is a common-sense observation; they are not lean because they eat more frequently but because they do huge volumes and intensity of workouts every day.  Research Studies 1. Scientists at the French national institute of health and medical research reviewed several studies comparing the metabolic effect of different patterns ranging from 1 to 17 meals per day. They found no meaningful difference between a “few large meals and more small meals on metabolism because smaller meals cause short but frequent spikes in metabolism whereas few but larger meals cause fewer but larger spikes in metabolism.” Therefore, meal frequency has no significant effect when we view it in terms of 24-hour energy expenditure.  2. Scientists at the University of Ottawa conducted 8 weeks study on 16 obese adults (8 women and 8 men). Participants were randomized into two groups-  Group one ate 3 meals plus 3 snacks per day.  Group two ate only 3 meals per day. Both groups were on the same calorie-deficit diet for 8 weeks. However, after eight weeks, scientists found no significant difference in weight loss between both groups.         3.  A meta-analysis of 176 research studies ( out of which only 10 were relevant to meal frequency and weight loss) found “no significant relationship between meal frequency and weight loss.” 4.  A recently published research paper comparing 3 meals against 14 meals per day found no difference in carbohydrate and fat oxidation between LMF and HMF.  They also found that a low-frequency diet increases satiety and reduces hunger cravings.  5. According to a  research study conducted at the University of Missouri, “three versus six meals has no effect on weight loss, but an increase in protein intake reduces hunger cravings over the course of a day.”  6. Another similar study at the University of Kansas found that six meals reduced satiety and increased hunger, whereas 3 meals per day did quite the opposite. 7. In a 2015 meta-analysis study in the journal Nutrition Reviews, researchers Brad Schoenfeld, Alan Aragon, and James Krieger (https://bit.ly/2OEcVuI) state, “The positive relationship between the number of meals consumed and improvements in body composition were largely attributed to the results of a single study. Given that adherence is of primary concern concerning nutritional prescription, the number of daily meals consumed should be a personal choice if one’s goal is to improve body composition.” 8. According to Dr. Eric Helmes (The muscle and strength pyramid), “consuming between three to six meals per day is a way to go. When you start touching the low end (2-3 meals) or the high end ( more than six meals a day), you can potentially start running into issues with adherence”.                               On the other hand, some research studies claim that eating more frequently (4-5 meals a day) increases fullness and makes it easier for people to stick to their diets.   Conclusion It is clear from the research studies that meal frequency has no significant impact on weight loss. If you are on a calorie deficit, eating smaller meals frequently will not help you lose more weight than fewer larger meals. If your goal is weight loss, then it does not matter how many times you eat in a day but what matters is how many calories you are taking during those 24 hours. Regarding satiety or hunger, some people eat 3 meals a day while others like 4-5 meals daily. No one size fits all regarding how many times a person should eat to lose weight. If you like to eat 2-3 times a day, stick to it and ignore those stupid trainers who advise you to eat every 2-3 hours. There is no fastest way to lose weight. References Ohkawara, K., Cornier, M. A., Kohrt, W. M., & Melanson, E. L. (2013). Effects of increased meal frequency on fat oxidation and perceived hunger. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 21(2), 336–343. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20032  Kahleova, H., Lloren, J. I., Mashchak, A., Hill, M., & Fraser, G. E. (2017). Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2. The Journal of nutrition, 147(9), 1722–1728. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.244749 Munsters MJ, Saris WH. Effects of meal frequency on metabolic profiles and substrate partitioning in lean, healthy males. PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e38632. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038632. Epub 2012 Jun 13. PMID: 22719910; PMCID: PMC3374835. Palmer, MA, Capra S, Baines SK. Association between eating frequency, weight, and health. Nutr Rev. 2009 Jul;67(7):379-90. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00204.x. PMID: 19566598. Cameron JD, Cyr MJ, Doucet E. Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet. Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr;103(8):1098-101. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114509992984. Epub 2009 Nov 30. PMID: 19943985. Matthews, M. (2018). Bigger Leaner Stronger. Oculus Publishers. 

In the last few years, apple cider vinegar has been linked to treating and preventing countless ailments ranging from weight loss, chronic fatigue, headache, insect bites, acne, muscle soreness, kidney and stomach issues, digestion, and even cancer. This blog’s primary focus will be on the weight-loss claims surrounding apple cider vinegar on the internet. Before moving into research studies on apple cider vinegar, it is crucial to understand it, its production, and other nutritional information. Let’s start with its history. History and nutritional information The production and use of vinegar are ancient. The word vinegar comes from the French phrase vin aigre, meaning sour wine. Vinegar has been used to preserve food, medical purposes, and flavours throughout human history, but the origin of apple cider vinegar is unknown.  ACV is produced by the two-part fermentation of apples. First, apples are fermented into ethanol, mainly by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and then second, fermentation converts this cider into acetic acid. All other kinds of vinegar are produced in the same manner explained above but with different carbohydrate sources. ACV is mainly composed of water with 5-6% acetic acid, to which all the health claims are linked. It contains little to no amount of protein, fat, and potassium.  Weight loss In the last 1-2 years, apple cider vinegar has gained tremendous popularity because of its association with weight loss. “I lost 10kg in a month with ACV”, “Drink ACV to reduce weight in a week,” “best supplement to reduce fat,” and so on. If you search for apple cider vinegar on YouTube, you will probably see one or all of the abovementioned videos. Apple cider vinegar is not new; we have been using it since ancient times, but we have never used it for weight loss. Based on some animal-based studies and just one or two poorly conducted human studies, people started believing in the benefits of apple cider vinegar for weight loss.Some of these studies are mentioned below- A small study conducted in 2018 found that consuming vinegar did help in fat loss, but the weight loss reduction was minimal. This study was conducted on 155 obese people who were untrained and were on a calorie restriction diet (250 calorie deficit per day). These 155 participants were divided into 2 groups- group one had 15 ml of ACV with lunch and dinner every day, and the other did not have ACV during that 12 weeks of study. Remember, both the groups were on a calorie restriction diet that was 250 calorie deficit daily. After 12 weeks of study, researchers found that the group who had ACV with meals on average lost 4kg of body weight, and the group who were not drinking ACV had a 2.3 kg reduction in their body weight over the 12 weeks study period. Whether it is a manufacturing company or a social media influencer trying to sell you apple cider vinegar, it references the above research study. But if you read this study carefully, which most people don’t do, you will see many limitations this study has. They are as follows- First, this study was conducted on obese and untrained people, so we can not predict with certainty that ACV will have the same impact on healthy and trained people in terms of body composition.   Secondly, both groups were given nutritional advice, but there was no control over their food choices. And more importantly, they were self-reporting their food intake, which could be more or less from their actual intake by a significant margin. There is a possibility that the group who had ACV with meals was also consciously making good food choices compared to another group. So we do not know whether the higher weight loss reduction in the ACV group was actually due to ACV or healthy food choices.  Last but not least, the difference in weight loss was only 1.7kg between the groups. So the ACV group lost only 1.7 kg extra weight than the other group who did not have ACV over 12 weeks. Just think about this for a second, 1.7kg in 3 months. You can quickly lose this body weight by walking 5 minutes extra each day or drinking a black coffee 3-4 times per week.  So why waste money on this useless thing.  2. A similar study conducted in 2009 found that people who had ACV with meals consumed 200 fewer calories at the meal. However, this study did not observe the participants over time to notice any changes in body composition. 3. A Japanese trial on  175 obese adults found that one or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar can lead to fat loss, especially in the lower body, but this trial has many limitations. Even after 12 weeks of continuous intake of ACV, they lost just 4lbs which an obese person can easily lose by following basic nutrition and workout routine.                              It can be seen that there is clearly a lack of human data about the weight loss aspect of apple cider vinegar. Unfortunately, most studies that promote ACV for fat loss were conducted on rats, so we can not apply them to humans.  Satiety Satiety means a feeling of fullness after having a meal. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests a reduced food intake after consuming vinegar. The study was conducted on 12 healthy participants who were given vinegar with acetic acid on three different levels with white bread. Another group was given only white bread. The researchers found that the group with the highest dose of vinegar (28 grams with 6% acetic acid) with bread felt fuller than the group with just 18g of vinegar with bread. However, a study published in the International Journal of society found that vinegar’s appetite-suppressing effect was mainly because people felt nauseous after consuming the vinegar and not because of anything special in vinegar that suppresses hunger. So it is not clear whether vinegar directly suppresses appetite or not.  Side effects of ACV Excessive consumption of ACV may lead to the following complications-  Nausea