It鈥檚 easy to judge when you spot someone cruising out of your local coffee shop with an extra-caffeinated beverage in hand. The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal knows this all too well. He raised eyebrows earlier this year after paparazzi snapped a photo of his Starbucks order: a quad espresso with two extra shots, a drink a 鈥渕ethaccino.鈥�

But Pascal is far from the only person to use high levels of caffeine to kickstart the day鈥攐r to听enhance performance. suggests that about 74 percent of elite athletes use caffeine as a performance-enhancing tool before or during a sporting event. Endurance athletes are the most likely to do so. Studies also conclude that caffeine has positive effects on endurance (by up to , according to a 2021 study), on , and on both .

As a former cross-country runner in college, I get the allure. Several of my teammates and I regularly drank coffee before meets in an attempt to rev ourselves up and maybe听get a competitive edge.

But caffeine hits everyone differently. Therefore, it鈥檚 challenging to determine the exact amount needed to enhance your performance. Something like Pascal鈥檚 order, which has an estimated 450 milligrams of caffeine (a single shot of Starbucks espresso contains about ), could make some too jittery to perform well. For others, a methaccino might be optimal.

But I wanted to know if a) there was a way to calculate how much caffeine someone would need to see real improvement in their sport, and b) how to do it. To get those answers, I interviewed a caffeine researcher, sports dietitians, and a sports medicine physician.

Here鈥檚 what they had to say.

Is There a Form of Caffeine That Works Best?

鈥淔or the most part, athletes consume caffeine via direct supplementation, typically through sports supplements,鈥� says , a nutrition researcher and associate professor in the Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Science at Coventry University.

Caffeine in Liquid Form (Coffee and Energy Drinks)

According to Tallis, when caffeine is consumed in this medium, it enters the bloodstream almost instantly. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l hit peak blood levels about 30 to 45 minutes after consumption.鈥�

Pills and Powders

鈥淐affeine in pill or powder form provides a precise dose and is quickly absorbed, which is beneficial for timing performance,鈥� says , a nutritionist and board-certified sport specialist in dietetics at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

After you ingest caffeine in pill form, Tallis says it needs to be dissolved before it can be absorbed, which may take between ten and 30 minutes. Peak absorption happens around 45 to 60 minutes after consumption, he says.

Gum

Caffeinated gum or mouth rinse works the fastest because the oral mucosa absorbs it quickly, so it 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 need to be digested. 鈥淭hey can get you to peak blood levels in just five to 10 minutes,鈥� says Tallis.

Keep this in mind, though: caffeine probably won鈥檛 transform an average exerciser into a superstar. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unlikely to win you the race, but may give you a slight boost,鈥� says , a sports medicine doctor and professor in the Division of Sports Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Despite all the supplements with enticing advertising, most of them don鈥檛 actually work, says , a fitness nutrition specialist and personal trainer. 鈥淐affeine is one of the few exceptions.鈥�

How to Calculate the Amount of Caffeine That Will Improve Your Workouts

While the effects of caffeine on performance can vary, the way to calculate the amount is pretty clear-cut.

The (ISSN) reports that having three to six milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight has been shown to improve exercise performance.

Here鈥檚 the formula you can use:

1. First, calculate your weight in kilograms: since one pound equals 0.45 kg, multiply (your weight in pounds) x (0.45 kg) = your weight in kilograms.
2. To find the lower end of your optimal caffeine dosage: multiply (3 mg) x (your weight in kilograms)
3. To find your maximum dosage of caffeine: multiply (6 mg) x (your weight in kilograms)

In my case, I weigh 130 pounds (or 58.9 kilograms), so that means I may need between 177 and 353 milligrams of caffeine to boost my performance.

Could a Lower Dosage of Caffeine Work?

The ISSN also notes that it鈥檚 not clear how little caffeine someone would need to take to see an impact, but the amount may be as low as two milligrams per kilogram of body weight. (If I were to plug this into the above formula again, I might see some benefits if I consume around 117 milligrams of caffeine.)

鈥淥ptimal caffeine dosing is highly individualized,鈥� Tallis says. 鈥淐onsumers should start with a lower dose than recommended and monitor their response before increasing.鈥�

When鈥檚 the Best Time to Ingest Caffeine Before a Workout?

The ISSN says it depends. While most people supplement with caffeine 60 minutes before exercise, the right timing may depend on the source, with things like chewing gum taking less time to kick in than caffeinated capsules.

Too Much Caffeine Will Hurt Your Performance

Keep this important caveat in mind: per the , high doses of caffeine, around nine milligrams per kilogram of body weight, will likely have adverse effects on your performance. Using that formula again, my too-high caffeine limit would be 530 mg鈥攖hat鈥檚 about 18 percent more caffeine than what鈥檚 in Pascal鈥檚 methaccino.

Too much caffeine can easily make you feel sick,听鈥攁ll of which would throw a wrench in your performance. Anxiety might join the party, too, and disrupt your sleep. 鈥淔or athletes, poor sleep and heightened stress can reduce training quality and increase injury risk,鈥� Vavrek points out.

Don鈥檛 Exceed This Amount of Caffeine in a Day

Caffeine is usually safe for most healthy adults, but it may not be a good option for people with underlying health conditions like high blood pressure or those who take medications that may interact with caffeine, like drugs to treat asthma or heart conditions, Tallis says. That, combined with supplements being unregulated by the (FDA) before they hit the market, means it鈥檚 a good idea to check in with your doctor first if you鈥檙e interested in taking a caffeine supplement.

The recommends capping your caffeine intake at 400 milligrams a day, although that鈥檚 a blanket suggestion and is based more on amounts that are linked with side effects, Tallis says.

In the case of Pascal’s methaccino, the amount of caffeine it contains may be suitable for some people, especially those with a higher body weight and who typically tolerate caffeine well.

But, again, everyone is different. 鈥淓ven doses as low as three milligrams per kilogram can cause side effects in some individuals, including headaches, anxiety, insomnia, increased heart rate, and nausea,鈥� Tallis says. 鈥淭hese effects become more prevalent and severe at higher doses. It鈥檚 important to consider total daily caffeine intake, including dietary sources, as supplementation will add to this total.鈥�

Ultimately, it can take some tinkering to figure out the right amount of caffeine to boost your performance. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 best to start slow, if you want to try this at all. Gregory also recommends trying caffeine outside of important performance moments to see how you do first. 鈥淒on鈥檛 add something new on the day of a big race or game.鈥�

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Once again, TikTok has convinced me to try something that seems unappetizing. This time, that thing is: .

It’s not just influencers hyping up the lemonade; big brands like Popeyes added the briny beverage to their . Athletes are fans, too, as pickle juice helps and reduce cramping during long periods of physical activity.

I still wasn鈥檛 entirely sure if it was worth the hype, so I consulted with a few experts and made a batch myself. I brought it along with me on a 10K incline hike on a day that ended up being a scorching 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

My Trail Runner Friend Swears By Pickle Juice

The first person I reached out to was my friend , who is not only a trail runner but also a food editor and knows a thing or two about viral culinary trends.听She told me that while running the this past February, she accidentally forgot to pack electrolytes. Normally, she would have pushed through, but it was an extremely hot day in Arizona, which meant she was losing a lot of salt through her sweat.

鈥淏y mile 20, my legs were cramping and feeling completely fatigued. I knew it was because my body was losing too much salt,” Bilow shared with me.” So at the next aid station, I crammed like four pickles into my mouth to get as much salt as possible.”

Unfortunately, she was nearly at the finish line, so she didn鈥檛 experience that much of an energy boost.听 But she believes that if she had loaded up on pickles or pickle juice earlier, it could have made a big difference.

Pickles Are Electrolyte Powerhouses

Just half a cup of pickle juice has . According to the American College of Sports Medicine, endurance athletes should aim to get about per hour during long workouts.

For physically active people, consuming electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium is especially important because exercise causes them to be lost through sweat, says , a registered dietitian based in Boston, Massachusetts.

鈥淲ithout enough electrolytes, you may underperform, recovery can slow, and the risk of cramps and fatigue can increase,鈥� says , a registered dietitian based in New York City.

Pickle lemonade summer? Here鈥檚 how to make it: 鈥� 7 large organic lemons, at room temperature 鈥� 鈪� cup granulated sugar 鈥� 3 cups chilled, filtered water 鈥� 1 to 1录 cups dill pickle juice (see Tip), plus pickle spears for garnish 鈥� Ice, for serving Thinly slice 1 lemon, discard the seeds, and set aside for garnish. Roll the remaining lemons firmly against your counter top before juicing them in order to extract as much juice as possible. Quarter the lemons, then squeeze enough of the lemons into a measuring cup to get 1 cup of lemon juice. (A citrus juicer may be helpful here, if you鈥檝e got one.) Add the squeezed lemon peels and any unsqueezed lemon quarterspieces to a large jar, such as an 8-cup Mason jar, a wide pitcher or even a large bowl. Add the sugar to the lemon peel pieces in the jar and, using a wooden spoon or a muddler, muddle together until the sugar has mostly dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the jar, cover and shake vigorously (or stir, if your vessel 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 have a lid) to ensure the sugar has fully dissolved. Add the water, then add pickle juice to taste. Shake or stir to mix; then strain using a fine-mesh strainer. (To store, refrigerate up to 3 days.) To serve, pour into glasses over plenty of ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and a pickle spear. Tip: When choosing pickles for this recipe, look for refrigerated dill-flavored ones like Grillo鈥檚, for brighter flavors. Sweet bread and butter pickles, or other pickles that use too much garlic or other seasonings, might overpower the balance of acidity (lemon), sweetness (sugar) and saltiness (pickle brine). Depending on your pickle choice, you may need to adjust the sugar and lemon ratios.

Beyond electrolytes, this sour drink offers other perks, too. 鈥淟emons are a rich source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that may improve your immune system,鈥� says Pacheco. Plus, if you grab a jar of fermented pickles from the refrigerated section, you鈥檒l also get a dose of probiotics, which support overall gut health, she says.

How to Get the Most Out of This Pickle Lemonade, According to Nutritionists

One easy way to boost the electrolytes in this drink even more is by swapping the water for coconut water, says Rifkin. Depending on the brand you purchase, coconut water of sodium, manganese, and potassium.

, a registered dietitian based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suggests reducing the sugar in this recipe, especially if you鈥檙e prediabetic or diabetic or if you aren鈥檛 engaging in high-intensity physical activities. 鈥淔or an average active adult doing moderate activity for less than an hour, you can consider reducing the sugar to half or even a quarter of what鈥檚 in this recipe,鈥� she says.

At this point, I felt like I had a pretty clear game plan for how to turn this pickle lemonade into a drink that would fuel me through my hike. I used as a base and swapped in coconut water for regular water, used fermented pickles instead of regular ones, and opted for agave syrup over sugar.

How to Make Pickle Lemonade

Servings: 5 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Duration: 10 minutes

Pickle Lemonade Ingredients

• 7 large lemons
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1 to 1 录 cups
• 3 cups chilled,
• Ice, for serving

Recipe

1. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and pour it into a 32-ounce mason jar or a large pitcher.
2. Add the agave and use a whisk to combine everything.
3. Pour both the dill pickle juice and coconut water into the same mason jar or pitcher.
4. If you鈥檙e using a mason jar, seal it with a lid and give everything a good shake. If you鈥檙e using a pitcher, use a long wooden spoon to stir everything together.
5. Give it a quick taste and adjust the sweetener to your preference.
6. Serve over ice and garnish with a lemon or pickle slice. If you plan to take it on the go, chill it first. Then, pour it into an insulated water bottle to keep it cold during your adventure.

(Watch me make it in the video below!)

The Verdict: Refreshing, Tangy, and Surprisingly Fueling

After opening the weather app on my phone and seeing the temperatures climb to nearly one hundred degrees, I almost considered skipping my two-hour hike. But I was determined to see if this pickle lemonade would actually work, especially on a day when I knew I would be sweating profusely.

I loaded up two insulated water bottles: one with plain water and the other with ice-cold pickle lemonade. During the first 30 minutes of my hike, I consumed about one cup of pickle lemonade and saved the rest for after my hike. (FYI: I did sip water and ate a few snacks along the way.) Beads of sweat were falling from almost every crevice, but I refused to be deterred. While I was definitely sore when I got home, by the next morning, I was back to normal and ready to join my friends for a day at the lake.

As for the taste, let me preface by saying I absolutely love pickles, so I knew those flavors wouldn鈥檛 be an issue. The refreshing coconut water balanced out the sourness of the pickle and lemon juice, and the agave added just the right touch of sweetness to round it all out.

As someone who has a love-hate relationship with TikTok food trends, I was actually thankful this wonky pickle lemonade landed in front of me. It鈥檚 a fun, DIY route to load up on electrolytes without relying on a sugary sports drink.

While it鈥檚 definitely on the quirkier side, the recipe works鈥攏ot only in terms of flavor but also as a nourishing way to keep you fueled during summer adventures.

Also, pickle lemonade is a lot more delicious than throwing back plain pickle juice or munching on whole pickles.

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Everyone loves to hate on sugar. Do a quick internet search, and you鈥檒l see reams of hostile indictments of sugar from health nuts, influencers, athletes, and the media. At times, that has included the media outlet you鈥檙e reading right now.

A few years ago, I wrote a DIY electrolyte drink recipe for a print issue of Backpacker. Not surprisingly, the recipe contained sugar, which (and makes the otherwise salt-forward drink palatable). My editor鈥檚 feedback: 鈥淚sn鈥檛 sugar basically poison?鈥�

I used to think so. For about a decade, I avoided sugar like the plague. I only drank black coffee and plain water, and I convinced myself I liked sour yogurt and pancakes without syrup. I thought this was the noble and correct thing to do. After all, my friends often prefaced a dessert order with, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to be bad today,鈥� and a non-order with 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to be good.鈥� Sugar-free products were marketed as 鈥済uilt-free.鈥� There was a subtle, implied morality to not eating sugar. Then there were the not-so-subtle headlines. Reputable websites ran (and continue to run) stories saying that sugar causes cancer, rots your teeth, is linked to diabetes and heart disease, and is as addictive as cocaine.

So, I kept it out of my diet. I was convinced sugar would make me sick. But as it turned out, avoiding sugar made me sicker.

The Impact of Severe Sugar Restriction

Because I was restricting my sugar intake, I thought about sweets all the time. I had constant cravings. Whenever I did indulge, some switch flipped in my brain, and I lost all semblance of self-control. A slice of cake would turn into three. A single cookie would turn into the whole box. We call that .

For a while, I was convinced that sugar was again the root of the problem, and that I must suffer from . I told myself I was a junkie, and that if I could just have more willpower鈥攊f I could stop being so goddamned weak鈥擨 could go cold turkey and kick my 鈥渁ddiction鈥� for good.

My diet got progressively stricter. Then it turned into an eating disorder.

The disorder鈥攂rought on partly by stress and partly by societally induced fears around food and weight gain鈥攕tuck with me for about a decade. I tried therapy. I exercised more, and then less. I experimented with different diets. I took vitamins and supplements. I tried everything I could think of, but the sugar obsession remained. At some point, I realized that maybe it wasn鈥檛 the sugar that was the problem鈥攎aybe it was the restriction of the sugar.

Human beings want what we can鈥檛 have. We鈥檝e evolved to respond to scarcity with obsession. If your brain thinks something isn鈥檛 available to you, it鈥檚 wired to seek that thing out鈥攅specially when that thing is an energy-dense food. And, most of the time, your brain 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 know the difference between 鈥淚 can鈥檛 have this because I鈥檝e put myself on a diet,鈥� and 鈥淚 can鈥檛 have this because we鈥檙e in a famine, and this food is in critical shortage, and if I鈥檓 going to survive I need to find it right now.鈥�

While most Americans do not have full-on eating disorders like I did (around of people in the U.S. struggle with one), many people, , are on the spectrum of disordered eating. Obsession over a specific food type, feeling like some foods are “safe foods” and others are evil or scary, constant low-level hunger, and irrepressible thoughts about what you just ate or what your next snack is going to be鈥攊.e., 鈥溾�濃�攁re all symptoms of some kind of wonky relationship with food. My food problems were on the severe end of the spectrum, but these are patterns millions of people struggle with. And after ten years of trying various methods to get over them, there was only one thing that worked: I started eating tons of sugar.

How Bad Is Sugar Really?

When I embarked upon the high-sugar diet, I thought it might cure my eating disorder. In theory, that would improve my stress, clear up my skin, make me less depressed, and . But with all the anti-sugar research out there, it’s easy to wonder: Was I just digging myself a different grave with a new shovel?

Let鈥檚 start with the dental woes. It鈥檚 true that sugar can . However, so can other simple carbohydrates, including cheese puffs, chips, crackers, and other ultra-processed foods. Also, my dentist told me that if I brush my teeth after I eat sugar, I can pretty much eat as much as I want without rotting my teeth. So that鈥檚 cool.

It鈥檚 also true that high sugar consumption has been linked to obesity and heart disease. However, it鈥檚 difficult to draw lines of causation there. That鈥檚 because high sugar consumption is also positively correlated with poverty, low socioeconomic status, and poor access to healthcare鈥攁nd we know for a fact that all these things have a greater effect on health outcomes than any one feature of the diet.

Sugar is also linked to diabetes, but again indirectly: weight gain is a stronger predictor of the development of Type II diabetes, and weight gain is generally 鈥攏ot necessarily by the consumption of any one food. Plus, have been dropping over the last decade, but rates of obesity are still going up. That means sugar intake and extreme weight gain may not be as tightly correlated as we thought.

There鈥檚 also no scientific evidence that sugar is physically addictive. Remember the 鈥渃ocaine is as addictive as sugar鈥� headline? That media storm was fueled by a handful of 2014 studies done on rats. Some of the rats did exhibit addiction-like behavior, but only when their . When they were given as much sugar as they wanted, they didn’t care about it much. When they felt it was off-limits to them most of the time, they went nuts upon receiving a brief window of access. Sound familiar?

The other problem with dieting and restriction is that it causes a lot of stress. Calorie counting, worrying about what you just ate, worrying about what you鈥檙e going to eat next, and guilting yourself for falling off the bandwagon are all sources of chronic stress.

In one 50-year study of middle-class Finnish men, dubbed the , hundreds of participants were given a health and fitness routine to stick to for decades, while hundreds of others were left to their own devices. The study examined all kinds of metrics about their health and wellness during this time. But the unignorable pattern in the data was this: Those who were given a health and fitness regime to stick to died earlier. The researchers were stunned. They ultimately concluded that the stress of sticking to such a regime鈥攐n top of maintaining family obligations and high-powered careers鈥攚as likely enough to impact the participants鈥� longevity.

So, where does this leave us? We can probably conclude that strict or restrictive diets aren鈥檛 good for most people. We can also say that sugar likely isn鈥檛 great for you, either. But we can鈥檛 say that it鈥檚 poison. The science is just too fuzzy. But if that鈥檚 the case, then why is there so much information out there demonizing sugar?

Why We All Love to Hate Sugar

There鈥檚 been some level of societal repulsion around sugar ever since the Victorian days. Like dancing, parties, or premarital sex, sugar was seen as excessive and therefore sinful. So, there鈥檚 some of that prejudice lurking in the background. But also, it鈥檚 just having a bit of a moment, the same way dietary fat did a few decades ago.

鈥淒ietary fat was the demonized nutrient of choice in the 90s,鈥� says Katie Barylski, a Colorado-based registered dietitian. 鈥淲hen people started focusing on lowering their fat intake, they started eating a lot more sugar because they needed some way to flavor their food. That naturally led to an increased focus on sugar, which led to more research.鈥� Sometimes, more research on a particular nutrient is a good thing. But not every study produces clear results with robust methodologies. Often, you get a sea of complex or not-so-significant findings, too, which sometimes get spun up into misleading headlines. That鈥檚 especially true when the topic is nutrition, an topic humans particularly love to obsess over.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of fear-mongering around sugar now,鈥� Barylski says. 鈥淪ome of it is founded. But there鈥檚 also a lot we don鈥檛 know.鈥�

My Box-of-Cookies-a-Day Diet

About three years ago, I got fed up with feeling insane around food. Cookies were a particular trigger. So, I decided to eat a box of cookies every day until they didn鈥檛 feel magical and forbidden anymore. It took a lot of cookies. No, it wasn鈥檛 that fun. Yes, I gained weight. But that wasn鈥檛 the point. The point was that I went into the experiment knowing I would do anything to feel sane again鈥攊ncluding having to buy all new pants. At the end of the experiment, I did. But I also got what I wanted: I could eat a donut without wanting to eat the whole box. I could eat half a piece of cake without obsessing over it for the rest of the night. I could have a cookie and put the box back in the cupboard and completely forget it was there. More importantly, because food had become neutral, I could finally work out and and play outside just because I wanted to鈥攏ot because I felt like I had to burn off some 鈥渟in鈥� from the night before.

I no longer eat a box of cookies every day. (It鈥檚 really not that fun after a while.) But I still eat much more than the 听daily limit听 of 50 grams of sugar a day. I probably eat double that. And you know what? I鈥檓 happier and healthier than when I was on my black-coffee-and-plain-yogurt diet. I sleep better, I鈥檓 less stressed, and my energy levels are much higher. I haven鈥檛 binged in years, or packed my lunch to a party to avoid snacking, or white-knuckled my way through a friend-group dinner because I was afraid I鈥檇 give in to a craving. My athletic performance (as measured by ultramarathon times and ) has also improved.

But is my current sugar consumption healthy? I asked Barylski.

鈥淚f someone were worried about whether there鈥檚 an overrepresentation of added sugars in their diet, I would wonder about their energy levels over the course of the day,鈥� she says. 鈥淎re they noticing significant dips in energy levels? What are their moods looking like?鈥�

The immediate symptoms of eating too much sugar (for your particular body) are mood swings and energy slumps, which indicate that there might be some hormonal implications related to the blood-sugar spikes. But if those things aren鈥檛 happening, and the rest of the body is functioning pretty well, Barylski says, there鈥檚 not a ton of reason to worry about it.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e eating a diet that otherwise features a wide variety of different foods, we don鈥檛 really know what the long-term impacts of higher sugar intake are,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really, really hard to isolate the impact of a single nutrient. Plus, how your sugar intake affects you is not going to be the same for every person eating that amount of sugar.鈥�

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

There is some current research demonstrating that certain types of sugars鈥攍ike fructose, especially as it appears in high-fructose corn syrup鈥攁re metabolized by the body differently, and therefore could have more negative long-term impacts, . But does that mean you should pore over nutrition labels and stress yourself out trying to avoid particular types of sugar? Barylski says, probably not.

鈥淚 think we are too stressed about sugar,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 find it helpful to talk about the negative consequences of sugar and to solely recommend people focus on eliminating sugar from their diets. Sugar is a huge part of our celebrations and our experience as human beings. And, it鈥檚 not always bad for you. Period.鈥�

Plus, active people can get away with eating significantly more sugar than the average person.

鈥淎thletes metabolize sugar more efficiently,鈥� Barylski says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the adaptations that occur to maintain and sustain certain levels of endurance activity. They usually need more sugar, and often need more sources of simple, straightforward sugars, particularly before, during, and after exercise.鈥�

So, instead of focusing on sugar, which we don鈥檛 have a huge amount of conclusive evidence about, Barylski says it鈥檚 better to focus on the behaviors that we do have tons of research on:

鈥淭hat鈥檚 eating fruits and vegetables, not smoking, drinking no more than a moderate amount of alcohol, and having a movement practice,鈥� Barylski says. Do that, and you鈥檙e probably going to be just fine.

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You鈥檇 have a hard time finding any serious endurance athlete in 2025 who thinks protein 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 matter. Gone are the carb-centric days of pasta and Gatorade and nothing else. But figuring out how much protein runners, cyclists, and other endurance junkies actually need鈥攁nd when they need it鈥攔emains a work in progress.

I鈥檝e grappled with these questions a few times recently鈥攊n a piece busting some common protein myths, and in another discussing the idea of maximum protein intake. But now a in Sports Medicine, from a research team led by Oliver Witard of King鈥檚 College London, offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge. Witard and his colleagues focus on two key questions. First, how much protein do endurance athletes need on a daily basis to stay healthy and optimize long-term training adaptations? And second, what role can the tactical use of protein play in speeding up short-term recovery and boosting performance?

Protein for the Long Term

Government guidelines currently recommend getting at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) each day. For someone who weighs 150 pounds, that works out to 55 grams of protein. For reference, a standard 5-ounce can of tuna has about 20 grams of protein.

There are two main problems with this guideline, however. First, it鈥檚 intended to be the minimum required to stay healthy, not the optimal amount to maximize performance. Second, it was formulated using a measurement technique that involves tracking the amount of nitrogen being consumed and excreted from the body, which some scientists believe underestimates protein needs. A newer approach called the 鈥�,鈥� which involves labeling one specific type of amino acid with a carbon isotope to see how quickly it鈥檚 burned, gives higher numbers and is also more practical for testing specific populations like athletes.

The usual argument for getting lots of protein is that it provides the building blocks鈥攁mino acids鈥攆or building new muscle. That鈥檚 important for strength training, but endurance athletes need it for other reasons. One is that these building blocks are used to repair the muscle damage incurred by hard training: the longer and harder you run, the more damage you incur, and more protein you presumably need for repairs.

During prolonged exercise, your body also starts burning amino acids for fuel. The amounts are generally small, and how much you burn depends on the nature of the exercise and what else you鈥檙e eating, but in some cases 5 to 10 percent of the fuel you need for a given workout is provided by protein. If you鈥檙e training hard, you鈥檒l need to eat extra protein to replace those losses.

There are some more subtle possibilities, too. Muscle isn鈥檛 the only part of the body that鈥檚 built from protein. One of the key adaptations athletes gain from endurance training is an increase in the amount of protein in the mitochondria, where cellular energy is generated. The more protein in the mitochondria, the more efficiently it creates energy. A few studies have sought to听 figure out whether eating more protein boosts the mitochondrial response to exercise. The results so far haven鈥檛 been convincing, but it鈥檚 still an open question.

Witard and his colleagues pooled data from various indicator amino acid studies to assess protein needs for endurance athletes under various conditions. Here are some of the key numbers:

The indicator amino acid data suggests that even untrained people need about 1.2 g/kg of protein per day, 50 percent more than the FDA鈥檚 recommended daily intake of 0.8 g/kg. And endurance athletes need another 50 percent more than untrained people, with a level of 1.8 g/k/g ensuring that 95 percent of people are getting all the protein their bodies can use. In comparison, using the same indicator amino acid method find that resistance-trained athletes need somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 g/kg per day, raising the possibility that endurance athletes might actually need more protein than lifters.

There鈥檚 an important point to bear in mind, though: endurance athletes also tend to eat a lot more than the average person, which means they automatically get more protein. among American adults averages 1.25 g/kg for men and 1.09 g/kg for women, pretty close to the overall target of 1.2 g/kg for untrained people. In comparison, found that endurance athletes average 1.4 to 1.5 g/kg鈥攏ot quite at the 1.8 g/kg level, but not that far away.

There are some other nuances in that graph. Data on male-female differences is very sparse, but there are some hints that women might require more than men relative to their body weight. That might be particularly true during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, since progesterone can affect protein burning. Witard and his colleagues make a blanket recommendation that both male and female endurance athletes should aim for 1.8 g/kg, but they throw in the speculative possibility that females 鈥渕ay consider鈥� upping it to 1.9 g/kg during the luteal phase of their cycle.

Short-Term Protein Tactics

The big surprise in the data above is that endurance athletes seem to use more protein on their rest days than on training days. This finding has popped up in , and it鈥檚 definitely not what the scientists were expecting. It鈥檚 possible that there鈥檚 some quirk of metabolism that鈥檚 skewing the measurements used to assess protein needs when you try to compare exercise and non-exercise days.

But it鈥檚 also possible that the effect is real鈥攖hat when you give your body a break, its repair and adaptation mechanisms kick into overdrive and thus use more protein than usual. If this is true, it鈥檚 an argument for upping your protein intake on rest days: Witard and co. suggest aiming for 2.0 g/kg. And on a more fundamental level, it鈥檚 an argument for including true rest days in your training program periodically, since they seem to trigger recovery processes that don鈥檛 happen on normal training days. At this point, I鈥檇 say the jury is still out on whether the effect is real.

Either way, the researchers suggest aiming for 0.5 g/kg of protein following exercise to help repair any muscle damage incurred during the workout. For a 150-pound person, that鈥檚 34 grams of protein, which is what you鈥檇 get in a substantial meal with a good protein source. How soon is 鈥渁fter exercise鈥�? I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any convincing data that says it has to be immediately after. Your next meal is fine鈥攗nless your workout was after dinner and you鈥檙e planning to head to bed, in which case you should make a special effort to get some protein in.

The data also suggests that athletes use more protein when they鈥檙e training in a carbohydrate-depleted state. In this case, we鈥檙e not talking about a consistently low-carb diet, but rather doing certain training sessions in a low-carb state to help the body adapt to burning fat more efficiently. There鈥檚 decent evidence that protein can help power these workouts, and Witard suggests taking in 10 to 20 grams of protein before and/or during this type of session.

This idea of using protein to compensate for low carbs also connects to one of the most hotly debated ideas about protein for endurance athletes. There have been various research-backed claims over the years that adding protein to a sports drink that you consume during a race or training session will enhance your performance, and that taking in some protein in the immediate post-workout window will speed up the rate at which you refill the carbohydrate stores in your muscles.

All these claims, Witard and his colleagues argue, are the result of studies where the subjects didn鈥檛 get enough carbohydrates. If you鈥檙e meeting your carb needs, adding protein to a sports drink will neither boost your performance nor accelerate your muscle refueling. There may be exceptions for ultra-endurance events, which haven鈥檛 been well-studied and have somewhat different metabolic challenges compared to a marathon. But the researchers鈥� final conclusion is a reminder that for endurance athletes, despite protein鈥檚 current popularity, carbohydrate is still king.

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Getting through a full workout is tough when you haven鈥檛 properly fueled up. If you find that you鈥檙e regularly struggling with energy levels, it鈥檚 fair to wonder if you鈥檙e eating at the right frequency for your needs.

Some swear by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day, while others say it鈥檚 better to stick with three meals that are more substantial. Dietitians say there isn鈥檛 one hard and fast strategy that applies to everyone, but there are several factors to consider when choosing an eating plan for yourself. Here鈥檚 what nutrition experts have to say.

How, Exactly, Does Food Help Athletic Performance?

鈥淔ood plays a crucial role in athletic performance by providing the necessary energy, nutrients, and support for optimal bodily functions during training, competition, and recovery,鈥� says , a registered dietitian and certified sports specialist in dietetics at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

But specific elements in foods make a difference, Vavrek says. They鈥檙e called macronutrients, and they鈥檙e the nutrients your body needs in larger amounts to function properly.

For optimal performance, Stephani Johnson, nutrition researcher and adjunct professor in the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University, says your body relies on three major macronutrients: carbs, fats, and proteins.

Is It Better to Eat Throughout the Day or to Have a Few Big Meals?

The resounding answer from dietitians? 鈥淚t depends.鈥� Still, many are partial to a particular eating strategy. 鈥淔rom an athletic standpoint, eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is generally better than consuming fewer large meals,鈥� Johnson says.

Vavrek agrees. 鈥淓ating throughout the day helps maintain energy levels, optimize muscle recovery, improve performance, prevent muscle breakdown, and support overall health,鈥� she says. The (ISSN) also supports the practice of 鈥渘utrient timing,鈥� which involves eating certain nutrients throughout the day to support exercise needs.

But , senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, argues that your diet depends on what you鈥檙e training for. If you favor workouts that require short bursts of energy, like sprinting, Hunnes considers fueling throughout the day to be 鈥渃ompletely unnecessary.鈥� But she concedes that people who focus on endurance sports may do better with eating throughout the day to keep energy levels up and replenish glycogen stores.

Some may even benefit from a mix of both strategies. 鈥淚 prefer a little bit of each: a few bigger meals, but having some snacks in between,鈥� says Olivia Morgan, a Mass General Brigham registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, adding that athletes shouldn鈥檛 have gaps of more than four to five hours between eating times. Longer than that, and you run the risk of the body breaking down muscle, which will work against your athletic goals.

How to Eat Throughout the Day for Improved Athletic Performance

Eating throughout the day 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 necessarily mean constantly snacking鈥攖here is strategy involved. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to focus on nutrient timing and a balanced intake of macronutrients,鈥� Vavrek says. She recommends aiming to eat every three to four hours to maintain energy levels, support muscle repair, and prevent long periods without nutrients.

Tailoring Your Daily Meals to Your Exercise Plans

Whether you鈥檙e eating smaller or larger meals, what you鈥檙e eating matters. 鈥淔or athletes, meals should have a balance of all macronutrients,” says Vavrek. She recommends that the macronutrient breakdown of each meal should look as follows: 45 to 65 percent carbs, 15 to 35 percent protein, and 20 to 35 percent fats.

For Aerobic Exercise

The type of exercise you do is relevant, too. For intense aerobic exercise, Johnson suggests having a small, easily digestible snack with carbs to fuel your body during exercise, like a banana, dried fruit, or yogurt (if you can tolerate dairy close to a workout).

For Workouts Less Than 60 Minutes

If you鈥檙e exercising for under an hour,听 you should be fine just drinking water during your workout, says Johnson.

For Workouts That Exceed One Hour

If you鈥檙e doing higher-intensity workouts over 60 minutes, eating between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrates an hour can help to keep your energy levels up. And for exercise longer than 90 minutes? Johnson recommends supplementing those carbs with electrolytes.

For After Your Workout

Post-workout, Johnson suggests a snack or meal that includes 鈥攍onger chains of sugar molecules that digest slowly to give drawn-out energy and prevent blood sugar spikes鈥攖o help replenish glycogen stores and protein to promote muscle recovery. An apple with nut butter or a slice of turkey on a whole wheat tortilla are ideal menu items.

For Strength Training Days

For strength training sessions, Johnson suggests having 15 to 25 grams of protein one to three hours before your workout to help prevent muscle breakdown and support recovery. After you’ve completed your workout, consume 20 to 40 grams of protein within half an hour to two hours to boost muscle building, improve recovery, and reduce soreness.

For Easy Workout and Active Recovery Days

But if your workouts are more laid-back, you don鈥檛 necessarily need to be all that strategic about your eating. 鈥淪omeone who is working out leisurely would not need to fuel throughout the day or necessarily change much about what they’re doing,鈥� says Hunnes.

If You Prefer Eating Big Meals During the Day, Do This

If you prefer to have larger meals or it鈥檚 all that your schedule allows for, Vavrek says there is still strategy involved. 鈥淭he goal is to consume the necessary macronutrients to fuel the body for training, support recovery, and optimize overall performance,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ry to avoid skipping meals and consume at least three meals a day to prevent going too long without eating.鈥� Vavrek adds that all meals should still be balanced and include all macronutrients and food groups.

Timing is also essential. 鈥淧re-workout meals should be consumed one to three hours before exercise,鈥� Vavrek says, noting that pre-exercise meals should lean heavily into carbohydrates. 鈥淎fter a workout, aim for a balanced meal within one to two hours.鈥�

Pro tip: You can also pre-load your meals if you have a race or event coming up. 鈥淓ating a lot of carbs the night before鈥攈ealthy carbs such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables鈥攁nd then perhaps a smaller pre-race meal of faster-digesting carbs, a banana, and a small amount of peanut butter,鈥� can be helpful,鈥� Hunnes says.

Signs You鈥檙e Not Fueling Yourself Correctly

You can feel wiped out fast when you鈥檙e not fueling the right way. 鈥淲e call it 鈥榯he bonk,鈥欌�� Morgan says. 鈥淵our body kind of runs out of that fuel, and you get feelings of weakness, like you can鈥檛 go on any further.鈥�

Hunnes says that soreness that lasts longer than normal and feeling unable to keep up your normal activity levels for days in a row are also signs you鈥檙e not getting the proper nutrition.

Experiencing mental and physical fatigue here and there can be a challenging annoyance, but attempting to muscle through energy depletion can take a toll on your body. 鈥�Chronic energy deficiency in athletes can lead to long-term health consequences such as low bone mineral density, nutrient deficiencies, and hormone dysfunction,鈥� Vavrek says.

The International Olympic Committee has several on proper fueling for athletes, each broken down by easy, moderate, and hard workout days to make the guidance even easier to follow. Morgan also suggests meeting with a sports dietitian if your budget and/or health insurance allow for it.

If the dietitian route isn鈥檛 an option, Morgan suggests taking a moment to think about when you鈥檙e hungry during the day and when you typically exercise. 鈥淎re you prioritizing fueling before your workouts?鈥� she asks. 鈥淎nd how frequently are you eating throughout the day?鈥�

While it鈥檚 generally recommended that you eat smaller meals throughout the day for athletic performance, dietitians acknowledge that this approach isn鈥檛 for everyone.

As Morgan succinctly puts it: 鈥淓verybody is different.鈥�

Want more of听国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?听.

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With long weekends and warm weather rolling in, you鈥檒l find me outdoors every chance I get. Honestly, I prefer glamping, but even that takes a little grit and planning. As the go-to foodie, I鈥檓 constantly tasked with prepping something hearty to energize myself and those I’m with through any planned outdoor activity. Over the years, I鈥檝e become a massive fan of skewer recipes. They check all the boxes: protein, fats, carbs, and are easy to grill or cook over a campfire.

Beyond their nutritional value, skewers win on simplicity. You can literally put anything on a stick and create endless flavor combinations.

Why High-Protein Skewers Are an Outdoor 国产吃瓜黑料 Must-Have

Hiking, swimming, kayaking, and camping are exhilarating but exhausting. Increasing your protein intake has several benefits.

Immune Support

As great as being outdoors is, Mother Nature can expose you to some not-so-great things, such as tick-borne illnesses, disease-carrying mosquitoes, or rabid animals. 鈥淧rotein can support the immune system (amino acids are essential for building immune proteins like ), helping protect you from whatever you may be exposed to outdoors,鈥� says , a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Richmond, Virginia.

Faster Recovery

Even if you do everything possible to avoid injuries, being out in nature can be unpredictable. If you trip, twist an ankle, or get scraped up, eating high-protein skewers can help support your body鈥檚 recovery. 鈥淧hysical activities such as hiking and camping exert stress on muscles,鈥澨� says , a registered dietitian based in Honolulu, Hawaii. 鈥淧rotein facilitates muscle repair and recovery, which is crucial for anyone engaging in these [physically] demanding activities.鈥�

Lots of Energy

Eating meals high in protein provides a steady release of energy, says McAllister. 鈥淭his helps maintain stamina during prolonged periods of exertion,鈥� she says. You鈥檒l benefit from having a high-protein skewer before kicking off your camping adventures鈥攐r even at dinner to help you recharge for the next day, she says.

4 Hearty, Protein-Dense Skewer Recipes

It鈥檚 easy to toss random fridge scraps on a stick and call it a skewer. But with a little intention, you can build flavorful combos that keep you full and fueled for every step of your adventure.

I鈥檝e put together four skewer recipes that, aside from being utterly delicious, will help you meet your protein needs. I also checked in with nutrition pros to back up how these handhelds can help power you through your journeys outdoors.

The best part? You can prep them ahead of time. Just pack them in a cooler until you鈥檙e ready to cook them at your campsite or outdoor gathering.

Something to keep in mind: when cooking over an open campfire flame, you鈥檒l want to use a grill grate, , or opt for a . If you need some cooking tips, check out .

1. Coconut-Turmeric Chicken and Butternut Squash Skewers

Servings: 6 skewers

Duration: 30 min (plus 30 minutes of marinating)

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast (cut into one-inch pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash (cut into thin chunks)
• 1 red onion (cut into large chunks)
• 2 medium zucchinis (sliced into 陆-inch-thick rounds)
• 1/2 cup (melted)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (minced)
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 2 tablespoons turmeric
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons
• 2 limes (juiced)

Recipe

1. Whisk together all the ingredients (except the chicken, butternut squash, zucchini, and red onion) in a small bowl until well combined.
2. Place the chicken, butternut squash, zucchini, and red onion in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
3. Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Once marinated, thread the chicken, squash, and red onion onto or , alternating between the ingredients.
5. Grill the kebabs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade, until thoroughly cooked and slightly charred鈥攁bout 10 minutes on each side.

A Nutritionist’s Verdict: Protein-Rich and Full of Fiber

You鈥檒l get around 23 grams of protein by filling your skewers with at least three ounces of chicken breast, says , registered dietitian nutritionist based in Denver, Colorado. And if you want to bump that protein intake up even further, you can pair it with a Greek yogurt dipping sauce, says Lane.

The veggies add even more nutritional perks, too, says Burgess. 鈥淭he butternut squash adds fiber to support digestion and vitamin A to promote healthy vision and immune function, plus a hint of natural sweetness to round it all out.鈥�

2. Citrus-Honey Glazed Halloumi, Tomato, and Zucchini Skewers

Servings: 6 skewers

Duration: 15 min (plus 30 minutes of marinating)

Ingredients

• 16 ounces Halloumi cheese (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 2 medium zucchinis (sliced into 陆-inch-thick rounds)
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup whole grain mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Recipe

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, salt, mustard, and honey until everything is well blended.
2. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette is smooth and fully combined.
3. Place the Halloumi, zucchini, and tomatoes in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the vinaigrette, reserving the rest for later.
4. Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
5. Once marinated, thread the Halloumi (handle it gently so it 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 fall apart), zucchini, and tomatoes onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
6. Grill the kebabs over medium heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the reserved vinaigrette. Cook for about five minutes per side, or until grill/char marks appear and the zucchini is tender.

A Nutritionist’s Verdict: Protein Powerhouse and Great for Immunity

Just one ounce of Halloumi provides seven grams of protein, says Burgess. Lane recommends adding three to four one-ounce pieces of Halloumi per skewer, which provides about 21 to 28 grams of protein per stick. 鈥淗alloumi provides protein for muscle repair and energy, along with calcium for bone and muscle health, which helps support physical activities like hiking and carrying gear,鈥� says McAllister.

The vegetables also play a helpful role. Zucchini鈥檚 fiber supports digestion, says McAllister, while tomatoes contribute vitamin C and K to boost the immune system, she says.

(Click the video above to follow along as the writer makes the Halloumi, tomato, and zucchini skewers. Video by Ashia Aubourg)

3. Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Creamy Avocado Skewers

Servings: 6 skewers

Duration: 15 min (plus 30 minutes of marinating)

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 3 avocados (cut into large chunks)
• 1 red onion (cut into large chunks)
• 2 limes (juiced)
• 3/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Recipe

1. Mix all the ingredients together (except the shrimp, avocado, and red onion) in a small bowl to create a marinade.
2. Place the shrimp, avocado, and red onion in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
3. Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Once marinated, place the shrimp, avocado, and red onion onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
5. Grill the kebabs over medium heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade, until the shrimp is cooked and slightly charred鈥攖hree minutes on each side.

A Nutritionist’s Verdict: Heaps of Protein and Loaded with Healthy Fats

Three ounces of shrimp pack nearly 20 grams of protein, says Burgess. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a high-protein seafood that cooks fast,鈥� says McAllister, perfect when you want quick, fire-ready ingredients.

Avocado brings even more to the table, says McAllister, offering healthy fats for lasting energy, fiber for digestion, and vitamin E to support immune health. Together, this skewer delivers big on flavor, nutrition, and fuel.

4. Sticky Maple Ginger Tofu and Pineapple Skewers

Servings: 6 skewers

Duration: 15 min (plus 30 minutes of marinating)

Ingredients

• 32 ounces firm tofu (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 陆 cups fresh pineapple (cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 1 red bell pepper (cut into large chunks)
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 2/3 cup or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (minced)
• 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Recipe

1. Mix all the ingredients together (except the tofu and pineapple) in a small bowl.
2. Place the tofu and pineapple in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
3. Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Once marinated, place the tofu and pineapple onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
5. Grease the grill with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the kebabs over medium heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade, about seven minutes on each side.

A Nutritionist’s Verdict: An Excellent Source of Vegan Protein and Fiber

Hikers who follow plant-based diets should definitely try this recipe, says McAllister. 鈥淭ofu provides vegan protein (nearly 6 grams per ounce), calcium, and healthy fats, which support muscle and bone health,鈥� she says. 鈥淧ineapple offers vitamin C for immunity and fiber for digestion.鈥�

Ginger brings an added bonus, says McAllister, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, which may help reduce pain and swelling from physical activity. Lane recommends packing a container of cooked quinoa for an extra protein boost鈥攐ne cup has about 8 grams鈥攖o serve on the side.

To help spread your protein intake throughout the day, nutritionists typically recommend aiming for 20 to 30 grams per meal, says Lane. On average, if you鈥檙e adding at least two ounces of meat or seafood per skewer, two skewers will get you into that range. He says you鈥檒l usually need about three skewers per serving to hit that target for plant-based protein sources like tofu.

鈥淥f course, everyone鈥檚 protein needs and hunger levels vary,鈥� says Lane, 鈥渟o feel free to adjust the protein-to-veggie ratio based on your preferences.鈥�

Want more of听国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?听.

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Up until now, I鈥檝e resisted using ChatGPT, mainly because I鈥檓 terrified I’ll love it too much and be even more addicted to my phone. Everyone around me swears by it, like my best friend who relies on it for healthy recipe ideas. She is among many using听听to plan weekly meals. You merely ask the bot to whip up a meal plan that caters to your dietary needs and budget, and within seconds, it delivers听a handful of recipe ideas along with a detailed grocery list.

Considering the right now (the cost of a dozen eggs is up 303 percent since 2019, and frozen orange juice has more than doubled), it makes sense that people are doing whatever they can to save. AI technology has its downsides, though. ChatGPT is known to , and we recently learned that it can have serious environmental consequences because of the unconscionable amounts of water it uses to keep its servers running efficiently. According to , sending the bot a 100-word message, roughly the length of this paragraph, uses approximately 17 ounces of water. For reference, that’s slightly more than the liquid volume in your favorite grande-sized Starbucks drink.

(Can you guess how many grandes it would take to input this entire article into ChatGPT? Look for the answer at the end.)

Aside from holding on to some money, people seem to really like ChatGPT鈥檚 meal recommendations. I eventually caved and decided to put the trend to the test to see how good of a nutritionist-slash-chef ChatGPT would really be.听I also interviewed a sports nutritionist and a biomedical data scientist with expertise in artificial intelligence to get their two cents.

Join me as I walk you through my week of following ChatGPT鈥檚 meal advice.

My Grocery Budget Is $125 Per Week. Here鈥檚 What the Bot Suggested I Make.

I have a grocery budget of $125 per week. I鈥檒l be feeding myself, my husband, and our very cute rescue dog Ollie, whom we already spoil with fresh, human-grade dog food. My husband eats pretty much anything, while I consume a strict gluten-free (GF) diet.

My ChatGPT Prompt and Answer

I typed the following prompt into ChatGPT to get my personalized grocery list:

I want a meal plan for a week filled with delicious and nutrient-dense, gluten-free recipes. Please provide meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Beverages like smoothies are also okay to include. I have a budget of $125 and can only purchase my ingredients from Trader Joe’s. Please show me the meal plan, separating it by day from Monday to Sunday, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack listed for each day. Add in treats for my dog Ollie. Then, please show me a list of all the specific grocery items I need to buy from Trader Joe’s, including the specific item name of each individual product, so I know exactly which items to look for. Please include the prices next to each item on the grocery list. Please include the actual item names from the Trader Joe’s store in my grocery list, but not in the meal plan itself.

Here’s the one-week meal plan ChatGPT recommended:

Monday

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with sliced banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon
• Lunch: Quinoa salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a lemon-tahini dressing
• Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli
• Snack: Apple slices with almond butter

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Oatmeal topped with mixed berries and a drizzle of honey
• Lunch: Leftover grilled chicken breast sliced over a bed of mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette
• Dinner: Stir-fried shrimp with frozen stir-fry vegetables and cauliflower rice
• Snack: Carrot sticks with hummus

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with spinach, frozen mango, chia seeds, and unsweetened almond milk
• Lunch: Tuna salad (canned tuna, mayo, celery) served in lettuce wraps
• Dinner: Beef and vegetable kebabs with a side of quinoa
• Snack: Rice cakes with peanut butter

Thursday

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with saut茅ed spinach and gluten-free toast
• Lunch: Leftover beef and vegetable kebabs with a side salad
• Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts and quinoa
• Snack: Cucumber slices with guacamole

Friday

• Breakfast: Chia pudding made with unsweetened almond milk, topped with sliced strawberries
• Lunch: Chicken and vegetable stir-fry with cauliflower rice
• Dinner: Grilled turkey burgers (no bun) with a side of roasted sweet potato fries
• Snack: Mixed nuts

Saturday

• Breakfast: Gluten-free pancakes topped with fresh blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup
• Lunch: Leftover turkey burger patty with a side salad
• Dinner: Vegetable and chickpea curry served over quinoa
• Snack: Greek yogurt with a handful of granola

Sunday

• Breakfast: Smoothie bowl with blended a莽ai, banana, and almond milk, topped with granola and coconut flakes
• Lunch: Leftover vegetable and chickpea curry
• Dinner: Roast chicken with a side of steamed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes
• Snack: Sliced pear with a handful of walnuts

At first glance, my resounding thought was:听I am going to be very hungry. The recipes seemed healthy, but left something to be desired (like carbs). I got over my initial skepticism and screenshotted the itemized grocery list the bot gave me. I drove to my local Trader Joe鈥檚 with a couple of reusable shopping bags in tow.

ChatGPT Left Out Many Items I Needed. I Went Over Budget.

A few of the recipes ChatGPT shared look similar to the meals and snacks my husband and I already eat鈥攍ike salmon and Brussels sprouts, smoothies, eggs, and toast鈥攁nd I was amped to add rice cakes and gluten-free pancakes to my diet. Plus, Ollie was wagging like crazy when I returned home with chicken jerky treats. But most ingredients鈥攍ike the cucumbers, a veggie I detest, and chia pudding, which I鈥檝e somehow never had鈥攄iffered from what鈥檚 typically on our weekly menu.

My trip to TJ’s, from start to finish, lasted an hour, mainly because I had never bought many of these items before and therefore had no idea where in the store they were located. The larger dilemma was that a handful of ingredients needed to make the meals ChatGPT suggested were not budgeted for or included in the grocery list the bot sent me.

For example, it suggested I eat toast with eggs for breakfast on Thursday morning, but didn鈥檛 tell me to buy bread. The same happened with sauce for the stir-fry, quinoa for the salad, and salmon dishes, almond milk for the chia pudding, guacamole, honey, and Greek yogurt for my snacks. It also lacked all the basic ingredients you need to cook (like olive oil or butter). And Brussels sprouts were listed twice on my shopping list.

What I鈥檓 trying to say is: ChatGPT鈥檚 meal plan and ingredient list were far from perfect. It was missing items needed to prep various recipes, prices were inaccurate, and two items (the pears and frozen a莽ai bowl) weren鈥檛 in stock. My receipt totaled $160鈥揳bout $35 over my desired budget. However, it would have been far higher had I bought all of the ingredients I needed, but weren鈥檛 included on the shopping list. Fortunately, I already had most of them at home.

I Made ChatGPT’s Honey-Berry Oatmeal

Believe it or not, the recipe I was most excited to make was Tuesday鈥檚 breakfast: oatmeal topped with mixed berries and a drizzle of honey (that I subbed with maple syrup). I love a bowl of hot oats and fruit to start the day. It鈥檚 delicious and keeps me satiated until lunchtime.

(Watch the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at me whipping this up in my kitchen.)

This Meal Plan Is Very Restrictive and Will Negatively Affect Athletic Performance, According to a Nutritionist

I was dying to know what a professional dietitian thought of ChatGPT鈥檚 food recs, so I hopped on a Zoom call with , a sports nutritionist. Her take? 鈥淚f you eat like this, you鈥檙e going to feel like shit.鈥�

I am a 36-year-old 5鈥�6鈥� female who weighs about 130 pounds. I鈥檓 physically active: I take Ollie on two hour-long strolls every day (like I said, spoiled) and I vigorously exercise (a jog, spin class, or hot yoga session) for about 30 to 45 minutes five days a week. I hike most weekends. According to Kleiner, I should be consuming roughly 1,950 calories every day to maintain my weight, with an average macronutrient distribution of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein. But ChatGPT had me eating about 1,200 calories a day.

鈥淲hat ChatGPT gave you is the classic female restrictive dietary pattern,鈥� Kleiner says. I feel like this was especially true because the bot听saw the words 鈥済luten-free” in my prompt. ChatGPT crawls what鈥檚 promoted online, Kleiner says. “And so that鈥檚 what it draws from.鈥�

ChatGPT already听knew I was a woman, as I briefly used it earlier this year to craft a professional bio. Besides, the bulk of GF content out there is likely from women (women are more inclined to follow a GF diet than men, shows). It can be a pretty if you’re not careful. That’s what ChatGPT saw,听so that’s what I got.

That鈥檚 not the only way the meal plan fell short. It didn鈥檛 provide enough veggies, dairy, and grains, Kleiner says, and if I adhered to it, I wouldn鈥檛 come close to meeting my daily vitamin and mineral needs.

The lack of protein, which plays a crucial role in repairing muscle and building strong bones, especially for women, alarmed her. And I鈥檇 probably wind up constipated since I鈥檇 be ingesting too little fiber. That might also wreck my microbiome and set off a cascade of inflammation in my body, says Kleiner. She says I probably wouldn鈥檛 sleep well because I鈥檇 be so underfed. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e setting yourself up for failure on a diet like this.鈥�

As such, she noted that I could also expect my athletic performance to suffer. I likely won鈥檛 have enough energy to get out the door. Even if I do, she explains that I won鈥檛 have enough fuel in my body to reach a high enough intensity to reap the benefits of my workouts. I asked what my recovery would look like on this diet. Her response?

鈥淵ou won鈥檛 recover.鈥�

Which Is Better: a Nutritionist or ChatGPT?

According to Kleiner, while tempting, this trend highlights why working with a (human) professional is so important. They can assess your overall health and activity levels to craft tailored meal plans that will help you hit your athletic goals, prevent chronic diseases, and be a happier, healthier person overall.

The bot 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 think critically about what I, Julia, need to eat. As , the faculty director for medical education in artificial intelligence at Stanford Medicine, says, ChatGPT basically reads the Internet and then copies and pastes whatever it finds (hence the 1,200-calorie diet). Chen says AI is pretty good at answering simple, straightforward questions, but also makes things up and pulls false information from the Internet.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a human, it鈥檚 a robot spitting out words,鈥� he shares. When I asked if he鈥檇 ever recommend it for meal planning, he said he wouldn鈥檛 use it for medical advice, in general. 鈥淒on鈥檛 plan your health around it,鈥� he says.

Will I Use ChatGPT to Meal Plan Again?

The truth: probably not. I want my food to energize me so I can work, exercise, care for Ollie, read, and hang out with my family and friends. ChatGPT鈥檚 plan just won鈥檛 fuel me properly. Besides, spending an hour at the grocery store shopping for ingredients I wasn鈥檛 entirely jazzed about wasn鈥檛 exactly my most efficient trip to Trader Joe’s.

That said, the bot did provide a good jumping-off point. For example, I鈥檓 a big fan of turkey burgers and sweet potato fries (my suggested Friday dinner), but I also want recipes that are more nutritious (and creative) than breadless patties with fries. So, I might use the bot to shop for base ingredients, but then I鈥檒l add my own touches to create a meal I鈥檓 excited about. This is where AI and tools like ChatGPT shine, Chen tells me. For example, these are the tweaks I’d make to the turkey burger meal: turkey burgers (with gluten-free buns, cheese, avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes), sweet potato fries (with ketchup), and a side salad with veggies and green goddess dressing.

Kleiner says the oatmeal breakfast is a fine start, but it would be excellent if I added nuts or seeds plus a dab of Greek yogurt鈥攁s you can see, I followed this advice.

AI models can generate ideas you may not have thought of (like pears paired with walnuts), but it鈥檚 always smart to flesh them out or validate their advice with reliable, trusted sources such as nutritionists or dietitians.

鈥淯se it to brainstorm,鈥� Chen said. But that’s it.

(As for the answer to that trivia above: 22 grande-sized drinks. That’s how much water it would take to input this article into ChatGPT. Yikes.)

Want more of听国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?听.

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In the middle of training for two marathons and an ultramarathon in 2017, medical professionals diagnosed culinary arts professional turned long-distance runner, and body politics advocate with stage four . In this stage of the condition, the endometrial lining grows in places it shouldn鈥檛, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowels, bladder, and in the rarest cases, the lungs.

While everyone鈥檚 experience with endometriosis is different, typical include:听debilitating pelvic pain, heavy periods, fatigue, and miscarriage, none of which are foreign to Snell. Snell says she鈥檚 鈥渘ormalized painful periods, frequent moments of passing out, anemia from blood loss, and clotting鈥� since she was nine.

As an endurance athlete, she tried just about everything to keep going, things like wearing a portable heating pad during runs, massaging CBD oils on her waist and pelvic regions, managing pain with medication, and even layering diapers with tampons during races to mitigate heavy bleeding. She also began changing her diet upon noticing that some foods trigger symptoms.

Snell prioritizes recipes that fuel her, and most importantly, taste good. 鈥淛ust because I have a chronic condition does not mean I need to sacrifice flavor,鈥� she says.

Her culinary skills, combined with the cooking wisdom passed down from her family, inspired her to create endometriosis-friendly meals that are not only energizing but also nutrient-dense and bursting with flavor.

Her go-to meal when facing a painful flare-up is a hearty salad loaded with kale, tender sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, and topped with crispy salmon croquettes.

In her youth, Snell found comfort in her family鈥檚 homemade fish fritters. It was a simple way to unwind from any stress. “On the weekends, my mother and father rotated making salmon cakes,鈥� she says. As an adult, she remixed this childhood meal with nutritious ingredients. It鈥檚 now her go-to dish during training seasons.

Inspired by Snell鈥檚 story and culinary prowess, I decided to try her salmon croquette kale salad for myself. I also chatted with a registered dietitian nutritionist who chimed in on how Snell鈥檚 favorite meal supports those with endometriosis and helps boost energy levels.

Here鈥檚 what I learned.

How to Make Latoya Snell鈥檚 Salmon Croquettes with Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Duration: 1 hour

Salmon Croquette Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) canned salmon鈥� is fine, too鈥攄rained, bones and skin removed, and broken into chunks
• 陆 teaspoon kosher salt
• 陆 teaspoon black pepper
• 陆 teaspoon garlic powder
• 陆 teaspoon onion powder
• 陆 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
• 录 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 录 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1 egg, beaten with a whisk or fork
• 陆 cup
• 录 cup all-purpose flour
• 陆 cup vegetable, canola, or avocado oil

Kale and Sweet Potato Salad Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet potato, washed, diced (pre-cut and pre-washed works fine, too)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 陆 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 cups kale, roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• Store-bought salad dressing: balsamic or sherry vinaigrette
• Optional add-ins: walnuts, almonds, feta, goat cheese

Recipe

1. Heat a pan and add about half a teaspoon of olive oil. Saut茅 the onions, red peppers, and green peppers for a few minutes, until they have softened. While that鈥檚 cooking, mix the panko bread crumbs and all-purpose flour in a bowl. Then, add the drained salmon, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, the saut茅ed veggies, and the egg to that bowl. Stir everything together until it鈥檚 well combined. Shape the mixture into six to eight patties.
2. Preheat a over medium heat and add a half cup of avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, gently place the salmon croquettes in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it. Fry them for about three to four minutes on one side, or until they turn golden brown. Then flip and cook the other side the same way. Once they鈥檙e done, transfer the croquettes to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
3. Preheat the oven to 425潞F. In another bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Spread them out on a parchment-lined sheet pan to prevent sticking. Bake the sweet potato for about 30 minutes, or until it鈥檚 tender.
4. Add the kale to a bowl, drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Because kale is very crunchy and coarse, use your hands to gently massage it for a couple of minutes until it softens.
5. To assemble the salad, toss the kale, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, red onions, and any additional add-ins you prefer鈥攍ike nuts or cheese鈥攚ith the dressing. Mix all the ingredients and transfer them to a bowl. Then, top it off with the crispy salmon croquettes and dig in.

Watch the author make this delicious recipe. (Video by Ashia Aubourg)

The Verdict: This Meal Just Made It to My All-Star Lineup

As a Haitian-American, I grew up eating salt-fish fritters, so Snell鈥檚 version hit the spot and brought back all the nostalgic feels. I got to enjoy one of my childhood favorites in an entirely new way. It took less than an hour to prepare this meal from start to finish, and I even found meditative moments while forming the patties and massaging the kale.

I opted for canned tuna instead of salmon because I already had some in my cabinet. The croquettes came out crispy and golden, with a tender interior loaded with sweet notes from the saut茅ed peppers and onion, plus a subtle spicy kick from the cayenne pepper.

The kale salad, packed with creamy avocado and tender sweet potato, added bites with contrasting textures that harmoniously complemented the fritters. I鈥檓 honestly counting down the days until I can make this meal again.

Snell鈥檚 Recipe Is the Perfect Recovery Meal

, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York City, says Snell’s salmon croquette kale salad hits all the critical marks.

Here’s why.

It鈥檚 Rich in Complex Carbs

鈥淭he combo of complex carbs from the sweet potatoes, healthy fats from the avocado, and protein from the salmon is perfect for giving her slow, steady energy that can carry her through a long endurance run,鈥� says Rifkin.

If you want to spruce it up a bit, try drizzling on a 鈥攖hink lemon, lime, or orange. It adds a bright, zesty flavor and can help boost iron absorption from the kale and sweet potatoes. 鈥淚ron is not only important for athletic performance because of its role in oxygen transport, but it鈥檚 also crucial for people who menstruate and need to regularly replenish their iron stores,鈥� she says.

Healthy Fats Reduce Inflammation and Pain

鈥淪almon is a great protein choice because it鈥檚 rich in omega-3 fatty acids,鈥� says Rifkin. shows that omega-3s can help lower inflammation and may even ease symptoms like pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea for people living with the condition.

Additionally, folks with endometriosis often deal with higher levels of oxidative stress, and sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, which supports immune function and may help reduce that stress, she says.

The Best Part? It’s Super Easy to Prep in Advance.

Flare-ups can make it tough to find the energy to cook a nourishing meal. 鈥淲hen you have a window of feeling good, being able to prep a few nourishing meals can make a big difference on the tougher days when cooking just isn鈥檛 possible,鈥� says Rifkin. 鈥淪ome days or weeks don鈥檛 feel too great. In those moments, I honor my feelings and frustrations, and determine what my pain tolerance looks like,鈥� says Snell.

To prepare this salad ahead of time: leave out the dressing and avocado, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. When ready to eat, add your toppings and drizzle on the vinaigrette. The croquettes hold up well, too. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, then reheat in the oven or air fryer.

Want more of听国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?听.

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As a food writer, I practically live on TikTok, saving recipes and nutrition hacks to try. One ingredient that keeps popping up in my social media feed? Aloe vera.

When you type 鈥渁loe vera鈥� in the search bar of TikTok, you鈥檒l come across clips of creators touting the purported health benefits of this ingredient. You鈥檒l spot home cooks blending the jelly-like substance into smoothies and hikers rubbing the plant鈥檚 juices on their skin to soothe sunburns.

I鈥檝e appreciated aloe long before it became a trend. As a Haitian-American, Caribbean culture runs through my veins, so I鈥檓 familiar with the gel as the succulent grows on many islands. (Fun fact: Aruba even has an entire dedicated to the plant.) My grandmother, whom I grew up with, often kept aloe leaves on the kitchen counter, right beside her other natural remedies. Whenever the sun got the best of me, I knew she鈥檇 have a cool slab of that green leaf ready for me. She听was ahead of her time.

I鈥檒l always follow her advice without hesitation, but I鈥檓 wary of听viral trends. Let鈥檚 be honest: people often exaggerate the effectiveness of wellness hacks. Luckily, you can鈥檛 really go wrong with aloe vera.

The Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Gel

Let鈥檚 start with a quick disclaimer: eating either aloe vera gel from the plant鈥檚 leaves, unprocessed gel with no additives, or drinking aloe juice is safe, but you should not ingest aloe vera gel-based skincare products. While you can find aloe vera skincare products marketed as pure, some may actually be 98- or 99-percent pure. This means they can include other ingredients that are OK for your skin, but not for consumption, like alcohol, an antiseptic, or lidocaine, a numbing and pain-relief agent that is great for treating sunburns or itchy bug bites.

Aloe Vera Is a Hydration Powerhouse

Aloe vera helps hydrate your body when ingested (and when applied to the skin) due to its high water and electrolyte content (particularly magnesium and potassium), says , a registered dietitian based in New York. 鈥淭hese minerals help replenish electrolytes lost through sweat, making aloe vera a potential addition to post-exercise hydration,鈥� she says.

Scientific evidence also suggests that consuming aloe vera gel improves blood circulation and supports kidney, liver, gallbladder, and digestive functions, says , a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Hawaii.

It Can Reduce Pain and Inflammation When Applied to the Skin

show that aloe vera offers natural analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory properties, says , a board-certified dermatologist based in Toronto. This is thanks to compounds in the plant called anthraquinones, which 鈥渂lock the synthesis of enzymes and hormones responsible for pain and inflammation, relieving discomfort, swelling, and redness,鈥� she explains.

For sunburns or scrapes, you don鈥檛 need much鈥攋ust a thin layer of aloe vera gel will do the trick. Be sure to avoid applying it to open wounds, Yadav says. 鈥淚鈥檇 also recommend refrigerating the aloe gel if possible鈥攖he added cooling sensation can be very soothing,鈥� she says.

How Much Aloe Vera Gel Is Safe to Ingest Daily?

Nutritionists typically recommend starting small, with about two ounces (approximately one-quarter cup) per day, until your body adjusts. This is because anthraquinones also have a laxative effect, which can cause diarrhea when consumed in excess, says Amy Davis, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

I Tried These 4 Aloe Vera-Based Recipes

Despite all of the amazing health benefits of aloe vera, I鈥檒l be honest: it鈥檚 not that appetizing on its own. It tastes bitter, and its slimy texture 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 feel great on the tongue, so I set out to find delicious ways to enjoy the clear goo. These are the few recipes I discovered and tested. Here鈥檚 how it went.

1. Fruity Mint, Avocado, and Aloe Vera Smoothie

TikTok creator shared a smoothie recipe that involves blending one cup of frozen pineapple, half an avocado, half a cup of spinach, four mint leaves, half a cup of water, half a cup of aloe vera gel (I substituted this for instead because it鈥檚 easier to find in grocery stores and helps you skip the process needing to extract gel from the plant), and the juice from half a lime.

鈥淭his smoothie contains healthy fats from avocado, fiber from the pineapple and spinach, and added electrolytes and nutrients from the aloe vera,鈥� says Davis. To make it even more balanced, try adding a source of protein, like half a cup of Greek yogurt or a few spoonfuls of protein powder,听she says.

Emerick recommends reaching for this smoothie as a hearty snack or post-workout drink to aid recovery.

The Verdict: Creamy, Refreshing, and Nostalgic

This smoothie transported me to my maternal homeland of Bermuda. The pineapples and citrus give it a bright, tropical, and sweet taste. The avocados impart a delicious creaminess, too. All the ingredients blended together nicely, masking the bitterness of the aloe vera.

To test its effects on satiety, I blended up this shake after my morning barre class to see if it would keep me full until lunch. It definitely did the job.

(Watch the author make the fruity mint, avocado, and aloe vera smoothie in her kitchen. Video by Ashia Aubourg)

2. Aloe Vera and Agave Lemonade

Lemonade is one of my go-to hacks for loading up on good-for-you ingredients. (If you haven鈥檛 tried creatine lemonade, you totally should.)

This recipe by on TikTok is simple and took me less than five minutes to make. To prepare this lemonade, I combined half a cup of aloe vera juice with the juice of two lemons, one-and-a-half cups of water, and a tablespoon of agave. Then, I poured it over ice once I was ready to enjoy it.

This drink is packed with hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and water, says Emerick. It also has a good dose of vitamin C, thanks to the lemon, which 鈥渂oosts immunity and supports skin health,鈥� she says.

The Verdict: Crisp and Refreshing听

I’ve been hiking more now that the weather is warming up, so I jumped at the chance to pour this lemonade into my insulated water bottle and take it with me. As I tackled the steep inclines, sipping this drink kept me feeling good.

The sourness from the lemon and sweetness from the agave masked any harsh notes from the aloe vera. Moving forward, I鈥檓 keeping a pitcher of this in my fridge.

3. Grainy Mustard and Aloe Vera Salad Dressing

I was first introduced to aloe vera vinaigrette while traveling to St. Lucia, and I鈥檝e been hooked ever since. I鈥檝e made a few variations of this topping on my own, but recently, while Googling how to incorporate aloe juice into salad dressings, I came across an idea from the food blog that had a similar ingredient makeup to the one I tasted during my travels. I knew I had to try it.

Following this recipe, I blended half a cup of olive oil, a quarter cup of grainy mustard (which tends to be spicier and more robust in terms of flavor than the yellow squeeze-bottle stuff), three tablespoons of honey, a third of a cup of aloe vera juice, or gel from a four-inch piece of an aloe leaf, three tablespoons of fresh basil, and two tablespoons of lemon juice.

鈥淭his aloe vera dressing has plant-based fats (from the olive oil), a touch of sweetness from the honey, and overall, healthier ingredients compared to many store-bought options, which can contain high amounts of sodium, added sugar, or artificial ingredients,鈥� says Davis. To kick it up a notch, Hoch recommends adding ground flaxseeds (about a quarter cup) for an extra boost of omega-3s.

The Verdict: I鈥檒l Be Putting It on Everything.

While it didn鈥檛 taste exactly like the one I first enjoyed in St. Lucia, this version still exceeded all of my expectations. It鈥檚 filled with basil flavors, similar to pesto, which helps calm the bitterness of the aloe vera in this recipe.

I poured it over a simple salad of crunchy lettuce, yellow peppers, red onions, and croutons. This topping was the star of the show. I can鈥檛 wait to use it again. I plan to drizzle it on pasta, wraps, or grilled chicken in the future.

4. No-Churn Chocolate Coconut and Aloe Vera Ice Cream

Perhaps the most exciting recipe I found was this tutorial from TikTok creator , who turns this gooey plant gel into ice cream. The best part? No fancy machine is needed.

Instead of using an ice cream maker, the creator relies on a no-churn method, and all you need is a freezer-safe bowl. To make this frozen dessert, I blended a cup of coconut cream, a cup of cashews, three tablespoons of maple syrup, one tablespoon of cocoa powder, and three tablespoons of aloe vera juice. Then, I poured the mixture into a bowl and let it thicken up in the freezer for at least six hours.

鈥淭his recipe, which combines coconut cream, cashews, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and aloe vera, is rich in calories, healthy fats, and protein,鈥� says Emerick. (One cup of cashews has over a whopping of protein.) But since it鈥檚 pretty high in sugar, she recommends enjoying it as an occasional sweet treat rather than a daily dessert.

The Verdict: Unreal.

Honestly, I鈥檓 predicting that aloe vera ice cream might be the next viral trend. For starters, it鈥檚 so easy to pull together. It took me under five minutes to get it in the freezer (though you鈥檒l need to be patient while it solidifies!).

The result was a creamy, light, and smooth frozen dessert filled with delicious chocolate flavors. You can鈥檛 taste the harsh taste of aloe at all. It satisfied my sweet tooth, and I can鈥檛 wait to make it again with other fun add-ins like matcha, strawberry syrup, or vanilla.

As a bonus: if you鈥檝e got leftover aloe from any of these recipes, don鈥檛 toss it鈥攖rust me, your skin will thank you.

Want more of听国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Health stories?听.

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For a while, it really looked as though beet juice would beat the odds. Most hot new performance-boosting supplements, even if they claim to be backed by science, don鈥檛 hold up to scrutiny. But after making thanks to high-profile adherents like marathon star Paula Radcliffe, the first wave of high-quality studies supported the idea that beet juice really does improve endurance.

After a decade, though, the bloom had partly faded. There were concerns about its gastrointestinal effects (much as there were with baking soda, another popular endurance-booster), questions about the appropriate dosage, and rising suspicion that beet juice only worked in untrained or recreational athletes but not in serious competitors. These days I rarely hear runners talking about beet juice, and the flow of new studies has tailed off. But a new review takes a fresh look at the accumulated evidence, and concludes that we shouldn鈥檛 be too quick to dismiss the potential benefits of the juice.

Why Beet Juice Might Help

The key ingredient in beet juice, from an endurance perspective, is nitrate. Once you eat it, bacteria in your mouth convert nitrate to nitrite. Then the acidity in your stomach helps convert the nitrite to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide plays a whole bunch of roles in the body. That includes cueing your blood vessels to dilate, or widen, delivering more oxygen to the muscles, faster.

In 2007, Swedish researchers that consuming nitrate鈥攖hat nitric oxide precursor鈥攎akes exercise more efficient, enabling you to burn less oxygen while sustaining a given pace. Two years later, a team led by Andrew Jones at the University of Exeter that you could get a similar effect by drinking nitrate-rich beet juice.

In subsequent years, researchers tested the effects of beet juice on various types of exercise. Crucially, Jones鈥檚 group figured out how to strip the nitrate from beet juice to create an undetectable placebo, and found that athletes improved their performance when given regular beet juice but not nitrate-free beet juice. That made the claims much more convincing. Meanwhile, a company called Beet-It began selling beet juice with standardized nitrate levels, and eventually added to make the doses more palatable.

When the International Olympic Committee put together on sports supplements in 2018, they included beet juice as one of just five performance-boosting supplements with solid evidence. (The others were caffeine, creatine, baking soda, and beta-alanine.)

What the New Review Found

Over the years, scientists have made numerous attempts to sum up the evidence for and against beet juice. The latest attempt, by a group led by Eric Tsz鈥慍hun Poon of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is an 鈥渦mbrella review鈥� of nitrate supplementation, mostly from beet juice. It pools the results of 20 previous reviews that themselves aggregated the data from 180 individual studies with a total of 2,672 participants.

The problem with lumping that many studies together is that they measure outcomes differently, use different dosing protocols, and have different study populations. Still, the broad conclusion is that beet juice works鈥攁t least for some outcomes. Most significantly, it improves time to exhaustion: if you鈥檙e asked to run or cycle at a given pace for as long as you can, beet juice helps you go for longer.

On the other hand, there was no statistically significant benefit for time trials, where you cover a given distance as quickly as possible. That鈥檚 the type of competition we care about in the real world, so this non-result is concerning. Time-to-exhaustion tests produce much bigger changes than time trials: a common rule of thumb is that a 15 percent change in time to exhaustion corresponds to about one percent in a time trial. So it may simply be that the studies were too small to detect subtle improvements in time trial performance.

Check out the relative effect sizes for time to exhaustion and time trial in these forest plots. Each dot represents an individual study with its error bar; the farther to the right of the vertical line it is, the greater the performance boost nitrate provided.

Taking the time trial data at face value, the results still look pretty encouraging. They鈥檙e all positive; they just need more participants so that the error bars will get smaller and no longer overlap zero. Of course, eyeballing the data like that is risky because it allows us to draw whatever conclusions we want. But I find it difficult to imagine a scenario where improving your time to exhaustion 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 also translate into an advantage in time trials. The two tasks are different psychologically, but they both rely on the same underlying physiological toolset.

Poon and his colleagues also run some further analysis to check whether the dose makes a difference. They conclude that the effects are biggest when you take at least 6 mmoL (just under 400 milligrams) of nitrate per day, which happens to be almost exactly how much a single concentrated shot of beet juice contains. The effects are also maximized when you supplement for at least three consecutive days rather than just taking some on the day of a race.

What We Still Don鈥檛 Know

The big open question that Poon鈥檚 review 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 address is whether beet juice works in highly trained athletes. Several studies have found that the effect is either diminished or eliminated entirely in elite subjects. This isn鈥檛 surprising. Pretty much every intervention you can think of, including training itself, will have a smaller effect on people who are already well-trained. This ceiling effect is presumably because elite athletes have already optimized their physiology so thoroughly that there鈥檚 less room to improve.

The flip side of that coin is that, for elite athletes, even minuscule improvements can be the difference between victory and defeat. The size of a worthwhile improvement at the highest level is a fraction of a percent, which is all but impossible to reliably detect in typical sports science studies. For top athletes, the decision of whether or not to use beet juice will have to remain an educated guess for now.

There are other unanswered questions, like whether beet juice is better than consuming nitrate straight. There have been several studies suggesting that this is indeed the case. The theory is that other ingredients in beet juice, like polyphenols鈥攚hich function as antioxidants鈥攎ight act synergistically with nitrate to produce a bigger effect. But as pointed out last year, the evidence for this claim is too shaky to draw any reliable conclusions either way.

Probably the biggest risk in the beet juice data is the preponderance of small studies, some with fewer than ten subjects. It鈥檚 easy to get a fluke result with small sample sizes, and it鈥檚 human nature to get unduly excited about positive results鈥攚hich is why positive flukes often get published more often than negative flukes. So we should remain cautious about our level of certainty.

Despite that caveat, my overall impression is positive. I sent the following summary to Andy Jones, the scientist most associated with beet juice research, to see whether he would agree:

鈥淚t works. It probably works less well in elites, like most things, but there may still be an effect. Higher doses taken for at least a few days in a row probably increase your chances of a positive effect.鈥�

Jones thought that sounded reasonable. He pointed out that there鈥檚 a 听of evidence emerging that beet juice also enhances muscle strength and power in some circumstances, an effect that Poon鈥檚 review confirms. For endurance specifically, looking at the totality of evidence, Jones figures there鈥檚 a real effect. And he鈥檚 in good company. 鈥淓liud remains a big believer,鈥� he pointed out. That would be Eliud Kipchoge.

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