Every weekday, we help you make sense of the complex world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and providing quick tips designed to help you stay healthier in under 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
Behind the curtain of fasting and fat loss
How to keep your brain sharp when stressed
Are eggs good for your heart?
Help me, help you
On Our Radar
Does Fasting Every Other Day Burn More Fat?
Most eating plans sound good in theory. But the real test is whether they still work when you’re tired, stressed, social, or just living your life.
That’s why a new study didn’t just compare two popular fasting styles, it revealed something much more useful: results come from human behavior, not perfect rules.
Scientists found that one method of fasting led to about three times more fat loss, but not for the reasons you might think.
Researchers monitored a 4-week fasting diet in which participants either had no food one day and normal eating the next (alternate-day fasting) or ate for 8 hours per day and fasted for 16 hours (time-restricted eating).
Using full-body MRI to measure actual fat changes, they found that alternate-day fasting led to greater fat loss, improved cholesterol levels, and a higher quality-of-life score.
So why the gap? Not metabolism. Not hormones. It was their eating behavior and caloric intake.
Alternate-day fasting unintentionally reduced daily calories by 34%, while TRE reduced them by only 15%. In other words, it wasn’t how or when they fasted, just that the alternate-day fasting style caused people to eat less, which is why they saw better results.
But here’s the other truth from the study: why the results were good, alternate-day fasting appears hard to follow. In longer studies, adherence often falls below 20%. People slide toward something more moderate because real life eventually wins.
If fasting works for you, it can be a tool. But this study — and many others — show that fasting is not superior for fat loss. It’s just another way to cut calories. You don't need extreme fasting rules to see progress. The “best” eating style is simply the one that fits your energy, mood, schedule, and social life.
Together With Momentous
Can Creatine Keep Your Brain Sharp When You’re Running on Empty?
We all know the feeling: poor sleep, endless meetings, mental fog that makes simple decisions feel heavy. You push through anyway, but your brain is working with less fuel than it needs.
That’s where creatine enters the conversation. Not as a muscle supplement, but as a backup battery for your brain.
Researchers found that creatine may help your brain stay sharp when you’re mentally exhausted, underslept, or dealing with high cognitive stress.
Just like your muscles get fatigued and struggle to work as hard, your brain functions similarly. So scientists studied what happens when your brain’s energy demand outpaces supply, such as sleep deprivation, intense mental work, hypoxia (low oxygen), or aging.
They studied creatine because it isn’t just stored in muscle. Your body naturally produces it, and your brain uses it too. Inside brain cells, creatine helps recycle the molecule (ATP) that powers neural activity. Think of it as an energy buffer that steps in when demand spikes and resources run low.
When sleep is restricted or mental fatigue sets in, ATP availability drops.
Several studies found that creatine supplementation helped preserve cognitive performance — particularly memory, reaction time, and executive function — under these stressful conditions.
They also found that as you age, creatine stores decline, so supplementing with creatine can help with memory and reasoning.
Unlike caffeine, creatine isn’t a stimulant. It doesn’t mask fatigue. Instead, it supports energy availability at the cellular level. That’s why it may be most useful during rough weeks, disrupted sleep, heavy workloads, or as we age.
If you’re frequently under-slept or mentally taxed, taking 5-10 grams of creatine monohydrate per day can help you still perform your best, even when you’re not well rested.
That’s why creatine is a core supplement in Arnold’s Stack. It’s one of the few supplements he takes because it’s backed by thousands of studies. And Arnold trusts Momentous because they invest in rigorously testing and independently certifying their products.
When it comes to quality control, they leave nothing to chance to ensure that what’s on the label is what’s in the product that arrives at your door, which is badly missing in most supplement companies.
If you want to try Momentous Creatine, use PUMPCLUB at checkout. As a member of the positive corner of the internet, you receive 30% OFF your subscription (or 14% off a one-time order).
The Fact or Fiction
Can Eggs Be A Part Of A Heart-Healthy Diet?
Some health questions linger because the real answer isn’t “good” or “bad” — it’s “it depends.”
But other questions aren’t as hazy, even though it can feel that way sometimes.
If you’re worried about eggs and cholesterol, scientists found that a couple of eggs every day are not bad for your heart health.
Researchers examined adults with high cholesterol and put them on a heart-healthy diet plan designed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and had them consume 2 whole eggs per day for 8 weeks. Then, they took a break and repeated the diet, this time without the eggs.
Despite differences in egg consumption, there was no meaningful change in cholesterol levels or blood vessel health.
This aligns with dozens of other studies. Multiple meta-analyses involving over 2 million participants consistently show that eating 1-2 eggs per day does not significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or raise LDL cholesterol.
Recent evidence suggests saturated fat — not dietary cholesterol — is the primary driver of higher LDL. In other words, what you eat with your eggs (bacon vs. vegetables) likely matters more than the eggs themselves
That said, there are exceptions to the rule. Some studies suggest that about 30% of people are "hyper-responders" who experience larger increases in LDL from dietary cholesterol. Those with existing heart disease or diabetes may benefit from moderation or monitoring how egg consumption influences LDL levels.
If you enjoy eggs and are following a generally heart-healthy diet, scientists have found that you likely don’t need to fear eating eggs. But your best bet is to pair them with vegetables, whole grains, or fruit to keep your overall pattern aligned with heart health. And if you’re managing cholesterol, check in with your physician, not because eggs are off-limits, but because your context matters more than the food itself.
Adam’s Corner
Help Me, Help You
I woke up last week with that familiar January itch.
Not the new year, new you kind. I don’t do resolutions. Never worked for me, so I don’t waste my time with it.
This was an itch to write, with new inspiration, new problems to solve, and new stories to tell.
Beyond the personal goals, I have work goals. The type that still helps me show up meaningfully and find ways to write day after day, month after month, year after year. It’s weird to think about it, but this marks 23 years since I started training people, 18 years since I started my first business, 16 years since I started online coaching, and 13 years since I first started working with Arnold.
Add it all up, and I’ve said a lot. In the last 8 years alone, I’ve written 100 million words.
Your APC emails aren’t AI-generated. These are all written the old-fashioned way.
As I’ve joked with some friends, maybe it’s time for me to shut up.
But this space isn’t about me. It’s about you, and I use my experience, thoughts, and interactions to (hopefully) create lessons that offer a new perspective on the problems you face.
So, every year, I start from a similar place and ask myself: What do you need right now?
Whether you’ve been reading APC for years or just a few weeks, if I’ve been helpful in your life, it hasn’t been because I think I have the answers. It’s because I am willing to listen and then go seek out the tips and information you desire.
My formula has always been simple, almost stubbornly so:
I don’t pretend to have it all figured out.
I don’t assume I understand your struggles.
I don’t believe my job is to tell you what to do.
If I’m good at anything, it’s paying attention.
And yet, with each passing year, it’s gotten harder to hear real voices.
That’s not anyone’s fault. Life is fuller. Faster. Louder.
Technology keeps multiplying the noise.
Information is everywhere: Google on one side, AI on the other, social feeds packed with certainty and hot takes.
Information isn’t scarce anymore.
Attention is the new scarce currency. And what’s even more rare than attention (besides undivided attention)? Human connection.
I don’t take lightly what it means for you to open an email and read what we have to share. I don’t want to fill space. I don’t want to add noise. I don’t want to send words that simply exist.
I want what I write to make a difference.
To make your life feel a little clearer.
To reduce stress instead of adding pressure.
To answer real questions, not imaginary ones.
To give you a path forward, not just hope but a reason to believe you can actually follow it.
But I can’t do that for you. I can only do it with you.
So I’m asking for two minutes. Not to reflect on my goals, but to help me understand yours.
If you’re willing, please reply to this email and let us know how we can help you. This isn’t performative; your words will influence what we write, teach, and build next.
If it helps, here are a few simple prompts. You don’t need to answer all of them. One sentence is enough. (And feel free to write about something that is unrelated to these prompts.)
What’s one thing that feels harder than it should right now?
What are you confused about when it comes to your health, habits, or progress?
What’s something you’re tired of hearing advice about?
What’s one question you wish someone would answer honestly?
If this newsletter disappeared tomorrow, what would you miss most?
That’s it. A few minutes. No polish required. No perfect articulation. Just your voice.
Because in a world drowning in information, the most valuable thing you can offer me isn’t data — it’s you.
And if I listen well enough, I can do everything in my power to ensure that when you open these emails, what you see is actually worth your time. -AB
Better Today
Take any of these tips from today’s email and put them into action:
1. Alternate-Day Fasting Led to 3X More Fat Loss (But Not Because of the Fasting)
A 4-week study using full-body MRI found alternate-day fasting produced roughly three times more fat loss than 16:8 time-restricted eating — but the difference came down to calories, not timing: Participants naturally ate 34% less with alternate-day fasting, while time-restricted eating cut only 15%. The takeaway isn't that one method is magic; it's that the best eating approach is whichever one helps you consistently eat less without fighting your life.
2. Creatine Helps Your Brain Perform Under Sleep Deprivation and Mental Fatigue
Research shows creatine doesn't just fuel muscles; it helps recycle ATP in brain cells, preserving memory, reaction time, and executive function when you're sleep-deprived, mentally exhausted, or aging. Taking 5-10 grams of creatine monohydrate daily works like a backup battery for your brain, supporting cellular energy without the crash of stimulants.
3. 2 Eggs a Day for 8 Weeks Didn't Raise Cholesterol (Even in Higher-Risk Adults)
Eating 2 whole eggs daily on a heart-healthy diet caused no meaningful change in cholesterol levels or blood vessel function in adults with high cholesterol. A meta-analysis of over 2 million people found that 1-2 eggs per day do not significantly increase cardiovascular risk. Recent evidence points to saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, as the primary LDL driver, meaning what you eat with your eggs matters more than the eggs themselves.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
