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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
Number you won’t forget
Protein and coffee?
Weekly wisdom
How to break free from self-perceived limitations
Nutrition
Number You Won’t Forget: 150 mg
Can caffeine keep energy high when carbs are low?
A new study shows how caffeine and carbs each play their own role in exercise performance, and why one of them still does more heavy lifting when the workout gets hard.
Scientists found that taking at least 150 milligrams of caffeine gives you a measurable performance boost, no matter what diet you follow.
But eating more carbs appears to help you push harder and result in stronger training sessions than following a low-carb diet.
Researchers put world-class race walkers (yep, it’s a thing) through three weeks of intense training, with athletes assigned to either a high-carb diet or a low-carb (keto) approach. During weeks 2 and 3, each athlete completed hard 14-kilometer hill sessions twice, once after taking caffeine gum (3 mg/kg) and once after a placebo.
The caffeine worked as expected: athletes walked faster and hit a higher percentage of their max aerobic speed compared with the placebo.
But even with caffeine on board, the carb-fed athletes consistently trained at higher intensities and improved over the three weeks.
The keto group? Their early-week performance dipped, and caffeine only partially lifted it.
The researchers point to a simple mechanism: carbohydrates are the body’s most efficient energy source at high intensities. Keto forces the body to rely more on fat, which costs more oxygen per unit of energy, making fast, quality training feel harder.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t follow a low-carb diet or can’t have great workouts when you’re eating fewer carbs. However, this study follows a pattern seen over decades of research: keto tends to work better with lower-intensity efforts but might not be as effective with higher-intensity or longer-duration workouts.
If you do high-intensity workouts (intervals, sprints, long hill sessions, high-volume weight training), your performance and progress will likely be better with carbs in your tank.
If you prefer low-carb eating for other reasons, just know that your toughest sessions may feel tougher. And caffeine can still help, no matter what diet you prefer: taking around 3 mg/kg (roughly 150–300 mg for most people) about 30 minutes before exercise is enough to deliver a noticeable lift.
Together With Laird Superfood
How Adding This To Your Coffee Can Change Your Day
There are no shortcuts to results, but there are shortcuts around your biggest mistakes.
It’s not just the decisions you make that determine your results. It’s the struggles you never see.
Study after study suggests you underestimate how much you eat, often by 20 to 50 percent. Not because you’re dishonest. Because life is busy, portions creep, and calories hide in plain sight.
That’s where protein quietly earns its keep.
A meta-analysis of six studies found that people using protein powder lost about 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) more than those following a traditional reduced-calorie diet with the same calorie target.
The design was simple: people swapped out one or two meals with a protein-based shake, and that was it.
When you enhance a meal with protein powder, you remove the guesswork. You get a known calorie range, a high dose of protein to control hunger, and fewer chances for small extras to turn into big overeating.
Why? Fewer decisions. Fewer surprises. Better adherence.
If the idea of a protein shake feels like another chore, there’s an easier on-ramp.
Instead of adding something new to your day, upgrade something you already do: your morning coffee.
That’s why we like Laird Superfood Sweet & Creamy Protein Coffee. It turns a habit you’re already consistent with into a structured, protein-forward meal option, without extra prep or decision-making.
Each serving delivers high-quality protein plus coffee, so you get hunger control, stable energy, and a calorie range that’s easier to manage than a café drink that quietly runs 400+ calories.
Think of it this way: You’re removing a common failure point — skipped breakfasts, sugary coffee drinks, or random grazing — and replacing it with protein, caffeine, and additional brain-boosting nutrients that set the tone for the rest of the day.
If mornings are your toughest meal, this is a simple experiment worth trying. One scoop. One cup. One less decision.
Save 62% OFF their welcome kit that includes a free frother, scoop, and sample. Then save 20% off for life on every additional purchase.
Mindset
Weekly Wisdom
Focus isn’t a personality trait. It’s not a hack, hype, or talent.
It’s the ability to decide what matters right now, and to give it your full attention.
Most people don’t fail because they lack potential. They fail because their energy is scattered.
Too many goals. Too many inputs. Too many half-commitments. Focus turns ordinary effort into extraordinary results by removing the noise and aiming for what you already have.
You don’t need more motivation. You need fewer targets.
Turn Wisdom Into Action
Pick one priority for the next 7 days — the habit, task, or decision that matters most — and protect it aggressively. That part is obvious. It’s the part everyone nods along to.
But focus doesn’t end with choosing the thing. Real focus is everything you do around the thing.
It’s deciding in advance what you will ignore: notifications, optional meetings, extra goals, and even good ideas that steal attention. That’s how you reduce noise.
The harder (and more important) question comes next: “What gives this the greatest chance of success?”
That question changes everything.
Because success isn’t just about attention. It’s about setup.
Do you have the time blocked?
The tools ready?
The friction removed?
The support in place?
A backup plan for when motivation fades?
This is what focus really means. Not just knowing the target. Not just eliminating distractions.
Real focus is seeing the target so clearly that every decision — what you say yes to, what you say no to, how you structure your day — is aligned to support it.
When focus is done right, success stops feeling like a hope or a gamble. It starts to feel inevitable.
Better Questions, Better Solutions
Are You Holding Yourself Back? Here’s How To Break Free
The old question: How do I stop feeling self-conscious at the gym?
The better question: What story am I telling myself about what others are thinking, and is there any real evidence for it?
Most people think this is about the gym.
It’s not.
The gym is just the stage where a much bigger pattern shows up any time you hesitate to raise your hand, walk into a room, try something new, or show up as the version of yourself you want to be, and a quiet voice says, “People are watching. Don’t mess this up.”
January brings that voice out in full force.
New goals. New habits. New environments. Same old story.
Self-consciousness feels like a fact, but it’s usually a narrative. A prediction your brain makes to keep you safe, even if it keeps you small.
Once you question the story, the power shifts. Not because fear disappears, but because it loses authority.
Psychologists call this the spotlight effect: our tendency to dramatically overestimate how much other people notice us.
In classic experiments, participants were asked to wear embarrassing T-shirts into a room. They predicted nearly half the room would notice. In reality? Fewer than 25% did.
Why? Because everyone else was busy thinking about themselves.
At the gym, this shows up the same way: You think people are judging your weight, your form, your inexperience. In reality, they’re thinking about their playlist, their reps, or how fast they can leave.
The discomfort isn’t proof that you don’t belong. It’s proof you’re doing something new.
You don’t try to eliminate self-consciousness. Instead, cross-examine it. When the voice of doubt, discomfort, and disbelief shows up, ask:
What exactly am I afraid people are thinking?
What evidence do I actually have?
If someone else were in my position, would I judge them or respect them for trying?
Then do the thing anyway.
Confidence isn’t built by waiting to feel ready. It’s built by acting in spite of the story that holds you back, and persevering until that story runs out of fuel.
January isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about stopping the quiet lies that keep the best version of you on the sidelines.
And that’s it for this week. Thanks for being a part of the positive corner of the internet! We hope that you’re having a great start to the new year and that you have a fantastic weekend.
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
Better Today
Take any of these tips from today’s email and put them into action:
1. Why 150mg of Caffeine Boosts Performance on Any Diet (But Carbs Still Win for High-Intensity Training)
A 3-week study found that taking at least 150mg of caffeine before a workout improves performance regardless of diet. However, eating more carbs helped participants consistently train harder and improve more than those on a lower-carb plan.
2. How Protein Shakes Help You Lose 5.5 More Pounds Than Traditional Dieting
A meta-analysis found that people who replaced one or two meals with protein shakes lost 5.5 pounds (2.5kg) more than those following traditional reduced-calorie diets with the same calorie targets. It’s likely because meal replacement removes guesswork and improves adherence.
3. How To Improve Focus And Experience More Success
Most people don't fail from lack of potential; they fail because their energy is scattered across too many half-commitments. Real focus isn't just picking a priority; it's designing your environment, removing friction, and aligning every decision around one target until success feels inevitable.
4. The Spotlight Effect: Research Shows People Notice You Half as Much as You Think
Classic psychology experiments found that people predicted 50% of a room would notice them, but fewer than 25% actually did because everyone else was busy thinking about themselves. Self-consciousness isn't proof you don't belong; it's proof you're doing something new, and confidence is built by acting despite the story, not waiting until the story disappears.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
