Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips designed to make you healthier in less than 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
The healthier skin secret
Weekly wisdom
The best workout for your brain
Arnold’s Podcast
Want more stories from Arnold? Every day, Arnold’s Pump Club Podcast opens with a story, perspective, and wisdom from Arnold that you won’t find in the newsletter. And, you’ll hear a recap of the day’s items. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Nutrition
Number You Won’t Forget: 2%
We’ve all heard that you need to eat fewer calories to lose weight. But what if eating more of one type of food could help you shed more body fat?
Research suggests that eating more of your calories from protein can lead to greater fat loss and muscle gain.
In this 8-week randomized study, resistance-trained women either increased protein intake to 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight (raising calories by approximately 250 calories per day) or decreased protein intake to 0.9 grams/kg (lowering calories by about 300 calories per day).
Both groups followed the same intense resistance training program.
Despite eating more, the high-protein group lost 2 percent more body fat—a significant drop compared to their baseline.
The researchers believe this could be due to protein’s unique role in body recomposition. Extra protein may be directed toward muscle building (instead of stored as fat), increase daily movement, subtly boost total daily calorie burn, and enhance training recovery and performance, indirectly improving fat-burning potential.
This does not mean you can just pound protein and not gain fat. If you overconsume calories, you will gain weight.
However, this study suggests that eating more protein might help you get leaner if you're resistance training.
Together With LMNT
Is Hydration the Secret to Better Skin?
In a world full of expensive skincare and anti-aging treatments, there’s one solution that’s free, easy, and backed by science:
Staying properly hydrated can help your skin look better and support healthier aging.
Researchers searched databases to understand the relationship between hydration and skin quality. They found that drinking adequate water improves skin thickness and density, enhances skin barrier function, reduces dryness and roughness, and boosts skin elasticity.
Dehydration can also make fine lines and wrinkles more apparent, as plump, hydrated skin cells help minimize their visibility.
It’s also about how hydration supports nutrient delivery to skin cells and the removal of waste products while making skin more resilient against environmental stressors that accelerate aging.
That might be why a separate study from the NIH followed over 15,000 adults for 25+ years and found that poor hydration was linked to biological aging and disease risk.
While chugging more water won’t erase wrinkles overnight, staying well-hydrated, especially if you’re not, can improve your skin’s appearance and may help protect you from age-related decline.
If you need a place to start, studies suggest that drinking about 8 cups of water daily can make a noticeable difference in skin quality.
If you struggle with drinking enough water, LMNT can be a real difference-maker that improves hydration. LMNT is a sugar-free electrolyte drink that adds flavor, enjoyment, and nutrition to your water. If you consistently exercise, LMNT replenishes the electrolytes you lose when you sweat without any added artificial ingredients or unnecessary colors. It’s simple, effective, and built for performance.
As part of the Pump Club community, you can grab a free 8-packet sample pack (all flavors!) with any purchase through this link. If you’re not satisfied, their no-questions-asked refund policy has you covered.
Weekly Wisdom
Health
The Best Workout for Your Brain
You already know that exercise helps your brain stay sharp, but now we know which type of workout gives you the most significant cognitive boost as you age.
Resistance training had the most significant impact on overall cognitive function.
Researchers analyzed 37 randomized controlled trials with 2,585 participants, examining how various forms of exercise—including resistance training, aerobic workouts, high-intensity intervals, multimodal routines, and physical-mental training (like Tai Chi)—affected cognitive skills such as memory, working memory, task switching, and inhibitory control.
The results were clear: Resistance training came out on top for overall cognitive performance, outperforming aerobic exercise and high-intensity training.
Researchers believe resistance training has the greatest benefits because it stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports neuron growth and communication. It also enhances blood flow, reduces inflammation, and may directly improve the brain’s executive function by improving neuromuscular coordination and motor planning.
But the real takeaway is that all forms of exercise have benefits beyond physical fitness.
Aerobic training was most effective for enhancing memory, while Tai Chi and dancing were the best for working memory and task-switching ability.
If you want to get the most out of each approach, here’s your exercise prescription for brain health.
Resistance Training: 2–3 sessions per week, 30 to 45 minutes per session.
Aerobic Exercise: Aiming for 150 minutes of movement per week.
Physical-Mental Training (e.g., Tai Chi or dance): At least once per week.
And that’s it for this week. Thank you for being a part of the positive corner of the internet, and we hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
