Sourced head-to-heads

Protocol Showdown:
What actually wins?

The longevity space is full of competing claims — Zone 2 vs. HIIT, fasting vs. caloric restriction, carnivore vs. Mediterranean. We compare each pair on outcomes measured in human studies, with the study behind every call.

5
Matchups
21
Outcomes compared
20
Studies cited
How we compare

Method, limits and how to read your result

How it works

The page compares popular longevity protocols item by item and gives each item an evidence call based on the cited human research, so you can see where well-known protocols agree with the evidence and where they go beyond it.

Limits

Calls summarise the evidence for typical adults and can change as new trials report. A protocol's popularity is not evidence: for example, fish oil supplements, a staple of many protocols, did not lower cardiovascular events or cancer in the large VITAL trial (VITAL).

How to read your result

Look at the items marked as well supported first, and treat items with weaker calls as optional or experimental. Use the comparison to question a protocol, not to copy one wholesale.

What each call means

Each row compares one outcome measured in human studies and says which option the evidence favors, if either: "Favors", "Both help", "Similar" or "Not enough evidence", with the study behind it.

This page used to show a score from 1 to 10 for each side of every row, added up into totals. No study produces numbers like that, so we removed them. Randomized trials carry the most weight; cohort studies and surveys show associations, and each note says which kind of study it rests on. Supplement comparisons follow our Supplement Evidence Database.

Last reviewed October 2, 2026.

References

  1. 1Myers J, et al. "Exercise capacity and mortality among men referred for exercise testing." N Engl J Med. 2002;346(11):793-801. PubMed · DOI
  2. 2Piercy KL, et al. "The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans." JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. PubMed · DOI
  3. 3Milanović Z, et al. "Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) and Continuous Endurance Training for VO2max Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials." Sports Med. 2015;45(10):1469-81. PubMed · DOI
  4. 4Weston KS, et al. "High-intensity interval training in patients with lifestyle-induced cardiometabolic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(16):1227-34. PubMed · DOI
  5. 5Stensvold D, et al. "Effect of exercise training for five years on all cause mortality in older adults-the Generation 100 study: randomised controlled trial." BMJ. 2020;371:m3485. PubMed · DOI
  6. 6Mandsager K, et al. "Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing." JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(6):e183605. PubMed · DOI
  7. 7Liu D, et al. "Calorie Restriction with or without Time-Restricted Eating in Weight Loss." N Engl J Med. 2022;386(16):1495-1504. PubMed · DOI
  8. 8Kraus WE, et al. "2 years of calorie restriction and cardiometabolic risk (CALERIE): exploratory outcomes of a multicentre, phase 2, randomised controlled trial." Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2019;7(9):673-683. PubMed · DOI
  9. 9Lowe DA, et al. "Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Weight Loss and Other Metabolic Parameters in Women and Men With Overweight and Obesity: The TREAT Randomized Clinical Trial." JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(11):1491-1499. PubMed · DOI
  10. 10Spadaro O, et al. "Caloric restriction in humans reveals immunometabolic regulators of health span." Science. 2022;375(6581):671-677. PubMed · DOI
  11. 11Waziry R, et al. "Effect of long-term caloric restriction on DNA methylation measures of biological aging in healthy adults from the CALERIE trial." Nat Aging. 2023;3(3):248-257. PubMed · DOI
  12. 12Estruch R, et al. "Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts." N Engl J Med. 2018;378(25):e34. PubMed · DOI
  13. 13Lennerz BS, et al. "Behavioral Characteristics and Self-Reported Health Status among 2029 Adults Consuming a "Carnivore Diet"." Curr Dev Nutr. 2021;5(12):nzab133. PubMed · DOI
  14. 14Reynolds A, et al. "Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses." Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434-445. PubMed · DOI
  15. 15Momma H, et al. "Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies." Br J Sports Med. 2022;56(13):755-763. PubMed · DOI
  16. 16Watson SL, et al. "High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial." J Bone Miner Res. 2018;33(2):211-220. PubMed · DOI
  17. 17Leong DP, et al. "Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study." Lancet. 2015;386(9990):266-73. PubMed · DOI
  18. 18Yi L, et al. "The efficacy and safety of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation in healthy middle-aged adults: a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-dependent clinical trial." Geroscience. 2023;45(1):29-43. PubMed · DOI
  19. 19Martens CR, et al. "Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD(+) in healthy middle-aged and older adults." Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):1286. PubMed · DOI
  20. 20Yoshino M, et al. "Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women." Science. 2021;372(6547):1224-1229. PubMed · DOI
Related Reading
Peter Attia's Medicine 3.0 → Bryan Johnson's Blueprint → The Evidence-Based Longevity Protocol → Budget Protocol (Under $50/Month) →