Vital / Knowledge base
Knowledge base
Articles, guides and answers. Sources included.
Each article says what the research shows, links to the sources it was read from, and has a section on what is still unsure. None of it is medical advice.
Eating and numbers
How Vital works out your daily targets
The equation, the activity factor and the goal adjustment, step by step, with a worked example.
Read the article ResearchHow many calories do you actually burn in a day?
The three parts of daily burn, why every calculator is a guess, and how to check yours against your own weight.
Read the article ResearchHow much protein do you need?
What the RDA, a position stand and a 49-trial meta-analysis say, and what they do not.
Read the article ResearchHow to split your calories into protein, fat and carbs
Protein first, fat second, carbs fill the rest: the ranges and where they are shaky.
Read the article ResearchHow fast should you lose weight?
Picking a calorie deficit: 0.5 to 1% of body weight a week, what it costs in muscle, and how rough the 3,500 rule is.
Read the article ResearchWhy the scale jumps around from day to day
Water, stored carbohydrate and a weekly rhythm explain most swings. How to read a trend instead of a day.
Read the article Food dataHow to read a nutrition label
Serving size, percent Daily Value, added sugars, rounding rules, and how far off a label is allowed to be.
Read the article Food dataRaw or cooked weight? How to log food correctly
Real USDA numbers for chicken, rice and pasta, and a rule for weighing and logging that avoids the biggest error.
Read the article DataWhere food numbers come from, and why they can be wrong
USDA FoodData Central, Open Food Facts, label rounding and how Vital flags what does not add up.
Read the articleTraining and recovery
What reps in reserve means
How many reps were left in the tank, how accurate people are at guessing, and what training near failure does.
Read the article ResearchProgressive overload for beginners
Double progression, how big a jump to make, and what the position stands do and do not settle.
Read the article ResearchHow screen time and sleep affect training
How much sleep is advised, what sleep loss does to performance, and what is and is not known about screens.
Read the articleGuides
Connect Claude or ChatGPT
Create an access token (a Premium feature), what it can see, and setup for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and ChatGPT.
Open the guide BetaJoin the Android beta
What testers do, what Google requires, and how to sign up.
Open the guide Your dataDelete your account
The steps in the app, an email option, and what is and is not deleted.
Open the guideQuick answers and free tools
All free toolsFAQ
Plans, food accuracy, privacy, AI and the beta.
Read the FAQCalorie calculator
Calories and macros, with the formula shown.
OpenMacro split
Protein, fat and carbs in grams from your calories.
OpenProtein calculator
A daily range, with sources.
OpenBMR calculator
Resting burn two ways.
OpenBody fat
US Navy tape method and its error.
OpenGoal date
A date, a calorie change and a pace check.
OpenOne-rep max
Epley and Brzycki estimates.
OpenPlate calculator
Which plates go on each side.
OpenNeed a person? Contact support.