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The honest difference

Our evidence policy.

Every target, range, and rating in Hitt Fitness carries a label that tells you where it came from. This page explains exactly how that works — and the line we refuse to cross.

Two honest labels

Most apps hand you a number and hope you trust it. We do the opposite: each number is tagged one of two ways, so you always know how much weight it deserves.

The rule we hold ourselves to: we never fabricate a citation. If the research isn't there, the label says "convention" — not a made-up study. We'd rather be right than confident.

How your targets are sourced

Here's how the defaults you see on the Coach screen are classified, and the reasoning behind each.

TargetDefaultLabelWhy
Protein~1.6 g/kg/day Peer-reviewed The point where added protein stops meaningfully increasing muscle gain in most people; higher in aggressive deficits.
Fiber~14 g / 1,000 kcal Peer-reviewed Intake associated with lower cardiovascular and metabolic risk across large prospective studies.
Energy (calories)Mifflin-St Jeor RMR × activity Peer-reviewed Among the most accurate resting-metabolic-rate prediction equations for the general population.
Fat floor~0.6 g/kg minimum Peer-reviewed Enough to support hormone production and fat-soluble vitamin absorption.
Carbohydrate splitRemaining energy after protein & fat Convention A sensible default once the evidenced macros are set — the exact percentage isn't a law.
Meal distribution3–4 meals/day Convention Practical and common; total daily intake matters far more than a strict per-meal schedule.

How we rate supplements

The supplement aisle is designed to make everything look equally credible. We un-flatten that with a four-tier scale based on the strength of the evidence — and when a product is weak, we point you to a food alternative instead.

Strong Strong

Robust, replicated evidence. Example: creatine monohydrate, ~5 g/day.

Moderate Moderate

Reasonable support with caveats. Example: omega-3 (1–2 g EPA+DHA), select probiotics.

Weak Weak

Mixed or thin evidence; whole food usually does it better. Example: most multivitamins, joint blends.

Unproven Unproven

Claims not supported by quality research. Example: "test booster" blends.

Lab reference ranges

For bloodwork, Hitt Fitness compares each marker against an optimal and an acceptable range drawn from established clinical guidance, then shows a status badge — Low, Optimal, Borderline, or High — with a short, actionable note. These ranges are educational and population-level; they are not a diagnosis, and individual context (set by your clinician) always wins.

What "convention" really means

Not everything in nutrition is settled, and pretending otherwise is how bad advice spreads. A macro split has to start somewhere, so we pick a sensible default and label it honestly. That transparency is a feature: it tells you which numbers are bedrock (defend them) and which are flexible (experiment freely).

When a label changes

Science moves. As the research base shifts, a default or its label can change — a "convention" can earn "peer-reviewed" status, or a recommendation can be revised. Our labels reflect our reasonable interpretation of the available evidence at the time, and they're never a guarantee of any outcome.

The pledge

No faked citations. No borrowed authority. Numbers you can reason about, labeled by how much they've earned your trust — so the plan stays yours.

Questions about our sourcing?

We welcome scrutiny — that's the whole point. Email hello@hittfitness.com, or read the deeper dive in Why we label every number on the blog.

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