Does anyone use ChatGPT for cycle/supplement/weight loss advice?

[Sparta12]

I have been using it lately and my god it is getting advanced. Can ask questions then ask for more specific details and explanations with your additional personal information.

I have got it to create work out programs with my goals in mind then asked about support supps and it generates a really nice list, seems like the future is here

 

[sns8778]

It is more advanced that it was for sure, but you have to be really careful with supplement questions because it does get a lot wrong a lot of the time.

I haven't tried it for diet and exercise though.

 

[Sparta12]

It is more advanced that it was for sure, but you have to be really careful with supplement questions because it does get a lot wrong a lot of the time.

I haven't tried it for diet and exercise though.

Yeah so far it's been great even the supplement information, I still double check when I get that kind of information though, generally it's questions like what can I take for support here or there... I havent gone too specific with that in terms of contraindications or health issues, just more overall

 

[sns8778]

Just be very careful - it sometimes will confuse ingredients for one another and sometimes things aren't even remotely true that it says. It's not that it means for it not to be, its that pulls and tries to decipher data and there's so much old information and also false information out there.

A good example is that it confuses Curcousin for C3 Curcumin - Curcousin is a metabolite of Curcumin, but it doesn't do the things that Curcumin does and Curcumin doesn't do the things that it does.

It's a good tool and resource, but its important to fact check things behind it too.

 

[Sparta12]

Just be very careful - it sometimes will confuse ingredients for one another and sometimes things aren't even remotely true that it says. It's not that it means for it not to be, its that pulls and tries to decipher data and there's so much old information and also false information out there.

A good example is that it confuses Curcousin for C3 Curcumin - Curcousin is a metabolite of Curcumin, but it doesn't do the things that Curcumin does and Curcumin doesn't do the things that it does.

It's a good tool and resource, but its important to fact check things behind it too.

I will just get you to fact check for me haha

 

[Smont]

I've tried using it and the macros on the food are always off unless I include every specific measurement for example if I ask for a meal that contains 800 calories and a hundred grams of protein it won't even be remotely close. The training info is fine for someone who doesn't really know what they're doing but it can't auto regulate and make adjustments for you and I don't believe it's ever going to be able to simply because it's too personal.

I think someone looking to just be generally fit chat GPT can get you to the finish line. I think if someone wants to look or perform at a high level that chat GPT isn't going to be very useful

 

[Dustin07]

I personally think Grok is better but yes I had a couple long discussions with Grok last week lol

 

[Dustin07]

FWIW, I consulted Grok on my cardio circuits (I break up my 40-60 minute circuits over various machines to keep me interested) the response was pretty good I thought:

Your approach to breaking up your Low-Intensity Steady-State (LISS) cardio into a circuit of different machines is a creative and practical way to keep things interesting, and it’s great that it’s working for you boredom-wise. Let’s break down the differences and whether it’s “better” or “worse” than a single 60-minute treadmill session.
Key Differences

1. Muscle Engagement:
   
   • Treadmill (60 min): Walking or jogging on a treadmill primarily targets your lower body—quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves—with consistent engagement over the full hour. An incline adds more glute and hamstring activation.
   • Circuit: Each machine shifts the emphasis slightly. Rowing engages your upper body (back, shoulders, arms) alongside your legs; biking focuses more on quads and glutes; stairs hit glutes, quads, and calves hard; ellipticals offer a full-body, low-impact motion; and the incline treadmill finishes with a lower-body push. This variety means you’re spreading the workload across more muscle groups rather than hammering the same ones for 60 minutes.
2. Caloric Burn and Intensity:
   
   • Both approaches fall under LISS, which typically keeps your heart rate at 50-65% of your max (think conversational pace). Calorie burn depends on your effort, body weight, and duration. A 60-minute treadmill session at a steady pace might burn slightly more calories overall because it’s uninterrupted, but your circuit—assuming you maintain similar effort across machines—should be pretty close. The transitions (walking between machines) might dip your heart rate briefly, but it’s negligible since you’re not resting.
3. Mental Engagement:
   
   • Treadmill: Monotony can make 60 minutes feel eternal, especially without distractions like music or a screen.
   • Circuit: Switching machines every 10-20 minutes keeps your brain engaged, which seems to be a big win for you. Adherence is key in fitness, so if this keeps you consistent, that’s a huge advantage.
4. Fatigue and Recovery:
   
   • A single treadmill session might fatigue your lower body more due to prolonged use of the same muscles. The circuit spreads that fatigue out, potentially reducing the chance of localized soreness or overuse (e.g., shin splints from treadmill-only work).

Is One Better or Worse?

• Physiologically: There’s no substantial difference in terms of LISS goals—fat burning, cardiovascular health, or endurance—as long as your heart rate stays in that steady zone. Studies suggest that splitting cardio into shorter bouts (e.g., 3x20 min vs. 1x60 min) yields similar benefits if total time and intensity match, and your circuit aligns with that principle. The variety might even slightly boost metabolism from engaging more muscle groups, but the effect is minimal.
• Practically: Your circuit is better for you if it prevents boredom and keeps you motivated. Consistency trumps minor efficiency differences every time. The only “downside” might be if the transitions slow your momentum or if machine availability becomes an issue at a busy gym.

Verdict
Your circuit is a fantastic solution—neither better nor worse in strict fitness terms, but superior for your enjoyment and adherence. The varied muscle use is a bonus, and since you’re not taking breaks, you’re still getting the sustained cardio effect LISS aims for. If it’s working for you, stick with it! You could even experiment with tweaking the order or durations (e.g., 15 min per machine) to see what feels best. What’s your heart rate like during this—do you track it? That could give us more insight into how steady the intensity stays.

 

[Sparta12]

I'd be a little skeptical of trusting responses for supplements, for a variety of reasons, one being Steve's point.

I think for workouts it probably isn't too bad and with most thing likely depends. I actually just read over a study earlier this month on this subject: https://www.termedia.pl/Reproducibi...aluated-by-coaching-experts,78,55336,1,1.html

I think a couple of their conclusions are important here:

and

Bolded is my emphasis.

I think in general my biggest worry would be how does one evaluate if it is right or wrong? I feel like if you are dumb you'll likely give poor prompts and also less likely to be able to decipher if the answer is poor, yet you'll likely think its great. If you know more you'll likely give better inputs, get a better response, yet still be more critical of the response and be able to notice mistakes.

Don't take that as me calling you dumb, I mean in general use. I think as always it is likely a tool that will be more effective for those who know what is going on and likely problematic for those who don't have proper guidance.

Interesting topic though, I think there is so much more that could be said.

100% I think it is definitely a great tool to use, but definitely fact check on the important information, I have also been experimenting with wording and definitely notice if I don't put much thought into how I word it, it will still give good information, but if I rephrase it with more emphasis on why I am asking the question and what I am really looking for, it will tailor it a bit more.

I have been using it to restructure some of my letters/emails to make them more to the point and in that case it works perfectly. It is also great for facebook arguments haha, you can literally put someones comment in and it will break it down and then give you talking points/rebuttals, again it is definitely worth fact checking and reading over it fully... but it does give you some great ammo.

I have also used it to sum up some articles and papers before and it seemed to grab the biggest talking points really well.

 

[sns8778]

100% I think it is definitely a great tool to use, but definitely fact check on the important information, I have also been experimenting with wording and definitely notice if I don't put much thought into how I word it, it will still give good information, but if I rephrase it with more emphasis on why I am asking the question and what I am really looking for, it will tailor it a bit more.

I have been using it to restructure some of my letters/emails to make them more to the point and in that case it works perfectly. It is also great for facebook arguments haha, you can literally put someones comment in and it will break it down and then give you talking points/rebuttals, again it is definitely worth fact checking and reading over it fully... but it does give you some great ammo.

I have also used it to sum up some articles and papers before and it seemed to grab the biggest talking points really well.

Ha. Me and @Resolve10 are definitely familiar with rebuttal point as one of the posters on here that likes to post nonsense from time to time you can tell does that. He will post what amounts to gibberish and nonsense and then will have an articulate post and you can tell he used an AI reply to it.

For me on the supplement stuff, I find most of the mistakes it makes funny bc I can tell when it makes mistakes on the major things, but I would caution others that don't have a real in depth knowledge because they may not catch it.

Example:
I had someone email me asking if they should keep taking Joint Support XT since they were taking Lean GLP. I had no idea what they were thinking or how it correlated to one another, so I asked them what their reasoning was and they sent me a screen shot. I went to ChatGPT and asked about Curcousin and sure enough it confused it with C3 Curcumin. So it had the person thinking that Curcousin was this potent ingredient for joint health and inflammation when its actually great for metabolic health and weight loss but has nothing at all to do with joint health.

I do think its a good guide, but if there are things that a person needs to be sure of, I would definitely fact check it.

 

[Sparta12]

Ya honestly it is already hard enough talking to people who don't know what they are talking about. Having to converse with people who don't know what they are talking about talking to me through prompts will likely have me fully leave society.

I love seeing people who clearly have no clue suddenly gain "research powers," only to send a link that ends with source=chatgpt.com, It always makes me laugh.