Compare experts › Andy Galpin vs Mark Hyman

Andy Galpin vs Mark Hyman

Andy Galpin (exercise physiologist) and Mark Hyman (physician, functional medicine) side by side: how they train, eat, supplement and sleep, how strong the evidence is, and how to build a plan from either or both.

Build a plan from bothSee the protocols
Words explained (9)
VO2 max
The most oxygen your body can use in hard exercise. A good measure of fitness; higher is better.
Intervals
Short hard efforts with easy recovery in between, such as 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow.
4 × 4
Four rounds of 4 minutes hard with 3 minutes easy in between. Also called Norwegian intervals.
Hypertrophy
Muscle growth.
Mobility
Moving your joints freely through their full range.
Creatine
A well-studied supplement that supports strength and muscle.
Omega-3 (EPA, DHA)
Healthy fats found mostly in oily fish such as salmon, herring and sardines.
Polyphenols
Natural plant compounds in foods such as berries, tea, coffee, cocoa and olive oil.
Fibre
The part of plant foods you don't digest. It feeds healthy gut bacteria and keeps you full.

At a glance

MeasureAndy GalpinMark Hyman
BackgroundExercise physiologistPhysician, functional medicine
Training split50% strength · 30% aerobic · 15% intervals · 5% mobility30% strength · 25% aerobic · 30% intervals · 15% mobility
Signature habit“3–5 rule” liftingPegan diet
ProteinDaily total matters most30–50 g shake after training
Training styleAll-rounderFood as medicine
Overall evidenceStrongMixed
FollowingInstagram 377K · YouTube 201KInstagram 3.8M · YouTube 1.5M

Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.

The key differences

  • Galpin puts more of the week into strength: about 50% against 30%.
  • Hyman puts more of the week into intervals: about 30% against 15%.
  • Hyman puts more of the week into mobility and stability: about 15% against 5%.
  • In plans in their style, Galpin's hard sessions are 4-minute intervals (Norwegian 4 × 4); Hyman's are 1-minute intervals.
  • We rate the evidence behind Galpin's protocol higher: strong, against mixed for Hyman.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: Galpin, creatine monohydrate, caffeine before training; Hyman, protein shake with creatine after training, omega-3 fish oil. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
  • Only Hyman has a mobility or movement routine of their own.

Protocols side by side

Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.

Training

Andy Galpin

  • Strength: the 3–5 rule – 3–5 exercises, 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, 3–5 minutes' rest, 3–5 days a week, every rep done with full intentStrong evidence
  • Muscle growth: at least 10 hard sets per muscle group a week, each within 1–2 reps of failure; 15–20 sets for more experienced liftersStrong evidence
  • Add load gradually for strength, roughly 3–5% a week, and keep the same main exercises for about 6–12 weeks before changing themSome evidence
  • Moderate, conversational-pace cardio of about 150–200 minutes a week for general healthStrong evidence
  • Warm up for about 5–7 minutes, up to 10 if you are stiff or olderPersonal habit
  • Run a simple fitness test battery about once a year (for example grip strength, jumps, push-ups and an estimate of VO2 max) and retest weak areas more oftenSome evidence

Mark Hyman

  • Strength training 3–4 times a week, about 30 minutes, mainly resistance bands and moderate weightsStrong evidence
  • Aerobic or interval training 4–6 days a week, about 30 minutes (cycling, tennis, hiking, swimming)Strong evidence
  • Yoga a couple of times a week plus a little stretching most daysSome evidence
  • Avoids very heavy lifting as he ages to limit injury riskPersonal habit
  • Hypoxia (low-oxygen) training with a machine or maskPersonal habit

Eating

Andy Galpin

  • Total daily protein matters more than exact timing around workoutsSome evidence
  • Daily fluid baseline of about 30 ml per kg of body weightPersonal habit
  • During training: drink about 2 ml per kg of body weight every 15–20 minutes; afterwards replace about 125% of the weight lostSome evidence
  • For long or very hard sessions, start at about 60 g of carbohydrate per hourStrong evidence

Mark Hyman

  • Pegan diet: about 75% of the plate from plants, mostly non-starchy vegetablesStrong evidence
  • Cut sugar, refined flour and ultra-processed foodsStrong evidence
  • 1–2 cups of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage etc.) a daySome evidence
  • Healthy fats from olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and small oily fishStrong evidence
  • Avoid gluten and most dairy, even without intolerancePersonal habit
  • Daily overnight fast of 12–16 hoursSome evidence

Supplements

Andy Galpin

  • Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g a day; larger people may need moreStrong evidence
  • Creatine takes about 3–4 weeks to saturate muscle at normal doses; a loading phase is optionalNote
  • Caffeine about 1–3 mg per kg roughly 30 minutes before exercise; performance tends to drop above about 5 mg per kgStrong evidence

Mark Hyman

  • Protein shake after training: 30–50 g whey (goat) plus 5 g creatineStrong evidence
  • Vitamin D, fish oil, a multivitamin and magnesium at nightSome evidence
  • NMN (about 900 mg a day), urolithin A, quercetin, curcumin and similar 'longevity' compoundsPersonal habit
  • His own branded gut supplement (prebiotics, probiotics, polyphenols)Personal habit

Sleep & recovery

Andy Galpin

  • After training, lie down for 3–10 minutes with eyes covered and breathe slowly through the nose (for example box breathing) to switch into recovery modeSome evidence
  • Cold-water immersion can ease soreness but may blunt muscle growth, so keep it away from strength sessions if muscle is the goalSome evidence
  • Hot baths for next-morning stiffnessPersonal habit
  • Pair one physical recovery tool (compression, light movement, a swim) with one breathing practice rather than chasing every gadgetPersonal habit
  • Watch three markers – performance, physiology (resting heart rate, HRV) and how you feel; five or more days of decline is a sign to back offSome evidence

Mark Hyman

  • 7–8 hours of sleep with a regular bedtime around 10 pmStrong evidence
  • Dark, quiet bedroom with eye mask and earplugsSome evidence
  • Blue-light-blocking glasses in the eveningPersonal habit
  • Steam or sauna and cold plunge most daysPersonal habit
  • Red light therapy at homePersonal habit

Stress & mind

Andy Galpin

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Mark Hyman

  • Meditation once or twice a day plus breathworkSome evidence
  • As much time in nature as possibleSome evidence
  • Regular time with friends and familySome evidence
  • Regular massagePersonal habit

Weak spots to know

Andy Galpin

  • Much of his detailed advice (hydration formulas, carbohydrate per hour, caffeine dosing) is built for athletes and hard training; it needs scaling down for most adults over 50.
  • Several recovery tools he discusses, such as compression, cold and heat, have modest or mixed evidence, and he himself notes cold immersion may reduce muscle gains.
  • His fitness-test benchmarks are practical rules of thumb rather than age-adjusted clinical norms.

Mark Hyman

  • Functional medicine as a field lacks randomised trial evidence; surgeon and blogger David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine, 2014; Respectful Insolence, 2019) argues its useful parts (diet, exercise, sleep) are not unique and its unique parts (broad testing, supplements, 'detox') are not proven.
  • A 2021 Red Pen Reviews analysis of Eat Fat, Get Thin scored its scientific accuracy 1.2 out of 4, finding the claim that saturated fat does not cause heart disease conflicts with most controlled studies.
  • Commercial ties are large: he co-founded and is chief medical officer of Function Health (direct-to-consumer lab testing) and sells supplements through his own online shop; nutrition scientist Adrian Chavez (Katie Couric Media, 2026) noted one of his supplement stacks supplies 7,000 IU of vitamin D a day, above the usual 4,000 IU upper limit.

Build a plan from Galpin, Hyman or both

Your free plan shows a week of gym sessions, cardio, a day of eating, supplements and mobility, fitted to your age, time and health.

Plan in Galpin's stylePlan in Hyman's styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Andy Galpin and Mark Hyman?

Their training split differs most in strength: Galpin about 50%, Hyman about 30% (our estimate from their published routines). Galpin's signature habit is “3–5 rule” lifting; Hyman's is Pegan diet.

How much protein do Galpin and Hyman recommend?

Galpin: Daily total matters most. Hyman: 30–50 g shake after training.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the evidence behind Galpin's protocol higher: strong, against mixed for Hyman.

Do Galpin and Hyman disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: galpin puts more of the week into strength: about 50% against 30%.

Can I combine Galpin and Hyman?

Yes. In Build my mix you choose one expert per area, for example one for strength and another for eating. Your free plan shows the result straight away.

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Full sources are on each profile: Andy Galpin · Mark Hyman. Reviewed October 2026.