Compare experts › Mark Hyman vs Vonda Wright

Mark Hyman vs Vonda Wright

Mark Hyman (physician, functional medicine) and Vonda Wright (orthopaedic surgeon) 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 both See the protocols

Words explained (10)

Zone 2: Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
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.
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.
Hormone therapy (HRT, MHT): Medicine that replaces hormones that fall at menopause. Only a doctor can prescribe it.
NAD: A molecule cells use for energy. Supplements are sold to raise it, but evidence in people is limited.

At a glance

Measure	Mark Hyman	Vonda Wright
Background	Physician, functional medicine	Orthopaedic surgeon
Training split	30% strength · 25% aerobic · 30% intervals · 15% mobility	40% strength · 45% aerobic · 10% intervals · 5% mobility
Signature habit	Pegan diet	Heavy 4 × 4 + daily jumps
Protein	30–50 g shake after training	30 g+ at every meal
Training style	Food as medicine	Bones & joints
Overall evidence	Mixed	Solid
Following	Instagram 3.8M · YouTube 1.5M	Instagram 1.7M

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

The key differences

Wright puts more of the week into strength: about 40% against 30%.
Wright puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 45% against 25%.
Hyman puts more of the week into intervals: about 30% against 10%.
Hyman puts more of the week into mobility and stability: about 15% against 5%.
In plans in their style, Hyman's hard sessions are 1-minute intervals; Wright's are short sprints.
We rate the evidence behind Wright's protocol higher: solid, against mixed for Hyman.
Supplements that go into a plan: Hyman, protein shake with creatine after training, omega-3 fish oil; Wright, creatine monohydrate. 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

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

Vonda Wright

Two strength sessions a week. Main lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, a row or pulldown) as 4 sets of 4 reps: heavy enough that a fifth rep is possible but not a sixth.Some evidence
Accessory exercises: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps.Some evidence
Beginners learn the lifts with light weights first; good technique can take 3–9 months. Add about 5–10% load every 1–2 weeks.Note
About 20 jumps in different directions every day, for bone.Some evidence
About 3 hours a week of easy cardio in 45–60 minute sessions, plus short sprints twice a week (for example 4 × 30 seconds with full recovery).Some evidence
A walk after your biggest meal, building up to 45 minutes, and a little one-leg balance practice every day.Some evidence

Eating

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

Vonda Wright

At least 30 g of protein at every meal, spread through the day: about half a gram per pound of body weight (about 1.1 g per kg).Some evidence
About 30 g of fibre a day, a little healthy fat, and an anti-inflammatory way of eating.Some evidence
Log your food for three weekdays and two weekend days to see what you really eat.Personal habit

Supplements

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

Vonda Wright

Creatine 3–5 g a day for strength.Strong evidence
Test vitamin D and supplement to reach a healthy range.Doctor only
Supplements aimed at clearing ageing 'zombie' cells, and the urolithin A and NAD+ precursor she has said she takes.Personal habit

Sleep & recovery

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

Vonda Wright

Put sleep first, before changing your diet or training.Personal habit

Stress & mind

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

Vonda Wright

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

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.

Vonda Wright

The 20-jumps-a-day figure, and the 1–3% bone gain she links to it, were given without a cited study in the interview we read.
Her suggestions of senolytic supplements, urolithin A and NAD+ precursors rest on early, mostly small or animal studies.
Heavy 4-rep lifting suits most healthy women with good coaching, but beginners and anyone with osteoporosis need a slow, supervised start.

Build a plan from Hyman, Wright 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 Hyman's style Plan in Wright's style Mix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Mark Hyman and Vonda Wright?

Their training split differs most in aerobic base (zone 2): Hyman about 25%, Wright about 45% (our estimate from their published routines). Hyman's signature habit is Pegan diet; Wright's is Heavy 4 × 4 + daily jumps.

How much protein do Hyman and Wright recommend?

Hyman: 30–50 g shake after training. Wright: 30 g+ at every meal.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

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

Do Hyman and Wright disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: wright puts more of the week into strength: about 40% against 30%.

Can I combine Hyman and Wright?

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.

More comparisons

Peter Attia vs Mark Hyman Andrew Huberman vs Mark Hyman Andy Galpin vs Mark Hyman Gabrielle Lyon vs Mark Hyman Rhonda Patrick vs Mark Hyman Layne Norton vs Mark Hyman Peter Attia vs Vonda Wright Andrew Huberman vs Vonda Wright Andy Galpin vs Vonda Wright Gabrielle Lyon vs Vonda Wright Rhonda Patrick vs Vonda Wright Layne Norton vs Vonda Wright All comparisons →

Full sources are on each profile: Mark Hyman · Vonda Wright. Reviewed October 2026.