Compare experts › Rhonda Patrick vs Brad Stanfield

Rhonda Patrick vs Brad Stanfield

Rhonda Patrick (biomedical scientist) and Brad Stanfield (general practitioner (gp)) 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 (13)
Zone 2
Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
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.
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.
Fibre
The part of plant foods you don't digest. It feeds healthy gut bacteria and keeps you full.
Time-restricted eating
Eating all your meals within a set window of the day, for example 8am to 6pm.
ApoB
A blood test that counts the particles carrying cholesterol. Linked to heart disease risk.
Mitochondria
The parts of your cells that turn food and oxygen into energy.
Rapamycin, metformin
Prescription drugs that some experts take hoping to slow ageing. Not proven for that, and never part of your plan.
NAD
A molecule cells use for energy. Supplements are sold to raise it, but evidence in people is limited.

At a glance

MeasureRhonda PatrickBrad Stanfield
BackgroundBiomedical scientistGeneral practitioner (GP)
Training split30% strength · 40% aerobic · 30% intervals · 0% mobility40% strength · 30% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility
Signature habitSauna 4–7 × a week4 × 4 intervals twice a week
Protein~1.6 g/kg~1.2 g/kg ideal weight
Training styleInterval-heavyGuideline-first
Overall evidenceStrongStrong
FollowingInstagram 1.2M · YouTube 731KYouTube 364K

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

The key differences

  • Stanfield puts more of the week into strength: about 40% against 30%.
  • Patrick puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 40% against 30%.
  • In plans in their style, both use 4-minute intervals (Norwegian 4 × 4) for hard sessions.
  • We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as strong.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: Patrick, omega-3, vitamin d with k2; Stanfield, creatine monohydrate, omega-3, psyllium husk. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
  • Only Patrick 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

Rhonda Patrick

  • At least 10 minutes of vigorous exercise a day; she suggests this should replace the 10,000-step goalSome evidence
  • Norwegian 4 × 4: four 4-minute intervals, hard but not all-out (the original protocol uses about 85–95% of max heart rate), with 3-minute recoveries, 1–2 times a week; build up graduallySome evidence
  • Keep daily walking too: step benefits level off around 6,000–8,000 steps a day for older adultsStrong evidence
  • Strength training at the start of most sessions, supported by enough proteinStrong evidence
  • Short 'exercise snacks' (e.g. 1 minute of squats or burpees) spread through the daySome evidence

Brad Stanfield

  • Cardio: 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. His template: two interval sessions and three brisk 30-minute walks.Strong evidence
  • Intervals: 4 rounds of 4 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy, after a 10-minute warm-up, twice a week and never on consecutive days.Strong evidence
  • Strength at least twice a week (4–5 if you can): 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps per exercise, stopping 1–2 reps short of failure, about 2 minutes' rest, with pushing, pulling and compound lifts.Strong evidence
  • Add power training as you age: heavier weights moved quickly.Some evidence
  • Zone 2 only if you have time beyond your vigorous minutes; he argues the evidence favours harder cardio for fitness.Note

Eating

Rhonda Patrick

  • Protein about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day to support resistance trainingStrong evidence
  • Whole-food meals built on vegetables, berries and a protein source (eggs, fish, poultry, red meat)Personal habit

Brad Stanfield

  • Protein about 1.2 g per kg of ideal body weight a day (check with your doctor if you have kidney disease).Some evidence
  • Favour plant protein over red meat and dairy.Some evidence
  • Salt (sodium) under 1,500 mg a day, water as the main drink, few sugary drinks including juice.Strong evidence
  • Two to three cups of coffee at most, early in the day.Personal habit

Supplements

Rhonda Patrick

  • Omega-3 (EPA + DHA) about 2 g a day as a starting point; aim for an Omega-3 Index of 8% or more and retest after about 4 monthsSome evidence
  • Take omega-3 with a meal that contains fat; higher doses need care (bleeding risk, atrial fibrillation, medicines)Doctor only
  • Vitamin D with vitamin K2 in the eveningSome evidence
  • Creatine 10 g a day (her own dose, above the usual 3–5 g)Personal habit
  • Multivitamin, magnesium, nicotinamide riboside and PQQ as part of her personal stackPersonal habit

Brad Stanfield

  • Creatine monohydrate 5 g a day.Strong evidence
  • Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) up to about 1 g a day; higher doses are linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.Some evidence
  • Psyllium husk fibre, building up to about 5 g a day.Some evidence
  • A low-dose multivitamin and mineral.Some evidence
  • Trimethylglycine (TMG), hyaluronic acid, GlyNAC from 45, and a low-dose melatonin formula: on his personal list, with early evidence.Personal habit

Sleep & recovery

Rhonda Patrick

  • Sauna 4–7 times a week, around 20 minutes at roughly 79 °C, based on Finnish cohort dataSome evidence
  • Schedule heat sessions a couple of hours before bedPersonal habit
  • After short sleep, vigorous exercise such as intervals or weights can help blood-sugar controlSome evidence
  • Cold exposure mainly in summer; she does not keep it up in winterPersonal habit

Brad Stanfield

  • 7–9 hours, a regular schedule and about 30 minutes of morning daylight.Some evidence
  • Bedroom at about 18–20 °C and dark; no hard exercise in the 2 hours before bed; alcohol stops 4–6 hours before bed, ideally altogether.Personal habit

Brain health

Rhonda Patrick

  • Push hard enough to raise lactate: hard exercise raises BDNF, a growth factor linked to learning and mood (human evidence still early)Some evidence
  • Frequent sauna use is linked with lower dementia risk in Finnish men (observational)Some evidence
  • Keep omega-3 status up; she links it to brain health and ageing markersSome evidence

Brad Stanfield

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

Rhonda Patrick

  • The sauna benefits she highlights come mainly from one observational cohort of middle-aged men in eastern Finland. It shows an association, not proof that sauna causes the benefit; women were not included, and commentators noted the reason for the link is unclear (heat, relaxation, lifestyle or social contact).
  • An epidemiology newsletter (The Edge of Epidemiology, 2025) argued that some of her headline numbers, such as vitamin D cutting dementia risk by about 40%, rest on observational studies and overstate what is known; genetic and trial evidence is mixed.
  • She often builds a case from biological mechanisms (e.g. lactate and BDNF, nutrients and serotonin). Several of these ideas are supported mostly by animal or small short-term human studies, as her own episodes acknowledge.

Brad Stanfield

  • He sells supplements through his own company, MicroVitamin, alongside his supplement reviews. His site says he discloses this.
  • Several items on his personal list (TMG, hyaluronic acid, GlyNAC, a melatonin formula) rest on small or early studies.
  • His cholesterol targets are stricter than general guidelines for people without heart disease, and his own page gives slightly different ApoB figures in different places.

Build a plan from Patrick, Stanfield 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 Patrick's stylePlan in Stanfield's styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Rhonda Patrick and Brad Stanfield?

Their training split differs most in strength: Patrick about 30%, Stanfield about 40% (our estimate from their published routines). Patrick's signature habit is Sauna 4–7 × a week; Stanfield's is 4 × 4 intervals twice a week.

How much protein do Patrick and Stanfield recommend?

Patrick: ~1.6 g/kg. Stanfield: ~1.2 g/kg ideal weight.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as strong.

Do Patrick and Stanfield disagree?

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

Can I combine Patrick and Stanfield?

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: Rhonda Patrick · Brad Stanfield. Reviewed October 2026.