FitCalcs

Editorial Policy

FitCalcs is committed to publishing accurate, useful, and scientifically grounded fitness and health information. This policy outlines how we create, review, and update our content.

Our principles

  • Science-based. Every formula and recommendation references peer-reviewed research or guidelines from recognized health organizations (WHO, IOM, ACOG, ISSN, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics).
  • Transparent. Our methodology page documents every formula and source we use.
  • Conservative. When research is mixed, we present multiple options rather than oversimplify. We never claim certainty where the science is unsettled.
  • Free of conflicts. We do not accept payment to recommend specific supplements, diets, or products. Our content is funded by display advertising only.
  • User-first. No paywalls, no required sign-ups, no email harvesting. Tools work immediately and privately in your browser.

Content creation process

  1. Research. Articles and calculators begin with a review of current peer-reviewed literature, established health guidelines, and authoritative textbooks.
  2. Drafting. Content is written in clear, accessible language without sacrificing accuracy. Technical terms are defined in context.
  3. Verification. Every numerical claim, formula, and recommendation is cross-checked against the primary source before publication.
  4. Review. Articles are reviewed for clarity, accuracy, and completeness before going live.
  5. Updates. Published content is revisited regularly to incorporate new research and revise outdated information.

Sources we trust

We rely on a tier of authoritative sources, in this approximate order of preference:

  • Peer-reviewed journals (BMJ, JAMA, AJCN, NEJM, Med Sci Sports Exerc, Sports Medicine)
  • Meta-analyses and systematic reviews (Cochrane Reviews)
  • Official guidelines (WHO, CDC, NIH, IOM, ACOG, USDA, NHS)
  • Position stands from professional bodies (ISSN, ACSM, NSCA, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
  • Textbooks from reputable academic publishers

What we avoid

  • Marketing claims dressed as science
  • Pop-science hot takes from non-peer-reviewed media
  • Anecdote-based recommendations without supporting research
  • Affiliate-driven recommendations that compromise objectivity
  • Sensationalist health claims ("cure cancer with this trick", etc.)

Health disclaimer

FitCalcs provides educational content and estimates based on validated formulas. Our calculators and articles are not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Individual circumstances vary widely. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet, exercise, or supplement regimen, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions, are pregnant, or are taking medications.

Corrections policy

Errors happen. When we discover or are notified of an inaccuracy, we:

  1. Verify the issue against authoritative sources.
  2. Correct the content within 48 hours.
  3. Note the correction date when the change is material.
  4. Thank the person who reported it (if they wish).

To report an error, use our contact page. Include the URL, the issue, and ideally a source that supports the correction.

Advertising and editorial independence

FitCalcs displays third-party advertising (currently Google AdSense) to fund the site. Advertisers have no influence over editorial content. We do not write product reviews, accept sponsored content disguised as articles, or alter our recommendations based on advertising relationships.

Privacy

Calculations happen entirely in your browser. We do not store, transmit, or share your health inputs. For details on cookies and analytics, see our privacy policy.

Use of artificial intelligence

We use generative AI tools (Claude, GPT, and similar) as research assistants in the editorial workflow. Specifically, AI helps us with literature scoping (finding candidate papers and reviews), scaffolding first drafts, and rewriting passages for clarity. AI is not used to generate medical recommendations, choose citations, or insert numerical ranges that reach users without human verification.

Final fact-checking, formula derivation, and citation matching are performed manually by the human editor against the primary source. If a number, formula, or recommendation cannot be traced back to a verifiable peer-reviewed paper or recognized guideline, it does not ship. We disclose AI use because Google's Helpful Content Update (introduced 2022, refined through 2023 and 2024) and related search-quality guidance call for explicit editorial transparency about content provenance, and because we believe readers deserve to know how content is produced regardless of policy.

In practice, this means a typical workflow looks like this: an AI assistant is asked to surface candidate papers on a topic; the human editor opens each paper directly, reads the methods and results, extracts the relevant equation or recommendation, and then writes the calculator logic and article copy. AI is then optionally used to tighten prose. At no point does an AI tool decide which sources to trust, which formula to use, or which numerical range to recommend. The editorial judgement remains entirely human.

Fact-checking process

Every numerical claim, formula, recommendation range, and cited statistic is matched to a primary source before publication. We follow a three-step verification pass:

  1. Primary source verification. The exact paper, guideline, or position stand cited is read, and the claim is confirmed against the source language — not against a secondary summary, textbook chapter, or AI-generated abstract.
  2. Independent corroboration. Where the underlying science is contested or evolving, a second independent source is consulted to confirm consensus or, if consensus does not exist, to surface the disagreement transparently in the published copy.
  3. Flagging unsupported claims.Anything that cannot be supported by a credible primary source is removed before publication. We err on the side of saying less rather than publishing unverified material, even when omitting a claim makes the article shorter or less dramatic. A page that says "we don't know yet" is, in our view, more useful than a confident answer drawn from thin evidence.

Corrections policy

When an error is reported or discovered, we aim for a 48-hour turnaround from acknowledgement to published fix. Material corrections — anything that changes a calculator output, a recommended range, or a cited source — are noted inline on the corrected page using a clearly visible "Updated YYYY-MM-DD: [reason]" notice placed directly above the affected section. Cosmetic edits (typos, link maintenance, layout) are not logged. The correction record stays on the page permanently so readers can see what changed and why.

Editorial independence

FitCalcs is funded by display advertising (Google AdSense). Advertisers have zero influence on which topics we cover, how we frame them, or which recommendations we publish. We do not run sponsored articles, accept payment for product placements, or modify conclusions to accommodate an advertiser. Our ad units are served programmatically by Google; we do not negotiate directly with brands, and we do not preview or curate which advertisers appear next to our content.

If we ever review or compare commercial products in the future, that disclosure will be explicit and prominent at the top of the article — not buried in a sitewide policy.

Conflicts of interest

The founder and editor, Albert Mateos, has no financial relationships with fitness equipment manufacturers, supplement brands, gym chains, diet companies, coaching businesses, or fitness publications. The site uses no affiliate links at this time. If we adopt affiliate relationships in the future, every affected article will carry a clear disclosure at the article level — naming the commercial partner — rather than relying on a buried sitewide notice. We do not accept gifts, free product samples, or sponsored travel from companies whose products we might cover. If the situation ever changes — for instance, if Albert begins consulting work, joins an advisory board, or accepts equity in a fitness or nutrition company — that relationship will be disclosed on this page and on every article touching the relevant topic, before the conflicting content is published.

Contact

Questions about our editorial process, requests for corrections, or feedback are welcome. Reach us via the contact page.