XY Files Blog | Veedma's evidence-based men's health articles

Novak Djokovic proactive care performance: The science of defying age

Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Nov 30, 2025 · 16 min read

Elite performance in your late 30s is achievable when you proactively manage the predictable physiology of aging. You can counter testosterone’s roughly 1 to 2 percent yearly decline after 30, VO₂ max’s roughly 10 percent per-decade drop, and up to roughly 8 percent per-decade muscle loss with consistent training, strength work, and recovery before injuries ...

Can you drink coffee while fasting? What black coffee really does to a fast

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 30, 2025 · 10 min read

Black coffee does not break a metabolic fast for most men because an 8 ounce cup has about 3 calories and is unlikely to trigger a meaningful insulin response. The real risk comes from what you add to it, plus how caffeine affects hunger, blood sugar, cortisol, and your gut when your stomach is empty. ...

Does diet coke break a fast? What men should know about diet soda, insulin, and hunger

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 29, 2025 · 15 min read

Diet Coke and other diet sodas contain essentially no calories, so they technically do not break a fast. But for many men, the sweet taste and caffeine can still shift hormones like insulin and cortisol in ways that can undercut why you are fasting in the first place. “If a guy asks me, ‘does diet ...

NAD+ injections safety and benefits for men. What to know about NAD3 side effects

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 29, 2025 · 14 min read

NAD+ injections can be a safe way for men to raise NAD availability when they are prescribed, sourced well, and dosed correctly, but the benefits are still emerging and side effects are real. If you are seeing “NAD3” online, focus less on the label and more on what is in the vial, how it is ...

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for men: Science, safety, and real-world results

Alexander Grant, MD, PhD: Urologist & Men's Health Advocate

Nov 28, 2025 · 15 min read

Most prescription testosterone replacement used in men is already “bioidentical.” The hormone molecule is chemically identical to what the testes produce, even as levels commonly decline about 1% per year after age 30 to 40. The real question is whether you have symptomatic, consistently low testosterone and how to dose and monitor therapy to restore ...

Is Propel water healthy or just clever marketing?

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 28, 2025 · 10 min read

Propel is generally healthier than sugar-sweetened sports drinks because it has 0 g added sugar, avoiding the 30+ g sugar load a typical 20-oz sports drink can deliver. That is enough to nearly hit the American Heart Association’s daily added-sugar limit and can drive larger glucose and insulin excursions. The catch is that its sweetness ...

Protein gummies: Smart shortcut or sugary trap for your gains?

Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Nov 28, 2025 · 15 min read

Protein gummies can be a smart shortcut for your gains if they help you hit your daily protein target with predictable dosing. They can also be a sugary trap if you treat them like candy, overshoot calories, or let them replace real meals. “For most guys, the muscle building ‘magic’ is not the form of ...

Are Clif Bars healthy or just clever marketing?

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 27, 2025 · 11 min read

For most sedentary people, a Clif Bar is not a “healthy” snack. It is often a ~250-calorie bar with ~20 grams of added sugar and a refined carbohydrate load that can raise blood glucose and insulin. If it adds calories or replaces a more filling, lower-calorie snack, it may make a calorie deficit harder to ...

Creatine gummies vs powder: Which works better and when to use each?

Bruno Rodriguez, DPT, CSCS: Strength, Recovery, and Physical Therapy Expert

Nov 27, 2025 · 13 min read

Creatine gummies and creatine powder work equally well when they deliver a clinically effective dose of creatine monohydrate (about 3 to 5 g per day), because your muscles respond to the same increase in phosphocreatine that helps regenerate ATP for short, intense efforts. The real differences come down to cost, convenience, and added ingredients like ...

Gary Brecka gene test: What DNA methylation really tells you about your health

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 27, 2025 · 15 min read

DNA methylation tests estimate biological age and population-level risk patterns, but they cannot diagnose disease or reliably tell you which supplements you need. They measure methyl groups attached to cytosine at thousands of CpG sites and use algorithms (epigenetic clocks) to generate scores. Here’s how to read a Gary Brecka style methylation report without overpaying ...

Andrew Huberman sleep cocktail: What it is, what works, and what to skip

Jonathan Pierce, PhD: Clinical Psychologist & Neuroscience Specialist

Nov 26, 2025 · 15 min read

The Huberman sleep cocktail is a sleep supplement stack that typically includes magnesium, L-theanine, and apigenin, sometimes with inositol. Evidence is strongest for magnesium and L-theanine, while apigenin and low-dose inositol have limited direct sleep data. Here is what each ingredient does, what research supports, and how to use it safely. “The Huberman sleep cocktail ...

Glutathione foods: Can you really eat your way to better antioxidant defense?

Susan Carter, MD: Endocrinologist & Longevity Expert

Nov 26, 2025 · 14 min read

Not reliably. Most glutathione in food is broken down during digestion, so diet helps more by providing the amino acids and cofactors your body uses to make glutathione. Here is how glutathione actually works, which foods matter most, and how to build a smarter plan for immunity, energy, and healthy aging. “Glutathione is less like ...