XY Files Blog

Medically reviewed articles on testosterone, hormones, fitness, and longevity, so you can make informed decisions about your health.

Lifting in Converse: The biomechanics, benefits, and risks of flat sole training

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 04, 2025 · 11 min read

Converse-style zero-drop, incompressible flat soles can improve center-of-pressure stability and reduce energy loss from sole compression in deadlifts, but for squats they remove the 0.75 to 1 inch heel lift that helps ankle dorsiflexion. If mobility is restricted, that can increase knee and lumbar torque. Here is how to know when flat shoes are the ...

What are the essential biomarkers runners should track? The numbers that flag fatigue, overtraining, and low testosterone

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 04, 2025 · 15 min read

For male runners, the essential biomarker list starts with ferritin and iron studies, vitamin D, glucose, and a hormone panel that includes total testosterone, free testosterone, LH, and FSH, because a testosterone value below 350 ng/dL total or 100 pg/mL free only matters when symptoms persist and the pituitary signals are checked too. Magnesium and ...

How to get rid of food noise. What actually works for men

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 03, 2025 · 17 min read

You get rid of food noise by lowering the biologic drivers that keep appetite turned up. Meals built around 25 to 30 g of protein, fewer ultra processed cues, and 7 to 9 hours of sleep can all help quiet constant food thoughts. For eligible men, obesity medicines are linked to about 14.9% to 20.9% ...

Do runners live longer? The science behind mileage and mortality

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 03, 2025 · 16 min read

Yes. Recreational runners generally live longer than non-runners, and even 5 to 10 minutes a day at an easy pace is associated with lower mortality and longer lifespan. The sweet spot for longevity appears to be moderate weekly volume (around 2 to 3 hours), not marathon-level mileage. Here is how it works and how to ...

Testosterone killing foods: What actually lowers T in men and what to eat instead

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 03, 2025 · 17 min read

“Testosterone killing foods” are foods that, when eaten often as part of an ultra processed Western style diet, are linked to lower testosterone in men through inflammation, insulin disruption, and weight gain. The good news is that you do not need a perfect diet. You need a few high impact swaps and the right lab ...

On Cloud X 3 review: The biomechanics of a true hybrid training shoe

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 02, 2025 · 11 min read

The On Cloud X 3 works as a true hybrid only for moderate lifting and short runs of about 1 to 4 miles, not as a replacement for dedicated lifting shoes or daily trainers. This On Cloud X 3 review is a biomechanics based look at the Cloud X3 training shoe, not a brand ad, ...

Volume eating: The simplest way for men to cut calories without feeling hungry

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 02, 2025 · 13 min read

Volume eating is a nutrition strategy that emphasizes high volume, low calorie foods so you feel full while naturally eating fewer calories. Done right, it can make fat loss feel less like willpower and more like smart meal design. “Volume eating works best when you treat it as a way to add smart volume, not ...

Dry skin on penis or eczema on the pennis? Causes, symptoms, and fixes

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 02, 2025 · 14 min read

Most cases of dry, flaky, or itchy penile skin are irritant contact dermatitis from barrier breakdown in the penis’ thin stratum corneum (often triggered by friction, sweat, soaps, detergents, or condoms), not an STI. Here’s how to tell simple irritation from eczema, psoriasis, yeast, or balanitis. Here is what actually helps the skin heal. “Most ...

Hot flush in males: Causes, symptoms, and treatments that actually help

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 01, 2025 · 14 min read

A hot flush in males is most often triggered by a meaningful drop in testosterone that disrupts the brain’s temperature control. The good news is that male hot flashes are common, measurable, and usually treatable once you identify the driver. “When a guy tells me he’s getting sudden heat waves and drenching sweat, I think ...

Why no morning wood happens and what it reveals about your vascular health

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 01, 2025 · 14 min read

Losing morning erections for many weeks often means nocturnal penile tumescence is being blunted by reduced penile blood flow, impaired nerve signaling, or poor sleep. This can flag vascular problems even when testosterone is normal. Here’s how to interpret the change and when it should prompt a closer look at diabetes and cardiovascular risk. “Morning ...

How quickly does a b12 shot work? A realistic timeline for men

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Dec 01, 2025 · 15 min read

Vitamin B12 blood levels typically rise within hours to 24 hours after an injection. If symptoms improve, it often occurs over days to weeks, depending on how severe the deficiency is and what is causing your symptoms. If you are not truly B12 deficient or you have another root cause of fatigue, the “boost” may ...

How much does the bar weight bench press: A complete guide to lifting standards

Veedma's editorial team: Evidence-based men's health

Nov 30, 2025 · 15 min read

How much does a bench press bar weigh? A complete guide to barbell standards A standard Olympic barbell used for the bench press weighs 45 lb (20 kg) before you add any plates. From there, your “real” bench number is the total loaded weight, and a common general-fitness target is about a 1:1 bench-to-bodyweight ratio ...