Athlete recovery | Veedma's evidence-based men's health articles

Can somatic exercises for weight loss actually help men get lean?

Dr. Jonathan Pierce, PhD: Clinical Psychologist & Neuroscience Specialist

Dec 27, 2025 · 9 min read

Somatic exercises don’t meaningfully drive fat loss through calorie burn, but they can help men get leaner by shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic “fight-or-flight” to parasympathetic “rest-and-digest,” lowering chronic HPA-axis stress and cortisol — a hormone linked to visceral abdominal fat accumulation in men. If you’re training hard and dieting but your midsection ...

Sauna before or after your workout? A science-based timing guide for men

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

Dec 22, 2025 · 12 min read

For most men, the better default is sauna after training because pre-workout heat stress increases core temperature and heart rate (via vasodilation), which can sap energy and reduce peak performance. Here’s how to time sauna for recovery and cardiovascular benefits — including when a short pre-session makes sense and how long to stay without overdoing ...

How much deep sleep do you need for recovery and hormone optimization?

Dr. Jonathan Pierce, PhD: Clinical Psychologist & Neuroscience Specialist

Dec 21, 2025 · 9 min read

Deep (Stage 3 NREM) sleep should make up about 13%–23% of your total sleep time—roughly 60–110 minutes per night if you sleep 7–8 hours—for optimal physical recovery and hormone regulation. Because this slow‑wave window drives growth hormone release, supports overnight testosterone production, and powers the brain’s glymphatic “rinse cycle,” you can feel run‑down even when ...

How long does it take for creatine to work? A timeline men can actually use

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

Dec 20, 2025 · 11 min read

Creatine typically starts improving high-intensity performance once muscle creatine stores reach “saturation,” which takes about 5–7 days with a 20 g/day loading phase (then maintenance) or about 3–4 weeks with 3–5 g/day without loading. Here’s what you should notice first, why the scale can change before your lifts do, and how to dose it like ...

What is ego lifting? The gym habit that can wreck your joints and your gains

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

Dec 19, 2025 · 12 min read

Ego lifting is using a weight that exceeds your current capacity for that exercise on that day, forcing you to cheat form or shorten range of motion to complete reps. It may feel like progress, but it shifts stress off the target muscle and onto joints and passive tissues—setting you up for stalled gains and ...