XY Files Blog

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

Healthy Subway options and low fat fast food: A men’s guide to ordering for metabolism and testosterone

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

Dec 25, 2025 · 13 min read

Yes, you can find healthy Subway options and other low fat fast food choices if you prioritize lean protein, vegetables, and portion size, and treat sauces and fried sides as optional. Most guys do not need to “quit fast food,” but they do need a repeatable ordering system that protects blood pressure, body fat, and ...

Foods that kill zombie cells: The longevity plate for men who want to age better

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

Dec 25, 2025 · 10 min read

Foods that kill zombie cells are not a single magic ingredient, but a pattern of whole foods rich in senolytic and senomorphic compounds that may help your body manage senescent cells. The science is promising, yet most “zombie cell” research uses high dose isolates, so your best move is to build an evidence based longevity ...

What foods are high in estrogen? What high estrogen in men really means

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

Dec 24, 2025 · 11 min read

Many foods contain estrogen-like plant compounds, but typical servings rarely raise estrogen levels in men in a clinically meaningful way. The bigger drivers of high estrogen in men are often body fat, metabolic health, and environmental exposures, so the most effective fixes are usually not about “banning soy” or “quitting fruit.” “Most men who worry ...

What is primarily responsible for strength gains in beginning clients? Neural adaptations come first

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

Dec 23, 2025 · 11 min read

In the first 4 to 8 weeks of lifting, neural adaptations are primarily responsible for strength gains in beginning clients, often before large increases in muscle size are measurable.[1] [3] That is why a novice can add weight to the bar quickly, and why untrained men in one 21 week study improved strength more than ...

Does having sex increase testosterone? The truth about bedroom habits and hormone levels

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

Dec 23, 2025 · 11 min read

Sex can cause a brief, small testosterone rise, but it does not raise your long-term baseline testosterone. Any change is typically short-lived (often on the order of minutes) and varies by person and study design. The bigger picture is a bidirectional feedback loop. Testosterone supports libido and erectile function, while arousal can trigger a temporary ...

Sauna before or after workout? The best timing for performance and recovery

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

Dec 22, 2025 · 13 min read

Sauna after a workout is usually the better choice. Brief sauna before a workout may help you feel warm, but longer heat exposure before training can impair performance and hydration. Most sauna research comes from regular traditional sauna use, often around 80 to 90°C, with sessions commonly lasting 5 to 20 minutes and sometimes longer ...

How much deep sleep should you get? A men’s guide to stage 3 sleep and recovery

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

Dec 21, 2025 · 10 min read

Most adult men spend about 10 to 25 percent of their total sleep time in deep sleep, which is roughly 45 to 120 minutes in an eight hour night. If you feel tired, foggy, or low drive despite “enough” hours, the missing piece is often sleep quality, including how much deep sleep you need and ...

Does testosterone make your dick bigger? What the science says about size, erections, and TRT

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

Dec 21, 2025 · 11 min read

Testosterone does not make your penis bigger after puberty. But if low testosterone is weakening your erections, restoring healthy levels can make your penis look and function bigger in the moment because erection quality improves. “If you are asking ‘does testosterone make your penis bigger,’ the honest medical answer is no for adult men. Testosterone ...

How long does creatine take to work? A realistic timeline for men

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

Dec 20, 2025 · 12 min read

Creatine typically takes about 1 to 4 weeks to produce noticeable training benefits, depending on dosing and training style. Faster changes are possible if you use a short loading phase. Creatine has to build up inside muscle before it meaningfully boosts repeated high intensity efforts. “Creatine is not a pre workout jolt. Think of it ...

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

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

Dec 19, 2025 · 13 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. This can set you up for ...

Does testosterone make you finish too fast? The hallmark symptoms and signals men should know

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

Dec 19, 2025 · 12 min read

Usually not. Average time from penetration to ejaculation is about 5 to 7 minutes, while lifelong premature ejaculation is typically orgasm within about 1 minute of penetration, and acquired premature ejaculation is a clinically significant drop from prior latency, often to about 3 minutes or less, along with poor control and distress. The hallmark issue ...

CGM for nondiabetics: Is tracking blood sugar worth it for men?

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

Dec 17, 2025 · 13 min read

Usually no. For most men without diabetes, a CGM is not worth using long term, though a short structured trial can sometimes help with appetite or training questions. The key is knowing what a CGM can and cannot tell you, then using the data to make changes you can actually sustain. “For a lot of ...