🚨 Welcome to this week’s issue of Generation Xcellent. I’m Stephen Perrine, New York Times bestselling author and former top editor at Men’s Health and Maxim. And like you, I’m doing all I can to survive the moshpit of midlife. Thanks for joining me on the journey! If you like what you see, send me an email—and share this newsletter with another guy who could use our help.

📩 Thanks for joining the conversation!

- SEXUAL HEALTH -

6 Tricks to Reclaim Your Mojo—Tonight!

We’re not saying your manhood is getting lazy. But it might be “quiet quitting.”

By Bob Larkin

3 The She-Needs-a-Tissue Issue: It sounds fake, but it’s real. In one study, men who sniffed odorless tears from women (yes, this was an actual experiment) showed a significant drop in arousal and testosterone. MRI scans confirmed the brain basically says, “Nope, shut it down.”

“Men were really being signaled by the chemicals in the tears,” explains urologist Judson Brandeis, M.D. The theory? Our primitive lizard brains interpret crying as a sign that mating is a bad idea. So the next time your partner is in tears, offer comfort, and maybe table your sexy-time plans for another night.

4 The Prediabetes Treatise: Testosterone might not be the hormone that’s undermining your love life. It might be your insulin levels, according to a paper presented at the 2025 meeting of the Endocrine Society. Researchers found that modest increases in blood sugar levels could be among the top drivers of potency loss. So consider cutting down on carb intake or, as Dre told Shady, “Drop the biscuit.”

5 The No-Floss Boner Loss: You floss twice a year (under duress from your hygienist), but here’s why you might want to care more: Gum disease has been linked to erectile dysfunction. That’s because periodontitis causes inflammation that can damage the endothelial cells, the same ones that control blood flow everywhere.

“What’s good for your heart is good for your penis,” says Dubin. So yeah, brush and floss. Your dentist (and your pecker) will thank you.

6 The Ironman Conundrum: Working out is good for your sex life. But too much exercise, especially Ironman-level endurance stuff, can actually backfire. Research shows extreme training can slash testosterone levels by up to 40% and tank your libido faster than a Star Wars prequel marathon. 

“Intense, vigorous, endurance exercise can limit testosterone production, but it is usually temporary,” says Jayadevan. Translation: Chill out, Captain Cardio. Go for a run. Just don’t train like you’re auditioning for Rocky IV.

—Bob Larkin writes for Men’s Health, the New York Post, and other outlets.

- GEN X CULTURE -

Stuck in the ‘90s? Here’s What to Listen to Now

Because you can’t live on OK Computer forever….

By Charlie Wells

>Feel like you’ve been in a musical coma since 1999? You’re not alone. It’s been scientifically proven that the ’90s were the last great era of music, and everything released since then has been crap.

Except…. There actually are a lot of acts touring and releasing new music that any lover of grunge, classic hip-hop and R&B, or late-period punk and new wave will recognize as their own—bands that are hitting familiar notes, literally and emotionally. So if you just can’t stomach one more barbecue listening to Siamese Dream and The Chronic, we’ve got good news: there’s a whole new generation of artists who’ve inherited the vibe, the grit, and the groove of the greatest musicians from our youth. Here’s your 2025 playlist, based on your 1995 mixtapes.

Related:  20 Movies that Define Generation X

If you liked: Nirvana/Pearl Jam
Then check out: Rival Sons
Rival Sons serve up grungy, riff-heavy rock with a bluesy edge. Think of them as the love child of Ten-era Pearl Jam and the more polished chaos of Nirvana Unplugged. 

If you liked: TLC/Destiny’s Child
Then check out: The Shindellas
This Nashville trio brings back the kind of vocal power, tight harmonies, and unapologetic confidence that TLC made famous, but with a retro-soul twist that’s all their own.

If you liked: Beastie Boys/N.W.A./Snoop Dogg
Then check out: Joey Bada$$
Brooklyn’s Joey Bada$$ channels classic ’90s hip-hop with boom-bap beats, clever storytelling, and a smooth flow that echoes the West Coast legends and New York’s golden era.

If you liked: Prince
Then check out: Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy blends funk, rock, and R&B into something that feels both futuristic and familiar. He somehow manages to channel Prince’s genre-defying brilliance and sultry swagger.

If you liked: Counting Crows/Gin Blossoms
Then check out: Mt. Joy
Mt. Joy delivers earnest lyrics and melodic guitar lines that feel ripped straight from a 1994 mixtape. They’re nostalgic without sounding dated, like a flannel shirt you never stopped wearing. 

If you liked: Oasis/Blur
Then check out: Inhaler
Inhaler, fronted by Bono’s son Elijah Hewson, makes soaring, anthemic Britpop with just the right balance of sneer and sincerity. It’s like stumbling into a pub in Manchester in 1996.

If you liked: U2/INXS/Live
Then check out: The Killers (still!)
Yes, they’re technically early 2000s, but The Killers are making the best Springsteen-U2 arena rock hybrids of their career right now. Don’t sleep on their newer albums.

If you liked: Jay-Z/Nas/The Fugees
Then check out: Cordae
Cordae brings lyricism, intelligence, and a real respect for hip-hop history to every track. He’s not trying to recreate the past, just carry its torch into the future.

If you liked: R.E.M./The Verve
Then check out: The War on Drugs
Atmospheric, emotionally layered rock with a road trip vibe. It’s the sound of growing older with your favorite cassettes still in the glove box.

If you liked: Beck/Cake/Talking Heads
Then check out: Yves Tumor
Experimental, theatrical, and funky as hell. Yves Tumor is like if Beck had an art degree and more eyeliner.

If you liked: Smashing Pumpkins (Gish/Siamese Dream era)
Then check out: Wolfmother
Heavy riffs, layered fuzz, and a touch of mysticism. It's like the Pumpkins took a detour through Black Sabbath territory and liked what they heard. 

—Charlie Wells is a writer and musician based in Chicago.

- NUTRITION -

Meal Timing for Mid-Life Muscle Growth

Eat, drink and be very, very strong for life with this easy-to-execute nutrition strategy.

By Jordan Metzl, MD

>If you’ve ever tried to get leaner by skipping meals, you’re setting yourself up for long-term failure. Three meals a day is great. Four is even better. Five, six, even seven might be best of all. Eating for high performance means chowing down every 3 hours or so.

Don’t force yourself to eat. But understand that when you regularly skip meals, your body will adapt by slowing down your metabolism. Here’s how to keep your fires fully stoked while training to build new muscle.

Several hours before training: Ideally, you want to consume a high-energy meal 2 to 3 hours before you work out, one loaded with complex carbs (think fruits, nuts, whole grains) along with some protein. Carbs are the primary fuel your body will use to get through your workout.

One hour before training: Get an added boost from a meal-replacement shake or a formulated energy drink with protein and some carbs, plus 16 ounces of water. If you’re an early morning exerciser and just can’t face breakfast before your workout, try to drink a cup of fat-free milk or eat a small carton of low-sugar yogurt. It will make a world of difference.

During your workout: Fluid replacement should equal fluid loss. The recommended water intake is 20 to 40 ounces per hour. Drink cool or cold water (40 to 50 degrees F) at a rate of 4 to 6 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes while training.

Immediately after exercise: Calorie-rich protein smoothie. This meal is really an extension of the workout, because the results you get will depend directly on what you eat and drink after training. Secondly, what you consume afterward will have a direct effect on your next workout, even if it’s several days away.

The impact that post-workout nutrition can have on your body is profound. Along with hydration, a major priority is replenishing your glycogen stores. Refill your muscles with carbs ASAP after exercising. Those carbs will raise your blood sugar levels and promote the release of insulin, but this is one time of day when this is actually a good thing. Insulin will stimulate the transport of amino acids into your muscles, promoting protein synthesis, while blunting the effects of cortisol, the stress hormone that signals your body to store fat. Look for a smoothie with 20 to 40 g of protein and 40 to 90 grams of carbs. To make the perfect smoothie at home, blend up whole fruits (bananas, berries, etc) with some protein powder, fat-free milk, flaxseed oil and other essential fatty acids, and water or ice chips. Your body will soak up this mix like a sponge.

Two hours after your workout: Have a real meal, featuring a solid combination of protein and high-fiber carbs. Two of my favorites:

• 6 oz grilled salmon, and ear of corn, brown rice pilaf and sliced tomatoes and mozzarella drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

• Ground sirloin with a slice of Cheddar on a whole-grain bun with sauteed mushrooms and onions, bean soup, and a big salad with olives and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

—Jordan Metzl, MD, is a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and the author of The Athlete’s Book of Home Remedies.

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