Author

Maya Okafor, MS

MS Exercise Physiology

Maya Okafor is an exercise physiologist and science writer covering recovery, sleep, and nutrition research. She spent six years in applied sport-science labs before moving to research communication, and writes with a simple rule: if a claim cannot survive its own citation, it does not ship.

Coverage areas

Recovery science
Sleep research
Sports nutrition

Guides by Maya Okafor

Dimly lit bedroom scene representing sleep research

RecoveryEvidence: Strong

Sleep Architecture and Recovery: What Actually Moves the Needle

Slow-wave sleep, REM proportion, and the interventions with real trial support — separated from wearable-vendor marketing.

Medically reviewed · 2025-06-18

Nutrient-dense meal photographed on a dark background

NutritionEvidence: Moderate

Metabolic Flexibility: The Evidence Behind Nutrient Timing

What human crossover trials say about meal timing, glucose response, and training adaptations — and where the effect sizes get exaggerated.

Medically reviewed · 2025-06-10

GLP-1 injection pen with blue cap — the FDA-approved once-weekly semaglutide delivery device backed by the STEP trial program

PeptidesEvidence: Strong

Semaglutide: What a Peptide With Actual Evidence Looks Like

STEP-trial weight loss near 15%, cardiovascular outcome data, a boxed warning, and an FDA-warned compounded gray market: the full semaglutide picture.

Medically reviewed · 2025-06-20

Dark flatlay of dropper bottles representing compounded sublingual semaglutide products sold without published pharmacokinetic trials

PeptidesEvidence: Limited

Semaglutide Sublingual Drops: Convenience Claim vs Absorption Reality

Sublingual semaglutide drops are compounded products with no published outcome trials. The approved oral tablet needed an absorption enhancer for a reason.

Medically reviewed · 2025-06-20

Dark bedroom at night — natural growth-hormone pulses cluster in early deep sleep, the physiology behind pre-bed peptide dosing conventions

PeptidesEvidence: Mechanistic

Best Time to Take Peptides: Which Timing Rules Have Physiology Behind Them

GH-axis timing rules trace to real physiology (insulin blunts GH release; pulses cluster in early sleep). Most other peptide timing rules trace to nothing.

Medically reviewed · 2025-06-20

Female athlete training in dramatic low-key lighting — most peptide research never enrolled women or reported sex-stratified outcomes

PeptidesEvidence: Mixed

Peptides for Women: What the (Mostly Male) Evidence Base Does and Does Not Cover

Most peptide research enrolled male animals or male-heavy cohorts. What that gap means for women — plus the contraindications that apply specifically.

Medically reviewed · 2025-06-20

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