Female-Specific Exercise & Nutrition for Health, Performance & Longevity | Dr. Stacy Sims

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Women should have ~15g protein before strength training to provide hypothalamic signaling and avoid catabolic state.

For cardio sessions up to an hour, add 30g of carb to the pre-workout protein.

Women in reproductive years need ~35g leucine-rich protein within 45 min post-workout; perimenopausal+ need 40-60g.

Women should consume ~0.3 g/kg carbohydrate within 2 hours of finishing training.

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Multi-joint compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses) should form the basis of resistance training, especially for women 30+.

Women in their 20s-30s should train to failure to maximize strength and hypertrophy adaptations.

Women in perimenopause and beyond should lift heavy with reps in reserve (not to failure) to drive central nervous system adaptations.

All-out 30-second-or-less sprints with 2-3 min recovery to drive top-end fitness, lactate production, and metabolic adaptations.

True HIIT: 1-4 min at 80%+ effort with variable recovery — e.g. 400s or 800s on a track.

Women should track their own menstrual cycle, sleep, and how they feel to find personal patterns and dial in training.

In the week before period (luteal phase), increase carbohydrate and protein intake to help hit training intensities and offset stress.

If you wake feeling awful, train for 10 minutes — if you still can't hit intensity, scale back to recovery work.

Women with low ferritin should take iron every other day, starting day 1 of bleed for 10 days, when hepcidin is low.

For a single hormone blood test, do it 5-7 days before next period (mid-luteal); for a second test, day 2 of bleed.

Progestin-laced IUD has no systemic effect on adaptation/inflammation/mood and works well for tactical athletes.

Adaptogen used to regulate dopamine, serotonin, cortisol; provides focus and reduces brain fog without caffeine side effects.

True Finnish sauna (not infrared) provides metabolic, cardiovascular, and menopausal symptom benefits for women.

Deliberate cold exposure starting around ovulation, held for 10 days over 3 cycles, attenuated endometriosis in pilot study.

30-minute sauna session after resistance training to extend training stimulus and expand blood volume via passive dehydration.

Stack of 200mg caffeine, low-dose baby aspirin, and beta-alanine before sprint training to enhance top-end performance.

Apigenin recommended for sleep hygiene during reduced slow-wave sleep windows.

L-theanine recommended for sleep hygiene, particularly in late luteal phase when sleep architecture changes.

Rhodiola stacked with theanine to support sleep, especially for menopausal insomnia.

NSDR/yoga nidra meditation to access parasympathetic state for sleep, especially helpful for perimenopausal insomnia.

Creatine is the #1 supplement for women across all ages — supports brain, mood, and gut health; prefer Creapure brand.

Vitamin D3 important for cardiovascular, muscle, brain health, and iron absorption — dose depends on latitude.

High-quality protein powder supplementation to help women hit daily protein targets.

Ashwagandha as a calming adaptogen, taken in late afternoon when cortisol dips, to support sleep.

Tulsi/holy basil as a calming adaptogen to take in late afternoon.

Medicinal mushroom recommended as part of adaptogen/nootropic stack.

Medicinal mushroom recommended as part of supplement protocol.

Stay active during pregnancy — resistance training and cardio for maintenance, not gains; let body dictate intensity.

Hot yoga (~40°C) is acceptable during pregnancy — research shows it's not detrimental and may improve placental vascularization.

10 minutes 3x/week of jump training with impact (not soft landings) to improve bone mineral density, especially for women over 50.

Women should aim for ~1-1.1 g protein per pound bodyweight (~2-2.3 g/kg) daily for muscle and longevity.

EMOM-style circuit: 4 exercises performed nearly continuously each minute, 1 min off, repeat 3x as HIIT format.