I watched the podcast “The Science of Women’s Exercise and Nutrition” with Stacy Sims, PhD, on The Proof.

In this post, I’ll focus on key takeaways from the 2-hour podcast.

I recommend watching the entire podcast! It’s packed with recommendations on what’s happening in our bodies across multiple life stages, not just in menopause.

Last week I shared the results from my December dexa scan. Though my bone density improved, I lost 1 pound of lean mass and my body fat percentage increased from to 27.1% to 29.5%.

I want to increase my lean mass.

The details — who, what, when, where, why — are useful in setting goals. I’ll set a goal of increasing my lean mass from 70 to 72 pounds by the time I get another dexa scan in late June.

I also shared my ‘why’ last week

Decrease the likelihood of falls as I age
Don’t get injured
Sustained quality of life
Maximum freedom in my 70s, 80s and 90s

Key takeaways

“The Science of Women’s Exercise and Nutrition” with Stacy Sims, PhD, on The Proof

3 mechanisms to understand for body composition

Protein
Gut microbiome
Exercise

Food

Fueling before workouts

Women don’t do well with fasted training
Fasted training spikes cortisol, which can result in fat accumulation.
Guess who’s been fasted training for 5+ years? Me. 🙃
Anabolic resistance increases as we get older
Anabolic resistance decreases the ability of skeletal muscle to respond to stimuli.
Brain / muscle connection
Eating before a workout signals to the brain (hypothalamus) there’s nutrition coming in to support the stress of the workout.
How much protein is required?
Stacy recommends 15 grams of protein before each workout.
If the workout is cardio, Stacy recommends 15 grams of protein + 30-40 grams of carbohydrates

Fueling after workouts

Brain / energy / fat connection
The absence of food post-workout keeps the body in a catabolic state, which the brain perceives as low energy.
How much protein is required?
Stacy recommends 40 grams of protein at each meal for post-menopausal women + healthy carbohydrates from fruit and veg for gut microbiome diversity.

Protein & body weight

How much protein per kilogram of body weight?
Stacy recommends 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Real-world example

For me, that’s 94 grams of protein a day. 40 grams of protein per meal exceeds 94 grams. I’ll aim for 30 grams per meal + 15 grams in the morning pre-workout.

Sleep

No food after dinner (2-3 hours before bed)
No nighttime snacks
Nighttime snacks and late dinners prevent the body from being in a parasympathetic state necessary for high quality sleep.

No calorie restriction

Eat in abundance with attention to macronutrient redistribution

Low carb diets 👎

There’s no data to support a ketogenic diet for active women
Whole, unrefined carbohydrates are crucial for physical activity
“Your body needs, loves, and uses unrefined carbohydrates.”

Supplementation

Creatine

Stacy recommends 3-5 grams / day
I’m on the fence about adding a creatine supplement.
Women have lower stores of creatine than men

Ashwaganda

Downgrades the body’s sensitivity to cortisol and help bring up the body’s parasympathetic response
I’ve purchased ashwaganda in the past for its health benefits. I don’t plan to use it now.
Contraindicated for people with thyroid issues

Physiology

Boosting parasympathetic response helps with body recomposition

Yoga nidra is a tool for getting into a parasympathetic state

We have a higher baseline level of cortisol in early post-menopause

Predisposition for putting on fat

Building & maintaining lean mass from our late 40s on is difficult

Estrogen / progesterone ratios shift
Major shifts in the gut microbiome
Women’s bodies are very endurant by design, and good at putting on fat

Exercise

Stacy recommends a specific workout for post-menopausal women who want to increase lean mass

Heavy lifting combined with short bouts of high intensity exercise
Heavy is relative, it’s not the same number for everyone

1/3 cup of dry roasted soy beans has 14 grams of protein

My plan

No more fasted workouts
This is a habit change that runs counter to a long-standing routine I enjoy.
1/3 cup of dry roasted soy beans (14 grams of protein) before Bar Method classes
More attention to meal ‘planning’
I’ll include protein like beans & tofu more consistently at meals.
No change to my exercise routine
I take Bar Method classes six days per week. I get an average of 11,000 walking steps per day. If my dexa scan doesn’t show improvements when I retest in June, I’ll reconsider adding the workout Stacy recommends in the podcast.

This is good news, I have somewhere to go. After watching the podcast episode, I can make sense of my dexa scan data being inconsistent with my physical effort.

At the same time, I don’t plan to get so hardcore about my macronutrient ratios that it impacts my social life. But. I do a lot of cooking at home and I can easily tweak my meals to better support my lean mass goal.

I’m modifying my eating habits because my activity level has more than doubled in the last two years. Protein by itself does not build muscle or improve lean mass.

Whether at work, health, or hobbies, we all want to see results consistent with our effort.

Challenging effort —> Results —> Confidence

Did you watch the podcast? What was most insightful or surprising?

I’ll be over here pounding roasted soy beans. 👋

Cover image by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

Thanks for reading!

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Eat plants. 🥦 Hydrate.🚰 Move.🤸 Prioritize sleep. 🛌

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What women need to know about our physiology's impact on strength & lean mass