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

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Stacy Sims, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist, nutrition scientist, and expert in female-specific nutrition and training for health, performance, and longevity. We discuss which exercise and nutrition protocols are ideal for women based on their age and particular goals.We discuss whether women should train fasted, when and what to eat pre- and post-training, and how the menstrual cycle impacts training and nutrition needs. We also explain how to use a combination of resistance, high-intensity, and sprint interval training to effectively improve body composition, hormones, and cardiometabolic health, offset cognitive decline, and promote longevity. We also discuss supplements and caffeine, the unique sleep needs of women based on age, whether women should use deliberate cold exposure, and how saunas can improve symptoms of hot flashes and benefit athletic performance. Dr. Sims challenges common misconceptions about women’s health and fitness and explains why certain types of cardio, caloric restriction, and low-protein diets can be harmful to women’s metabolic health.Listeners will learn a wealth of actionable information on how to improve their training and nutrition to enhance their health and how to age with greater ability, mobility, and vitality.Access the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.Thank you to our sponsorsAG1: https://drinkag1.com/hubermanMaui Nui Venison: https://mauinuivenison.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps00:00:00 Dr. Stacy Sims00:02:24 Sponsors: Maui Nui, Eight Sleep & Waking Up00:07:03 Intermittent Fasting, Exercise & Women00:12:50 Cortisol & Circadian Rhythm, Caffeine & Training00:17:25 Reps in Reserve, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE); Age & Women00:21:06 Pre-Training Meal & Brain, Kisspeptin00:26:45 Post-Training Meal & Recovery Window00:29:59 Sponsor: AG100:31:48 Hormones, Calories & Women00:34:24 Women, Strength Improvements & Resistance Training00:39:10 Tool: Women & Training Goals by Age Range00:44:16 Women, Perimenopause, Training & Longevity00:47:14 Women & Training for Longevity, Cardio, Zone 200:51:42 Tools: How to Start Resistance Training, Machines; Polarized Training00:58:23 Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin Podcast00:59:10 Menstrual Cycle & Training, Tool: Tracking & Individual Variability01:04:31 Tool: 10-Minute Rule; High-Intensity Training & Menstrual Cycle01:08:36 “Train Hard & Eat Well”; Appetite, Nutrition & Menstrual Cycle01:12:22 Oral Contraception, Hormones, Athletic Performance; IUD01:20:57 Evaluating Menstrual Blood, PCOS; Hormones & Female Athletes01:26:31 Iron, Fatigue; Blood Testing & Menstrual Cycle01:29:33 Caffeine & Perimenopause; Nicotine, Schisandra01:34:24 Deliberate Cold Exposure & Women, Endometriosis; Tool: Sauna & Hot Flashes01:42:19 Tools: “Sims’ Protocol”: Post-Training Sauna & Performance; “Track Stack”01:49:37 Women, Hormones & Sleep, Perimenopause & Sleep Hygiene01:52:54 Supplements: Creatine, Water Weight, Hair Loss; Vitamin D301:57:21 Protein Powder; Adaptogens & Timing02:00:11 Pregnancy & Training; Cold & Hot Exposure02:06:19 Tool: Women in 50s & Older, Training & Nutrition for Longevity02:09:38 Tool: Women in 20s-40s & Training, Lactate02:12:18 Tool: What is High-Intensity Training?, Cardiovascular Sets & Recovery02:17:22 Training for Longevity, Cellular & Metabolic Changes02:19:30 Nutrition, 80/20 Rule02:23:30 Listening to Self02:26:00 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & DisclosuresLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.
Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017.
Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets.
In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.

• No. of episodes: 307
• Latest episode: 2025-06-05
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