Stacy Sims – Thriving Through Menopause with Science-Backed Strategies and Protocols

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Stacy Sims
Thriving Through Menopause with Science-Backed Strategies and Protocols

Dr. Stacy Sims is a forward thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women.

With the unique opportunities Silicon Valley has to offer, during her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into consumer products and a science-based layperson’s book (ROAR) written to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer products and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous “Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk.

Stacy’s latest book, Next Level: Your Guide To Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, And Crushing Goals Through Menopause And Beyond, is out May 17th.

For more info about Stacy, check out her website, follow her on Instagram, and definitely order her new book, Next Level.

Research, Supplements, and Zombie Movies mentioned in the episode: 

05:45  10th Man Strategy – Stacy is that 10th person in this world of women’s health; World War Z
06:42  Is intermittent fasting appropriate for women? Quick answer: No
08:40  Way back in 2010 Stacy changed the way Kelly thought about not drinking his calories and treating hydration separately from nutrition
10:20  Stacy is now at Auckland University of Technology
11:05  Protein within 30 mins of exercise is still recommended for women, Stacy runs through WHY it is important
12:40  Protein timing is more important for women
13:45  Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs)
16:15  Changing the language around low energy availability (LEA), is helping people, and specifically girls in sport, to make the connection between (LEA) and nutrition
18:55  One of Kelly’s favorite Stacy moments was at Naval Special Warfare, when Stacy told the attendees, “if you can’t say the word ‘period’ with your athletes/soldiers/etc, you’re the problem”
19:30  The Fitr Woman app is a great way for coaches and athletes to stay on the same page with tracking their periods and training smarter
20:40  Stacy’s first book, ROAR, is one of the Starrett’s favorites
21:00  One of the most notable reactions to Roar was the outcry for more info on menopause which led Stacy to write her newest book, Next Level
22:25  There seems to be a real lack of information on menopause – many women go through undiagnosed menopause thinking they have a serious physical or mental illness
23:55  One of the reasons for the lack of information, is the lack of funding for women’s health issues, and the male lens in research science
25:25  Gould and Smith-Ryan of UNC Chapel Hill published a study on the metabolic effects of menopause
28:28  Abby Smith-Ryan is doing much of the supplement research and peri-menopause that is coming out
29:08  Exercise for peri- and menopausal women: not just moderate intensity cardio, you need to “lift heavy shit”
31:45  Polarized training: High intensity intervals, loading / low and slow recovery work
33:45  Doing yoga or using 1lb weights in a cardio class or yoga is not the stimulus needed to promote lean mass development
37:25  Menopause hormone therapy for men; Marcia Stefanick
38:25  There is a time and place for menopause hormone therapy (vasomotor symptoms, night sweats, etc), but it is not replacing your natural hormones
41:15  Sleep is critical and supplements can help: tart cherry, adaptogens (black cohosh, ashwagandha, maca, DIM, holy basil)
44:55  You have to eat enough, including carbs (fruit/veg/whole grains)
47:40  Dexa Scan
48:30  Taking supplemental calcium doesn’t help with bone density, but multidirectional jump training does work
49:54  There is an old Russian saying, “When you stop jumping, you start dying”
50:55  Resistance training is very beneficial in the prevention of Alzheimer’s and dementia (lifting heavy weights)
53:15  Men age in a linear fashion, but women age at the menopausal transition
54:13  Loading up on collagen early from both native and peptide sources
56:15  Women have 70%-80% less creatine storage and availability than men; timing of creatine supplementation is important
57:54  How can men support partners and daughters? And coaches with female athletes; ROAR
59:58  Women often feel crazy (brain fog, severe mood changes, night sweats)
62:25  Next Level: Your Guide To Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, And Crushing Goals Through Menopause And Beyond, is out May 17th and you can preorder it
63:00  Stacy’s socials

Full Transcript

Sponsors

This episode of The Ready State Podcast is sponsored by Momentous, the largest supplier of nutritional support to college, pro-sports teams, and the military in the world. In this conversation with Stacy Sims, a couple of supplements come up a lot: Collagen and Creatine. And the importance of starting them early. Right now, Momentous is offering The Ready State listeners a discounted Collagen/Creatine Bundle. Check it out and use code “TRS” for an additional 20% OFF your first purchase.