Stacy Sims Quotes

The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that eating just one serving of lettuce or other vitamin K–rich foods (leafy greens and veggies) a day can cut the risk of hip fracture in half compared to eating just one serving a week.

A 2020 study of more than 300 women whose average age was 55, published in BMC Psychiatry, reported that 55 percent had mild to severe depression and nearly 84 percent had mild to severe anxiety. Poor body image was strongly connected to both.

performance during PMS: Take 250 milligrams of magnesium, 45 milligrams of zinc, 80 milligrams of aspirin (baby aspirin), and 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed and fish oil) each night for the 7 days before your period starts. Pretraining: Take 5 to 7 grams of branched-chain amino acid supplement (BCAAs) to fight the lack of mojo. These amino acids cross the blood-brain barrier and decrease the estrogen-progesterone effect on central nervous system fatigue. In training: Consume a few more carbohydrates per hour. In this high-hormone phase, aim for about 0.45 gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight (about 61 grams for a 135-pound woman) per hour. In the low-hormone phase (first 2 weeks of the cycle), you can go a bit lower—about 0.35 gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight (about 47 grams for a 135-pound woman) per hour. (For reference: 2.2 kilograms = 1 pound.) Post-training: Recovery is critical. Progesterone is extremely catabolic (breaks muscle down) and inhibits recovery. Aim to consume 20 to 25 grams of protein within 30 minutes of finishing your session. Overall you should aim to get 0.9 to 1 gram of protein per pound per day (a 135-pound woman needs about 122 to 135 grams of protein per day; see the Roar Daily Diet Cheat Sheet for Athletes for more information). THE MARTIAL ARTIST WHO BEAT HER BLOAT It may not be nice to fool Mother Nature, but there are definitely times when you need to trick her a little.

The Puritan times weren’t much better. If you pore through the historical archives on the witch hunts and identify who was killed at the stake, you find that peri- and menopausal women were primary targets. They were “mad with menopause,” or they were using herbs and other natural medicines to help treat other women (so they had to be witches), or they were simply “old crones” who needed to be eliminated for the betterment of society.

For optimum health and menopausal benefits, you should be aiming for at least 25 grams of fiber from plant foods every day.

Though I’m not opposed to hormone therapy (more on that shortly), I reject the notion that every woman needs hormone “replacement” therapy to stay young.

we should also view the transition itself as an opportunity and a step up—not down—in life.

According to a report in the Washington Post (which cited Running USA, US Masters Swimming, and Ironman), the number of women age 40 and older participating in running races grew by a million between 2010 and 2015;

If your arteries don’t dilate as quickly or as fully as you need them to, your heart needs to pump harder to circulate blood, which means you have a higher heart rate even at lower exercise intensities.

Probiotic and prebiotic drinks such as Goodgut and kefir are great choices

Excellent prebiotic food sources include barely ripe bananas, artichokes, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, dandelion greens, oatmeal, and legumes.

Also, as a woman, you’re five times more likely to have diarrhea, intestinal cramping, and side aches as compared to men, but men tend to have greater risks of vomiting and nausea. Most

of this increased lower-GI-symptom risk is due to the fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone, with a greater incidence of lower-GI issues during the 5 to 7 days before you get your period (the high-hormone phase of the menstrual cycle).

This light pre-event or race meal should be low fiber, carb based, and low fat, and it should have a moderate amount of protein.

two pieces of gluten-free toast (GF because it is quick to digest) with almond or regular butter, salt, and an easy-to-digest protein drink (whey protein or vegan protein with 5 grams of branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, added).

The best carb sources are those that are richer in glucose, because they shoot straight into your system. Starchy veggies such as white potatoes, peas, corn, winter squash, and root veggies such as parsnips are not only richer in nutrients, but they also provide greater amounts of carbohydrate overall.

What not to refuel with is fruit. Yes, it’s high in simple sugar, but that simple sugar is most often fructose (there are some exceptions, such as bananas and grapes). Your liver loves fructose and will soak it up at the expense of your muscles. Better to stick to veggies, which are made up of long chains of glucose and are more efficient at restocking your stores.

Hydration in the bottle, food in the pocket! Don’t rely on a typical sports drink or liquid sports supplement to do both; use a low-carbohydrate, higher-electrolyte drink and eat real food.

Taking an iron supplement may improve your exercise performance on nearly every level.

Peel the beets first. They’ll be less bitter. Add a carrot or some lemon to sweeten the drink. Don’t have a juicer? You can buy ready-to-drink beetroot juice at natural-food stores.

Getting the 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams you need daily is actually pretty easy. Three servings of plain yogurt (415 milligrams per 8 ounces) can help you get there quickly. One and a half ounces of part-skim mozzarella and 3 ounces of sardines both deliver about 330 milligrams (33 percent of your daily recommendation) of calcium. For those who don’t eat dairy, fortified cereal and greens such as kale are also good sources.

women have a greater ability for social interaction, language, and relationship building. We are also better at tasks involving memory and multitasking, while men have stronger coordination and perceptual ability.

Urinalysis is a useful tool for monitoring these changes as well as for monitoring your recovery.

Leukocytes (LEU): These test for disease-fighting white blood cells in your urine.

Urobilinogen (URO): This is an indicator of liver function.

(NIT): This is not a training indicator, but rather a bacterium that causes urinary tract infections (UTIs),

When you approach 1.025, this indicates hypohydration or low body water (down 1 percent body water). Greater than 1.028 indicates dehydration.

(KET): These are the end product of excessive fatty-acid breakdown, and they’re usually not present in urine. A positive test result suggests that you’re either not eating enough carbs (low-carb and paleo eaters are notorious for this) or you rely too much on fat for resting fuel. Ketones will be steady during training, as you are using fat for fuel. However, a dark purple result means you need to add a bit more carbohydrates to your training fuel; otherwise you run the risk of hitting the wall and not recovering well.

cold almond milk ⅔ cup frozen mango pieces 1 medium fresh or frozen ripe banana 3 leaves stemmed kale (about ½ cup packed) 2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut 1 teaspoon raw flaxseeds Place the milk, mango, banana, kale, coconut, and flaxseeds in a blender and process until smooth.

Tart cherry juice is high in the sleep-promoting chemical melatonin and also has anti-inflammatory properties

Valerian root (tea or capsules): In one natural sleeping aid study, volunteers given 400 milligrams of valerian extract before bed experienced improved sleep, including better sleep quality, than those taking a placebo.

Using black cohosh can be beneficial in improving sleep quality by reducing hot flashes.

Women recover faster with 25 to 30 grams of protein (with 5 to 7 grams of BCAAs) within 30 minutes of a hard workout.

The optimum mix is 7.7 grams of sodium citrate and 4.5 grams of sodium chloride per liter. (Ingredients are available online.) Drink a large bottle of a low-carbohydrate (no more than 9 grams of carbohydrate per 8 ounces) hydration drink every hour you’re out there exercising in the elements. Prepare

the 5 to 7 days before your period starts, you can reduce the effect of cramp-causing chemicals (specifically PE-2, an estrogen-mediated prostaglandin) by taking magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and low-dose 80-milligram aspirin.

The best way to head off these headaches is to stay hydrated and eat more nitric oxide (NO)–rich foods, such as beets, pomegranate, watermelon, and spinach in the days leading up to the start of your period.

Getting more branched-chain amino acids (especially leucine) can help mitigate some of these unpleasant effects. Leucine crosses the blood-brain barrier, slows down the effect of serotonin, and fends off central nervous system fatigue.

Becoming a Supple Leopard

When your tissues are more lax, your joints don’t have the integrity they should because they’re stretched out,” says Dr. Starrett. This impairs your proprioception, the sense of where your limbs are oriented in space and in relation to one another, which is a huge factor in mobility and stability. When you’re not getting that proprioceptive feedback, your movement patterns are thrown

mean high-intensity power training—heavy lifting for pure strength. This kind of training stimulates your neuromuscular system, activating the maximum amount of muscle fibers. It also keeps those high-energy, powerful type II muscle fibers engaged, which is essential because those are needed for speed, and they’re the first to go.

Neural mechanisms (mind-muscle connections) are actually more important for women’s adaptations to strength training than they are for men’s. So by doing power moves and low-rep, high-weight strength training, you enhance the number of fibers recruited for a contraction but don’t really grow the size of your muscles very much. The short of it is that you end up with a stronger, more powerful contraction with less muscle bulk.

Progesterone also increases muscle breakdown (catabolism), and with the catabolic responses during exercise, getting a good dose of protein postexercise becomes critical for us to rebuild our muscles and reduce the signaling to store body fat.

Both estrogen and progesterone reach peak levels about 5 days before menstruation.

In one study of 20 active females, researchers found that the women could make greater strength gains and produce more force when they strength trained during their low-hormone phase compared to training in the high-hormone phase. You’re also likely to feel less pain and recover faster.

There is also evidence that blood sugar levels, breathing rates, and thermoregulation are negatively impacted during this time of the month, which may well account for the slight decreases in aerobic capacity and strength.

The Pill seems to have particularly ill effects on your muscle tissue and strength. In one study, women not taking oral contraceptives saw a 40 to 60 percent greater gain in muscle mass from training than their peers on the Pill saw.

30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most, if not all, days a week.

To sum it up, exercising early in your pregnancy has a profoundly positive effect on your developing baby, as it stimulates placenta growth and function as well as the organs and systems of your baby. Staying active through the later stages of your pregnancy keeps your baby’s growth and development on track. All this good stuff happens with just 30 to 45 minutes of exercise a day.

In fact, women who exercise have better bloodflow to the placenta when they’re not exercising, so it’s likely beneficial for the baby’s development in the long run.

None of us can do as well solo as we do in a race when we compete with others. Your competitor is helping you to discover your limits and potential and how you have more in yourself than you thought possible. She is your greatest ally in that self-discovery, and you are the same for her,

Confidence and competitiveness in women is often socially equated to bitchiness. Speaking in broad terms, men are rewarded for those traits, while women are put down. The considerable and negative social feedback for feeling confident and embracing it can be really, really difficult.

Persistent low mood is an early indication that you’re heading toward overtraining and the first sign that you should pull back your intensity and let yourself get adequate rest and recovery.

Low fuel in and around training sessions will inhibit your adaptive responses; reduce your body’s ability to lose body fat and gain lean mass; and increase your risk for stress fractures, poor blood glucose control, poor sleep, mood disturbances, and ultimately poor performance. In short, if you want to achieve your best performance and body composition, it is imperative that you fuel your workouts!

That’s why it’s particularly important for women to take in protein that’s high in leucine (the muscle-building amino acid) within 30 minutes after exercise.

So, you need to put more carbs into your system during the premenstrual part of your cycle, especially if you’re doing long bouts of intense exercise. We’ll go into great detail in Chapter 10, but in general aim for a combination of 10 to 15 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates (about 180 calories) before any workout longer than 90 minutes, and 30 grams of carbohydrates combined with protein and fat (real food, not straight carbs from gels!) per hour while you’re out there.

The best way to head off these headaches is to stay hydrated and eat more nitric oxide (NO)—rich foods, such as beets, pomegranate, watermelon, and spinach in the days leading up to the start of your period. The NO-rich foods will promote dilation and help reduce the severity of the shift.

Progesterone’s main job is to provide building blocks for the uterine lining, so it shuttles carbohydrates right to the lining to create a lush glycogen-rich tissue. It also increases muscle breakdown (while

for the same reason that a Prius will have to pull some wily moves if it wants to race against a Mustang—we start with a smaller engine. As a woman, you have a smaller heart (26 percent lighter than the male heart), smaller heart volume, smaller lungs (10 to 12 percent less volume than men), and lower diastolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats and the ventricles fill with blood), which predisposes us to have lower maximum heart rates and greater problems with dehydration in the heat. This also means we pump out less oxygenated blood

Women are not small men.

only this, but progesterone increases your resting body temperature by promoting heat conservation (which also comes with a delayed sweat response and a change in our thirst sensation). The one-two punch of high estrogen and progesterone after ovulation as your hormones ramp up leading to your period causes fluid shifts (hello, bloat), decreases your blood plasma volume, and makes you more predisposed to central nervous system fatigue, which makes exercise feel harder than usual.

we as women are built to be naturally good at endurance;

Phase 1: the follicular phase (from the start of your period to ovulation) Phase 2: the ovulatory phase (ovulation) Phase 3: the luteal phase (from ovulation to the onset of the next cycle).

Ironically, you are most like a man when it comes to exercise, fueling, and thermoregulation during your period and the follicular phase.

High estrogen makes us spare glycogen (stored glucose/carbohydrates your body uses for fuel, especially during high-intensity exercise) and increases the amount of fat we use for fuel—not exactly what you’re looking for when racing or doing threshold intervals. Progesterone’s main job is to provide building blocks for the uterine lining, so it shuttles carbohydrates right to the lining to create a lush glycogen-rich tissue. It also increases muscle breakdown (while also hindering our ability to synthesize muscle because we can’t access the building blocks of protein, amino acids, as well). Not

In the 5 to 7 days before your period starts, you can reduce the effect of cramp-causing chemicals (specifically PE-2, an estrogen-mediated prostaglandin) by taking magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and low-dose 80-milligram aspirin. Yes, it has to be aspirin if it is not contraindicated for you, not ibuprofen or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), because aspirin suppresses the production of prostaglandins irreversibly, unlike the other NSAIDs, which are reversible.

with every beat—about 20 percent less cardiac output than men. Less oxygenated blood means we have to breathe more often, and as a consequence, our respiratory muscles—such as the diaphragm and intercostals between our ribs—need to work harder and use a lot of energy. Like other skeletal muscles, the contracting respiratory muscles require enough blood flow to meet oxygen demand. If you have a greater oxygen cost of breathing, you also likely dedicate a greater amount of blood flow toward your respiratory muscles during maximal exercise.

So, you need to put more carbs into your system during the premenstrual part of your cycle, especially if you’re doing long bouts of intense exercise. We’ll go into great detail in Chapter 10, but in general aim for a combination of 10 to 15 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates (about 180 calories) before any workout longer than 90 minutes, and 30 grams of carbohydrates combined with protein and fat (real food, not straight carbs from gels!)

when you’re older. The best activities are those that are weight bearing (force you to work against gravity) and have multidirectional forces through the bone such as jumping (i.e., jump rope, plyometrics), dancing, and tennis and other ball sports, and of course strength training. Bicycling and swimming are excellent for your muscles and heart but not so much for your bones.

Compared to men, women are 5:1 more likely to experience GI distress. Avoid fructose and maltodextrin during exercise to work with your gut’s physiology instead of against it.

Hydration in the bottle, food in the pocket! Don’t rely on a typical sports drink or liquid sports supplement to do both; use a low-

carbohydrate, higher-electrolyte drink and eat real food. Women have a smaller window for recovery than men do. Maximize muscle adaptation and repair by eating for recovery within 30 to 45 minutes postexercise.

Women recover faster with 25 to 30 grams of protein (with about 3 grams leucine) within 30 minutes of a hard workout. (Note peri- and postmenopausal women should aim for 40 grams of protein to help with recovery.)

We need protein, and we need it fast. Remember, progesterone exacerbates muscle breakdown in women. So you need more protein to protect those muscles and come back stronger.

Recent research finds that 2 minutes of movement an hour is all it takes to protect yourself. In a study of more than 3,200 people, the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported that trading 2 minutes of sitting for 2 minutes of light activity such as walking down the hall each hour can lower your risk of premature death by 33 percent. If you work in an office, set your computer alarm to prompt you to move for a few minutes each hour on the hour to counteract the natural inclination to stay sedentary.

Fifty percent of polled athletes in a 2014 ESPN The Magazine survey reported that menstrual cramps affected their game at some point. The best way to mitigate this is to do some preplanning. In the 5 to 7 days before your period starts, you can reduce the effect of cramp-causing chemicals (specifically PE-2, an estrogen-mediated prostaglandin) by taking magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and low-dose 80-milligram aspirin. Yes, it has to be aspirin, not ibuprofen or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), because aspirin suppresses the production of prostaglandins irreversibly, whereas other NSAIDs are reversible. Headaches

both rising to the top of their game. Peak performance during PMS: Take 250 milligrams of magnesium, 45 milligrams of zinc, 80 milligrams of aspirin (baby aspirin), and 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed and fish oil) each night for the 7 days before your period starts.

most active women do not eat enough. When you put your body in a state of low energy availability, you hang on to fat and lose muscle—

dozens more studies have solidified the conclusion that interval training is the fastest way to improve nearly all aspects of performance, including improved insulin sensitivity and ability to use oxygen, which enables you to burn more fat and get more fuel into your working muscles.

SIT training strengthens and increases the amount of your energy-producing mitochondria, improves insulin sensitivity, and lowers fasting blood sugar levels, all of which is good for your overall cardiovascular and metabolic health.

By lifting heavy weights, you are stimulating your tendons to increase their tension, which will give you better overall stability in your joints and increase the ability of your muscles to support those joints when you’re doing hard work.

even if you regularly exercise, if you’re otherwise sedentary, taking just 2,500 to 5,000 steps a day, you can actually develop “exercise resistance,” meaning that your fat-burning abilities are impaired by your general inactivity.

poor nutrient timing can blunt those benefits, mess with your hormones, disrupt your sleep, and slow your recovery.

SIT training increases lean muscle mass and reduces fat mass in a relatively short period of time.

some research suggests that, in postmenopausal women, high-intensity cycling sessions are more effective than running,

some women’s lives are so disrupted they feel like they’ve been the victims of a hostile hormonal takeover that leaves them trapped inside a body and mind they barely recognize.

The poor sleep was definitely doing a number on her weight. Lack of sleep, especially during menopause, really decreases insulin sensitivity and increases the body’s stimulus to store belly fat.

One very common way that women slip into a state of LEA and RED-S is by following trendy diets like intermittent fasting and ketosis.

Some of the top foods with polyphenols are fruits (especially berries), vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, dark chocolate, coffee, tea, olive oil, and red wine.

you want to reserve lifting heavy sh*t (LHS) for big, compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and chest presses, which spread the load across multiple large muscles.

there are sex differences in how we feel during exercise: Men use more carbohydrate, tapping into their liver and muscle stores; but women clear their blood sugar and use fat rather than fully deplete their liver and muscle glycogen.

So if you’ve always lifted in the 10-to-12 or 15-to-20 repetition range, it’s time to change that up. Drop those reps into the three-to-six range and lift heavier weights to improve your muscle integrity, build strength, and be healthier through menopause and beyond.

The sharp, strong stimulation from a SIT session triggers an increase in BDNF along with other chemical messengers in the brain to enhance your brain remodeling, keep your gray matter healthy, and improve cognition and working memory, both of which can suffer during the menopausal years.

The average weight gain is about five to eight pounds, though some women gain more. Because estrogen promotes fluid retention (while progesterone decreases it), you can end up feeling puffier too, especially when you’re in that perimenopausal phase, when estrogen is high and progesterone is low.

hormone levels decline they can drag your mood down with them, leaving you feeling anxious, sad, or angry at levels that may be out of proportion with whatever is happening in your life at the time.

It’s an indicator of health. Irregularities in your menstrual cycle frequency and/or length can be the first sign that something is amiss, whether your body is not recovering from stress (of training or life!), you’re getting sick, or you’re underfueling and in low energy availability. Understanding your response to stress. When you track over time, you can see how your body responds to large blocks of stress through work, life, travel, and training. For instance, women often see that high levels of stress may shorten cycles and periods of relaxation like vacations can lengthen it. No more second-guessing yourself. If you track for a few cycles and you see that on day 23 you always feel flat and tired, you won’t be second-guessing yourself wondering what you did “wrong” when you feel flat

Why You Should Track Your Menstrual Cycle These days my clients are all about tracking every little move. They have activity trackers and sleep monitors and apps that help them analyze every morsel they put into their mouths. Yet I’m surprised how few women make note of their menstrual cycle and how they feel during it. I highly recommend that every menstruating woman start now. Why?

It’s an indicator of health. Irregularities in your menstrual cycle frequency and/or length can be the first sign that something is amiss, whether your body is not recovering from stress (of training or life!), you’re getting sick, or you’re underfueling and in low energy availability. Understanding your response to stress. When you track over time, you can see how your body responds to large blocks of stress through work, life, travel, and training. For instance, women often see that high levels of stress may shorten cycles and periods of relaxation like vacations can lengthen it. No more second-guessing yourself. If you track for a few cycles and you see that on day 23 you always feel flat and tired, you won’t be second-guessing yourself wondering what you did “wrong” when you feel flat and tired on day 23. (You can also take some of the advice in this book to relieve that fatigue and boost your energy!) It’s psychologically empowering. Knowing yourself and being able to really tap into your unique physiology is empowering. You can also plan some hard training days on the times you know you’re going to be on fire. Once you start tracking, you can also use it as a training guide. And I’m strictly talking about training here. Some people misconstrue this to mean that I’m saying you should plan your event calendar around your cycle. That is NOT the case. As I mentioned earlier, performance is

Should you take melatonin? I would recommend using valerian and tart cherry juice (below) first, as these have been shown to naturally increase the body’s production of melatonin and do not have the melatonin hangover side effect that is common when taking straight melatonin.

As a woman, you become more sensitive to carbohydrates as you age and especially as you enter the menopause transition, because of the decline in your estrogen levels, so eating a diet too high in carbs is detrimental from a blood sugar and metabolism standpoint. Starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams, and winter squash as well as root veggies such as carrots, onions, and garlic are superior forms of carbohydrate from a nutritional standpoint. You don’t need to eat a ton of carbs, but you should eat the right carbs throughout the day (and time them correctly before, during, and after exercise, which we’ll cover in depth in the next chapter) for your physiology and fitness level. What I find works best from both a body composition and performance standpoint among my female athletes is aiming for a daily intake of about 40 to 45 percent whole-food carbohydrates (e.g., veggies, fruit, ancient grains).

The omega-3s in fish oil (1,000 milligrams a day) have also been shown to quell common menstrual problems such as cramps and back pain.