1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Tracking your minstrel cycle and being able to work with 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: your hormones on an individual level can accelerate your training adaptations, 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: which means then you get fitter faster without over pushing 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: or overreaching. 5 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 2: Okay, everybody, Emily Abody here coming to you from the 6 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Age Studio. You are listening to hurdle a well on 7 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: this focused podcast. Reconnect with everyone from your favorite athletes 8 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: to top experts and industry CEOs about their highest highs, 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 2: toughest moments, and everything in between. We all go through 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 2: hurles in life, and my goal through these discussions is 11 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 2: to empower you to better navigate yours and move with 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: intention so that you can stride towards your own big 13 00:00:54,840 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: potential and of course have some fun along the way. Now, 14 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: this topic that I'm reading to the feed today is 15 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 2: one that has been long re quested from a lot 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 2: of the hurdlers, but also something that was super relevant 17 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 2: to me this week. That is, my friends, the female 18 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 2: cycle and training eating how to manage it. You get 19 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: the gist. I am bringing in the expert of all experts, 20 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 2: doctor Stacy Simms, to wrap with me about this. Doctor 21 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 2: Stacy Simms is a leading researcher and author who specializes 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: in female physiology. And we are going to be talking 23 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 2: about all of the things. How does your menstrual cycle 24 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 2: impact your training? Why your recovery is typically better during 25 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 2: your period, best practice for training mid flow? Oh my goodness, 26 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: there's definitely TMI ahead. I am sure. Also, let's talk 27 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: about cycle sinking, workouts and nutrition. We get into all 28 00:01:54,920 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: of that. Doctor Sims is again a super qualified expert. 29 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: So for so much of this, I, like all of you, 30 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: was just listening and absorbing information. A huge thank you 31 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: to my friends at WOOP for connecting me with doctor Simms. 32 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 2: She I first discovered her when she was on the 33 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: WOP podcast. I learned so much I wanted to bring 34 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: her knowledge here. Whoop is also a sponsor of Hurdle, 35 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 2: so if you are interested in getting in on the 36 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: Whoop gang, I have been using Whoop since April twenty nineteen. 37 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 2: Believe it or not, I cannot advocate for it enough. 38 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 2: I have a special discount code for you. You can 39 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: use Hurdle one five at checkout for fifteen percent off 40 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 2: any Whoop membership plus a free Loop four point zero strap. 41 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: Make sure you're following along with Hurdle over at Hurdle 42 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 2: podcasts on social media. I am over at Emily a 43 00:02:51,080 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 2: body and with that, let's get to hurdling today. I 44 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 2: am sitting down with doctor Stacy Simms. She's a leading 45 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 2: researcher and author who specializes in female physiology. How you 46 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 2: doing today, doctor. 47 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: Sims, I'm doing well. How about you? 48 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 2: I'm so good. I'm so excited to have you here 49 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: today because this is a topic female anatomy physiology, how 50 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 2: it impacts our training that honestly I have not dove 51 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: into just yet on the show. And we were connected 52 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: by our friends at WOOP And after listening to you 53 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: on the WOP podcast, I was like, well, this is 54 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: an absolute no brainer for me. Talk to us a 55 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 2: little bit before we dive in with the particular questions 56 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: about what encouraged you to specialize in this area of study. 57 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: Being a very inquisitive woman or young female athlete and 58 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: being involved in exercise physiology and undergrad and seeing things 59 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: that didn't quite make sense where we would be doing 60 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: labs and they would throw out my data because it 61 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: didn't quite jive with what the men's data was doing, 62 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: or asking more specific questions about women in the history 63 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: of sport when they weren't really profiled, or asking about 64 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: women and why they tend to be less speed capable 65 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: and less power, and the question or the answers to 66 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: my questions were always, well, you know, women are very 67 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: similar to men or just small men, so we just generalize, 68 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: or we don't know enough about men to study women, 69 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: or women have a menstrual cycle, and so they're not 70 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: really included in sports science or medical research because the 71 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: hormones kind of affect the results. So as a very 72 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: inquisitive young undergraduate student, none of that really sat well, 73 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: and so I started really digging and trying to push 74 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: and push and push, and so that kind of started 75 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: to be in my bonnet. But also being an elite 76 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: athlete trying to get the best out of myself and 77 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: my teammates and finding that a lot of us were 78 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,280 Speaker 1: getting overtrained, or we weren't being able to peak well 79 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: for races, or our strength programming wasn't getting us to 80 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 1: the point where we needed to be, and then retrospectively 81 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: looking back and saying, well, that's because all the protocols 82 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: were designed for men and applied to us. So there's 83 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: just been small things throughout the early parts of my 84 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: career that have made me been really push and been 85 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: pushing for gosh, I don't want to say how many years. 86 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, to really push, and I mean with good reason, right, 87 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 2: you found that this was something that we really needed, 88 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 2: We really needed to focus on what was going on 89 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 2: with women and the female body. And so for you, 90 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: as you were pushing, aside from the resistance that you 91 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 2: mentioned upfront, what were some of the other hurdles that 92 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 2: you encountered along the way in your studies? 93 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, there have been so many. I feel like, well, 94 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: I shouldn't say, I feel like I hope that all 95 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: the things that I have done have paid the way 96 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,799 Speaker 1: to make it easier for upcoming academics or upcoming female athletes. 97 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: Like every step of the way, there's been some kind 98 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: of issue regards to funding. It's really hard to get 99 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: sports science funding, and if you start specifically focusing on 100 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: women with a question, you often don't get the funding 101 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: because they're like, well, we don't have the basis to 102 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: understand this in men, why are we going to do 103 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: it in women? So it's always referring back to the 104 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: cis male, which tends to be the supposed gold standard, 105 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: not now, but earlier days. I've been in a room 106 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: after I've gotten my PhD, presenting to physicians and they 107 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: would turn to me and be like, well, you're not 108 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: a real doctor. What do you know because I don't 109 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: have an MD. So there's so many different discrepancies along 110 00:06:58,200 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: the way. When you're trying to talk about the minstrels 111 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: cycle and talk about how women feel or how they perform. 112 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: There is pushback even in the research world today, where 113 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: there are other groups who are headed by people who 114 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: haven't done specific research on women and say, well, there 115 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: really is no research to support that minstral cycle phases 116 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: affect women's performance. And it's like, well, if you look 117 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,559 Speaker 1: at what you are investigating, no, because the methodology is poor. 118 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: So I could agree with you there, but we have 119 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: to redo it to see it if there really is something, 120 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: because you can't have all of these women across the 121 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: world with the same similar stories about how they feel 122 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: across their minstrual cycle and say that there's no effect, 123 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: especially if it's coming from a man who hasn't done 124 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: research on women. So there's been these pushbacks every step 125 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: of the way, even to a peer reviewing a journal 126 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: article maybe a month ago, and in it they said 127 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: that they recruited thirty six people for the study, three 128 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: of them were women. Because there were only three women, 129 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: they didn't include their data. I was like, you can't 130 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: do that now, like why were there only three women? 131 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,559 Speaker 1: Did you not recruit well enough to bring more women 132 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: into your study? And granted, yes, three women, that's not 133 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: enough to draw conclusions because it's only three, But you 134 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: don't throw out their data. You write a case report 135 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: or you say this is what's happened with three women 136 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: and you describe it. You don't just say we don't 137 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: have enough data to do comparisons. Like even now, I'm 138 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: like twenty twenty two and you're saying this, So yeah, 139 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: it's still it's still really hard when you are pushing 140 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: against the cis male idea of the gold standard and 141 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: trying to get people to understand that that's not the 142 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: gold standard. And if we look at the history and 143 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: the cultural evolution of what's been happening within biomedical research 144 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 1: and understanding that before we had research and science, women 145 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: were the ones that were heading up medical and we're 146 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: heading up the healing until they got pushed out by 147 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: men saying no, you can't be educated. You are a witch. 148 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: We're going to burn you at the stake because you 149 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: know you. So this is Salem witch trials is all 150 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: looking at women who were using herbal remedies or other 151 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: methodologies that they had learned down the line to help people, 152 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: but they were deemed as being witches because the men 153 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: didn't understand it, or the men didn't seed it as 154 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,719 Speaker 1: being educational. So like, no, that's not part of the 155 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: modern aspect that we're doing. So when we look at 156 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: the history, it's all been through this gendered lens, this 157 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: male gendered lens. And even now people have a really 158 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: difficult time understanding of things like protocols for strength training, 159 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: protocols for testing, protocols for how we eat, how we 160 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: should be looking at fueling are all based on that 161 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: male data through that male lens. And until you can 162 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: actually confront someone and say, hey, wait, we need to 163 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 1: look at it from a female environment, from a female lens, 164 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: they don't get it until someone says something definitively to 165 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: be like, hey, look, we have to understand that we 166 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: all don't come from that same male lens. We come 167 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: from a different experience, a different environment, and we have 168 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: to look at how that might affect what you're saying 169 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: or what you're doing. 170 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 2: And I feel like we could like sit here and 171 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 2: like go back and forth on how messed up like 172 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 2: so many of the things that you just said are. 173 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 2: But I do I know it's like so easy to 174 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 2: be like, oh, this system is so broken, and let's 175 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 2: just like sit here and complain about it and like 176 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 2: looking for comfort within fellow women. 177 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: I know. 178 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 2: I will say that for another day, and in the 179 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:41,440 Speaker 2: meantime we will talk about women and our bodies and 180 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 2: specifically our cycles. So I know this is a broad 181 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 2: question and I will let you be the one who 182 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: decides what direction we take it in, but let's start 183 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 2: off by talking about our menstrual cycle and how it 184 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 2: does impact our training month to month. 185 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, So, for just a brief review for people who 186 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: might not be completely aware of what menstrual cycle, we 187 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: say textbook, it's twenty eight days. Day one is the 188 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: first day, bleeding, around Day twelve or thirteen is ovulation. 189 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 1: After that is a high hormone phase until day twenty eight, 190 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: which is to last day, and then day one again 191 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: when you start bleeding. So estrogen progesterone affect every system 192 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: of the body, and when they are lower in the 193 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: low hormone phase, this is where we're quote more like men. 194 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: We can access carphydrate well, our core temperature is lower 195 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,839 Speaker 1: or more resilient to stress, our immune system is super 196 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: resilient to stress, and we have the capability of recovering faster. 197 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: So when we're looking at the low hormone phase, so 198 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: that's day one and bleeding through ovulation, this is where 199 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: our body is the most capable of taking on higher loads, 200 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 1: recovering from them, and getting really good training adaptations. Around ovulation, 201 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: some women feel super flat and some women feel bulletproof, 202 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: depending on how they respond to estrogen. So we can 203 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,559 Speaker 1: use that timeframe to have another really heavy, hard session 204 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: because estrogen is anabolic, so you can have really good 205 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: muscle recovery and tissue building. Then after ovulation estrogen progesterones 206 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: start to come up, and this is where we see 207 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: all the changes that make us completely different from men. 208 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: Where we have a fuel shift where we have less 209 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: reliance in carbohydrate because we can't really access it from 210 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: the liver and the muscle because progesteron estrogen work together 211 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: to conserve it in the liver and the muscle in 212 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: order to preserve what's coming in and shift it over 213 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: to the building endometriol lining, because the endometrial lining comes 214 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: really really thick with glycogen and storage forms of fuel 215 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: because it is supposed to well. It's being developed to 216 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: allow an embryo to then develop. So when we look 217 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: at the fueling mechanisms there, we have more reliance on 218 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: free fatty acids, so we can't hit intensities very well. 219 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: Progesterone is catabolic, so we have a harder time building 220 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: lean mass. We have more of a breakdown. Progesterone also 221 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: increases our respiratory rate. It increases our arresting heart rate. 222 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: So our capacity for hitting high intensities is it a 223 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: little bit dampened because our workload capacity is also a 224 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: bit shorter. Our core temperature is up, so our heat 225 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: tolerance is a little bit lower. Our ability to again 226 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: hit those higher intensities is also a little bit compromised 227 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: because our increased core temperature. And then we also have 228 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: the mood factor that comes into play because estrogen, progester 229 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: and cross blood brain barrier. Estrogen particular affect our NeuroD 230 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: transmitters and our motivation and our mood, so we start 231 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: to see a little bit more anxiety, depression and self doubt. 232 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: And if women aren't tracking what they're doing, and they 233 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: aren't aware of how these hormones affect us or affect her, 234 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: then there's always going to be that sense of negative 235 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: self talk of why didn't I hit my workout today, 236 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: I didn't recover well, I didn't sleep well too stressed, 237 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: I'm not fit enough, I'm not gaining any fitness. And 238 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: when we know that tracking your minstrel cycle and being 239 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: able to work with your hormones on an individual level 240 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: can accelerate your training adaptations, which means then you get 241 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: fitter faster without over pushing or overreaching. 242 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: Man, I'm so happy that I'm going to be like 243 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: prime in my cycle come this weekend when I'm supposed 244 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 2: to run a half marathon. You'd sweet, sweet, oh my goodness, Well, 245 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: I mean you mentioned something here. Obviously, the different times 246 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 2: of the month where training may not feel as easy 247 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 2: for women that are in that time of the month, 248 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 2: what advice would you offer to them if they do 249 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 2: have hopes or goals or maybe they too are going 250 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 2: after some sort of big destination moment. 251 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: So there's a nuance here where we know that if 252 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: we're looking at one point in time of an acute 253 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: per formance. So if you were going to be running 254 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: your half marathon this weekend and it happened to be 255 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: like three or four days before your period started, and 256 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: we know that that's a high hormone phase where you're 257 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: most compromised from a physiological perspective, you can go out 258 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: and run that half marathon in pr because the psychological 259 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: component supersedes a physiological So if you're like, yeah, I'm 260 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: going to go nail it. I know that I'm in 261 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: a high hormone phase, but I'm taking more carbohydrate in 262 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: during my race. I've loaded up on protein of days 263 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: leading up to it, and I'm making sure that I'm 264 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: hydrating during my race, then you're going to nail it. 265 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: Because there's no point in time during the minstrual cycle 266 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: that there's a negative performance aspect we talk about training. 267 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: Training is different. It's the chronic repetition for adaptation. So 268 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: if we're looking at how we use our hormones to 269 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: train and garner those ergogenic effects of our hormones, this 270 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: is where we want to do the phase based training. 271 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: So that we know that we can hit it hard 272 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: in that low hormone phase because this is when our 273 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: body's really primed for that. And then we want to 274 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: look at slowly tapering as we go. So the four 275 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: or five days before your period starts, this is where 276 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: we're deloading, where we're working on running technique, we're working 277 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: on economy of movement, We're looking at mobility, range of motion, 278 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: skills and drills like really low intensity taking care of yourself. 279 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: And that's how we're looking at the difference between performance 280 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: at one point in time that we build up and 281 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: we're training for and we can nail it at any 282 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: point in the cycle versus training where we want to 283 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: harness the aspect of being able to have a wider 284 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: capacity for workload in the low hormone phase into Yeah, 285 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: I know my body needs more recovery, especially in a 286 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: few days leading up to my period. 287 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 2: Got it okay? Okay? And then a huge part of 288 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 2: this as well would be taking your nutrition into account 289 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 2: when you're at the different phases of your cycle. So 290 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 2: talk to us a little bit out what we can 291 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 2: do there. 292 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, in the high hormone phase, so that's after ovulation, 293 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: we have around a twelve to fifteen percent increase in 294 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: our protein needs. So this is where we really want 295 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: to make sure that we are eating protein in around 296 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 1: our training. We're having a good twenty to thirty grams 297 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: at every meal just to keep circulating amino acids up. 298 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: And the reason why we have an increase in the 299 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: amount of protein that we need is because our body 300 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: is building that endometrial lining, so it's taking all the 301 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: building blocks to actually build tissue in that. Also, we 302 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: can't really carbohydrate load per se in the high hormone phase. 303 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: We just can't shove it into the liver and the 304 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 1: muscle because our body is pushing it over to the 305 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: endometril lining. To kind of counter that, we want to 306 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: make sure that we have more carbohydrate available, so we 307 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: are upping our carbohydrate intake across the day so that 308 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: we have a higher amount of carbohydrate coming in. And 309 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: that's okay when women are like about that means more calories. 310 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 1: I don't care about calories. Most people shouldn't care so 311 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: much about calories. We want to talk about the nutrient 312 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: density of food. But our metabolism is also elevated because 313 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: it's building tissue, so we need more food. We need 314 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 1: more fuel, and the way that we can counter what's 315 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 1: going on with regards to inflammation and the changing of 316 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: the hormones is upping your protein and carbohydrate and taking 317 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 1: that high hormone phase and the low hormone phase. This 318 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: is where you can get away with a little bit 319 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: less carbohydrate because your body is more resilient to being 320 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: more metabolically flexible, so it can use carbohydrate, can use 321 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 1: fatty acids, It recovers well, so not as much of 322 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: a paying attention in that low hormone phase as you 323 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 1: are on the high hormone phase. But the big rock 324 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: for everyone is to make sure that you eat enough 325 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:51,239 Speaker 1: because there's so many women who are recreationally active that 326 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: are in a low energy state. They just don't eat 327 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: enough for what their body needs and their training that 328 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: they're doing. And it might be that that they are 329 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: following some kind of fasting protocol or they're too busy 330 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: and they forget to eat. So there are big holes 331 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: between food intake, especially after training, and this is when 332 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: your body starts to perceive you having a low amount 333 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: of nutrition coming in, so you start conserving a lot 334 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 1: and you have a downward spiral of your thyroid. You 335 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: have a downward spiral of your resting metabolic right and 336 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: it's really difficult to come out of that. So the 337 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: big rock there is to make sure you're fueling for 338 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: your training session and recovering from it so that way 339 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: your body gets the signals that there's nutrition coming in 340 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: and it gets the signal to start repairing and rebuilding 341 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 1: after your training session instead of delaying and being in 342 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: that breakdown state. You have food to remind your body. Yep, 343 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: there's nutrition. Let's rebuild, adapt. 344 00:19:52,560 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 2: And keep it. Taking a break from today episode to 345 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,399 Speaker 2: talk to you all about my friends at Beam and 346 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 2: specifically their Beam Dream Powder. Listen, we are a twenty 347 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 2: four to seven society where sleep is just undervalued and 348 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 2: consequently many struggle with poor sleep quality. I love Beam 349 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 2: because they are dedicated to offering products that may contribute 350 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 2: to sleep quality while maintaining an ethical and conscious approach 351 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 2: to overall wellness. Their Beam Dream Powder, which tastes like 352 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 2: a cinnamon hot chocolate, you are getting more than just 353 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 2: a delicious treat. The dream powder provides your body with 354 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 2: sleep enhancing vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, rishi, elfianine, 355 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 2: and Nano CBD. 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Again, use the 366 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:28,360 Speaker 2: code Hurdle at checkout to get fifteen percent off anything 367 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 2: at Beamorganics dot com slash hurdle. For someone who feels 368 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,640 Speaker 2: like their period symptoms gout one hundred percent knock them over. 369 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 2: They're feeling super sluggish, just blah. Of course they may, 370 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 2: and I'm sure that you may advise them of this 371 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,959 Speaker 2: as well, want to listen to their body and just 372 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 2: chill out. But for someone who is like convinced that 373 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 2: they've got to get something in, what do you tell them? 374 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, so everyone's different and nuance in their minstual cycles. 375 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,719 Speaker 1: So that's why you want to track for yourself. And 376 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,640 Speaker 1: there are quite a few female athletes recreational to lead 377 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: who have heavy minteal bleeding and severe cramping and nausea 378 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: and bloating and stuff associated with that transition between high 379 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: hormone and the bleed phase. And if you have heavy 380 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: menstrual bleeding, then that's something and gets some medical help 381 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,880 Speaker 1: with because it's not normal. And we don't really talk 382 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,400 Speaker 1: about what a normal bleed pattern looks like and what 383 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: heavy minstrual bleeding is versus normal bleeding. But if you're 384 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: flat on your back and you can't move because of 385 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: really bad cramps and heavy bleeding, then that's not normal. 386 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: If you're someone who's feeling sluggish, bloated, some cramping and 387 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: feeling like I just can't do anything, what we want 388 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: to try to encourage is maybe a couple of twenty 389 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: second bursts of intensity, because with those few twenty second 390 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: bursts of intensity, you can even be just running up 391 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: your stairs, just getting that higher elevation of heart rate. 392 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: That versus of intensity, it releases more growth hormone and 393 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,439 Speaker 1: anti inflammatory responses. So if we have that, then it 394 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 1: counters the cramping and the bloating, and it boosts your mood. 395 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: So it's not going out for a serious session. It's 396 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: going out to do just a couple of maybe four 397 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: or five of these twenty second bursts of intensity. So 398 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: your body's like great, Okay, now I'm going to reduce 399 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: my inflammation and I'm going to have the signaling for 400 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: anabolic capacities, which helps with the whole bleeding. It helps 401 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: reduce bleeding and reduce cramping. We can also support by 402 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 1: increasing our magnesium and our zinc intake because our immune systems, 403 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 1: coupled with growing tissue, then releasing the tissue go through 404 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: a lot of zinc and magnesium, and if we have 405 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: those on board, that also reduces PMS and the cramping 406 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 1: and the bloating associated with the first few days of 407 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: your period. 408 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 2: Got You, Got You. And then something else we haven't 409 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 2: touched on just yet is the different phases of our 410 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 2: cycle and sleep. So I would love if you could 411 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 2: shed a little bit of light on that. 412 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: Yes, so in our you might notice because our friends 413 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: at OOP, right, so I'm assuming that you use a 414 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: loop as well, do Yeah, So if we look at 415 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 1: our sleep patterns in the low hormone phase, most of 416 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: the time it's really easy to get into the green, 417 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: and we have good sleep quality. We have a lot 418 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: of slow wave sleep, we have a lot of rem sleep, 419 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: and our sleep metrics look pretty good. Then after ovulation, 420 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 1: or really about the seven or so days before our 421 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: period starts, it's really, really, really hard to get into 422 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: the green and we start to see more yellow, maybe 423 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 1: some red, And that has to do with an increased 424 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: autonomic nervous system drive. So we are more in a 425 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: sympathetic driven state due to progesterone. So if we're in 426 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: that sympathetic driven state, we have to look at how 427 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 1: can we get into more parasympathetic to get into a 428 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,119 Speaker 1: good sleep pattern. So this is where some mindfulness stuff 429 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,959 Speaker 1: comes in, where you are really taking care of the 430 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: idea of good sleep hygiene to your cool room or 431 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 1: maybe weighted blanket, whatever works with regards to good sleep hygiene, 432 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:18,439 Speaker 1: not eating two hours before bed. And part of it 433 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: also is not only do we have this increased sympathetic drive, 434 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: but because we have this elevation and estrogen, it has 435 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: a play in with melatonin so that we don't produce 436 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: as much melatonin, so it's harder to get into that 437 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: deep sleep and progesterone increasing our core temperature. We have 438 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: a higher baseline resting core temperature, so it's hard to 439 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: get into that drop in your temperature in order to 440 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: get into the slow wave sleep. So the way that 441 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 1: we can look to counter it is something like cold 442 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: tart cherry juice within thirty minutes before going to bed. 443 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: The coldness of the drink drops your core temperature to 444 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: be able to oscillate below that kind of waking line 445 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: and you can drift off into a good deep sleep. 446 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: And then the tart cherry juice works with your body 447 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: to produce more melatonin because it also contains melatonin, but 448 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: not using melatonin tablets because melotone and tablets is a 449 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: big hit of melotonin and it doesn't work with your body. 450 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 1: It's it's giving it too much, so then you can 451 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: wake up feeling hungover or really lethargic. So just looking 452 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: at some of the more natural ways to work with 453 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 1: your body to mitigate what estrogen progesterone. 454 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:38,120 Speaker 2: Are doing so interesting, so so interesting, And really, I mean, 455 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 2: the last thing that I want to touch on here 456 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:43,640 Speaker 2: would be I'm so sure that there are so many 457 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 2: women listening to this podcast right now who may not 458 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 2: have a quote unquote regular cycle. I mean, I'm certainly 459 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 2: one of them, and that I have been told for 460 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 2: years that my period coming quote unquote when it wants 461 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 2: to is large in part because I'm quote unquote super 462 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:04,640 Speaker 2: active and going to many many different obgyns over the years. Literally, 463 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 2: I've just been told, well, like, do you feel okay? 464 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 2: And for the most part, yeah, I feel fine, But 465 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 2: it sucks not knowing when I'm going to like sporadically 466 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 2: get my cycle despite being on birth control pills. So anyway, 467 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 2: that's just my personal complaint here. But for women that 468 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 2: don't have a quote unquote normal cycle, what advice do 469 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 2: you offer to them when it comes to losing your 470 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 2: period and should we be concerned about getting it back? 471 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,719 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, there's so much to impact there. First, 472 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: being on an oral contraceptive pill or birth control does 473 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: not give you a period, does not give you a 474 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:45,879 Speaker 1: cycle that downregulates your natural hormones, and so it's not 475 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: a true representation of your integrine system. Even the sugarpool 476 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 1: week and the bleed that you get with contraception is 477 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: a withdrawal bleed, so it's really not a true period bleed. 478 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: If you've had issues before, and you've been put on 479 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,399 Speaker 1: an SEE because you've had issues of not having a 480 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,239 Speaker 1: mintual cycle or having irregularities, that problem is still going 481 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: to be there. If you lose your period, then that 482 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: is also a clinical problem. And a lot of it, 483 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: again comes from not eating appropriately. It doesn't mean not 484 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,919 Speaker 1: eating enough, It means not eating appropriately where you have 485 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: big holes in your day where you have high stress 486 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 1: and low nutrients. Can be again that early morning training 487 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: and then super busy and not eating breakfast, not eating 488 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: n till like ten, and then not eating again until 489 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: two or three, and then having dinner and then going 490 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: to bed, So you have these big holes where your 491 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: body's like I don't have enough nutrition coming in. What 492 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: happens with that is we have two areas in the 493 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: brain and the hypothalamus specifically that have the expression of 494 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: kiss peptin neurons. Now, kiss peptin is super important for 495 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: regulating the integrint system as well as the full function 496 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: of your minstrual cycle. If you do not have enough 497 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: carbhydrate and food coming in, it downregulates kispeptin. And if 498 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: it downregulates kispeptin, we don't get a lutinizing hormone surge. 499 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: If we don't have a lutinizing hormone seurge, then we 500 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: won't have ovulation. If you have no ovulation, then you 501 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: don't have progesterone. And then you start to see this 502 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: irregular pattern to no periods, and that's a sign that 503 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: there is significant endocrine dysfunction. What we can do about 504 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: it if it's early days and you're starting to see 505 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: really erratic periods where it might common, it might go, 506 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: might common, it might go is really dialing in that 507 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: nutrition in and around your training so that you stay 508 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: out of that catabolic or breakdown state if you have 509 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: lost your period. This is secondary amin area and it's 510 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: a significant clinical state and it can be the precursor 511 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: to full relative energy deficiency in sport. And this is 512 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: a syndrome where you start having cardiovascular issues, gut, psychological, immiological, 513 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: just a whole gamut of problems. And you can start 514 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 1: to say or see it as my periods are irregular 515 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: and I'm having a lot of GI distress when I'm exercising, 516 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,719 Speaker 1: So this is another warning sign that you're just on 517 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: the cusp of hitting the syndrome. And the long term 518 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: effect of it is we look at it at our 519 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: boned and CIDI goes down. We end up with sarcopina, 520 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: which means that we don't have a lot of really 521 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: good muscle integrity. We end up with a lot of 522 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: fat tissue within the muscle, got dysregulation, a lot of 523 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: cardiovascular problems, so you can see high blood lipids, you 524 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: can see heart arrhythmia. So it's it's a significant impact 525 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: on overall health. So for women who don't have periods, 526 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: please go see somebody like go see an indocronologists who 527 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: understands it. But also don't let them tell you you 528 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: have to stop everything, because I work with a lot 529 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 1: of professional female athletes who can't stop what they're doing 530 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: because they're in a contract. So what we do is 531 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: we look at the delta or the change, so we 532 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: see how much they're expending in a day when they're 533 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: eating to support the stress, and we back it down. 534 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: We go, let's drop volume, let's keep intensity, and the 535 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: intensity can be through some interval training or can be 536 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:21,479 Speaker 1: through resistance training. So we're maintaining fitness levels and we 537 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: can start to keep building a bit on the fitness, 538 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 1: but we've dropped the volume, so energy expenditure is not 539 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: as high, and we fuel specifically in and around each 540 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: training session so that their calorie needs are there when 541 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: their body's under stress. And as the body starts to 542 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: understand this, kiss peptin turns back on. Kiss peptin turns 543 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: back on, then you get the lutinizing hormonsurge and periods 544 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: come back. So it's a little bit of a what 545 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 1: is my training? Why are my peers going away? And 546 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: how can I back down that volume and match my 547 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: nutrition to support the stress I'm under? And it's not 548 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: as necessarily the training stress either, it's also life stress. 549 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: So it's that whole allistic stress compound of when we 550 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: start to have too much daily stress and training stress 551 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: and not supporting it with good nutrition, then our integrine 552 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: system takes a hit. And when we look at it, 553 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: why it's not as well known, especially in practitioners. Is 554 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: a threshold for men is so much I guess I 555 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 1: shouldn't say lower, but it is with regards to calorie intake, 556 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:33,280 Speaker 1: So men need around fifteen calories per kilogram before they 557 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:37,479 Speaker 1: start seeing dysfunction, but for women that's thirty five to forty. 558 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: So in order not to have that dysfunction, we need 559 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: that thirty five to forty calories per kilogram of body 560 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: weight just to maintain really good health. And this is 561 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: where we start seeing all the discrepancies between those trendy 562 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: diets too, like ketogenic diet, low carb, high fat, intermitte fasting. 563 00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: How they all work on the male population and they 564 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: don't get into dysfunction and they lean up, they get fitter, 565 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 1: they get faster, But for women start to get intocrine dysfunction, 566 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: putting on weight, fatigue, lethargy, and it's just not working 567 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: and has to do with this threshold sensitivity in the 568 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 1: brain of calorie needs. And how do we support our 569 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 1: bodies to really adapt to all the stress we're putting 570 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,760 Speaker 1: under it. So the long or the short of the 571 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: long is eat more around your training. 572 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 2: Eat very important, very important. Well, so many amazing takeaways here. 573 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 2: I'm so grateful for your time at doctor Sims. How 574 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 2: do the hurdle listeners follow along with you? How do 575 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 2: they keep up with you? For more intel? Give us 576 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 2: your details. 577 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, so social media, Facebook and Instagram, doctor Stacy Sims, 578 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: and we're posting lots of tibits of information from puberty 579 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: all the way to menopause. And postmenopause. And then on 580 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: my website, doctor stacysims dot com has a list of 581 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 1: all the courses that we have going events I'm speaking at, 582 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: different podcasts, yours profile of course, and all the stuff 583 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: that I'm up to and publications and stuff that are 584 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 1: coming out. 585 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. I'm over at Emily Body and 586 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 2: at Hurdle Podcast Another Hurdle Conquered. Gotch you guys next time.