Hit Play Not Pause

Many of us have spent a lifetime trying to shrink ourselves. We grew up being told you could never be too thin. As athletes, especially in endurance sports, smaller, lighter, faster was the ethos of the day. That is changing as we see athletes, especially women, discover that being fueled and strong yields even better performance–and longevity. This week’s guest, trainer and nutrition coach Steph Gaudreau embodies that journey through both her personal and professional life. She shares how, for 40+ women especially, growing muscles is the key to better energy and performance in sport and life, and how strength training is the gateway to midlife self-acceptance. Steph Gaudreau, CISSN, CPT, helps athletic women over 40 fuel themselves better, get stronger, increase their energy, and perform better in the gym. She’s a sports nutritionist and strength coach with multiple certifications including USA Weightlifting coach, Menopause Health & Fitness Specialist, Girls Gone Strong Women’s Coaching Specialist, and Intuitive Eating Counselor. She shares her advice on building strength, proper fueling, and much more as the host of the Fuel Your Strength Podcast. You can learn more about Steph and her work at www.stephgaudreau.com Enroll in our Navigate Menopause Course - https://www.feistymenopause.com/navigate-menopause Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Paradis Sport: Use code: FEISTY20 for 20% off any single item at https://paradissport.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Women have been left on the sidelines when it comes to sport and exercise research. Research finds a measly 6% of studies in the field have exclusively focused on women. That’s bad. But for menopausal women, it’s worse. Of that 6%, menopausal women account for only 9% of total study participants, with only 16% of female-only studies focusing exclusively on older women. This despite the fact that 40+ women have been lining up in greater numbers in sports of all kinds. We deserve better and this week’s guest, women’s health and performance researcher, Kelly McNulty, PhD, has a lot to say about it. We talk about what she has learned studying menopausal women of all walks of life and how education and information can make our lives exponentially better. Kelly McNulty, PhD, is a research assistant at Northumbria University currently investigating endocrinological, lifestyle, and psychosocial determinants of brain health outcomes in female veterans. She is a graduate from Northumbria University, with both a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Sport and Exercise Science and a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Strength & Conditioning. Her research interests are in the area of female physiology; the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraception, breast health, pelvic floor health, pregnancy, menopause, as applied to sport and exercise. Kelly is the founder and podcast host of 'The Period of the Period'; a digital education platform on a mission to change the narrative for women's health and performance in sport and exercise by promoting awareness, increasing evidence-based education & providing support. Resources Experience of the menopause transition in Irish women and how it impacts motivators, facilitators, and barriers to physical activity engagement here Invisibility of female participants in midlife and beyond in sport and exercise science research: a call to action here “Invisible Sportswomen 2.0”—Digging Deeper Into Gender Bias in Sport and Exercise Science Research: Author Gender, Editorial Board Gender, and Research Quality here Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Paradis Sport: Use code: FEISTY20 for 20% off any single item at https://paradissport.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Lots of experts have training and nutrition advice for midlife and menopausal women that is grounded in scientific evidence. Yet, the advice doesn’t always agree…and doesn’t necessarily work the same for everyone. That’s because, while there are general guidelines that are helpful for many women, in the end, we are all scientific studies of one, and no one approach will work exactly the same way for every single woman. So, you need to be willing to experiment and trust yourself, which no one knows better than this week’s guest, Hailey Babcock. Hailey offers her own training services and she partners with some of the biggest names in the business, helping turn their training and nutrition philosophies into practical advice on a personal level–something we talk all about this week. Hailey Babcock is the owner of Hailey Happens Fitness. She is a past gymnast, runner, and triathlete, and has been a certified classical Pilates instructor for over 20 years. She has multiple certifications including TRX, kettlebell, barbell, and foundational training, along with being an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. Today she has made it her mission to convert women, especially those in their 40s and beyond, to the miracle of strength training. She uses her experience, training, and knowledge to help anybody looking to find more health and happiness through fitness. You can learn more about Hailey and her work at www.haileyhappensfitness.com Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Paradis Sport: Use code: FEISTY20 for 20% off any single item at https://paradissport.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Phantom smells. Lack of focus. Dizziness. While everyone is talking about hot flashes and night sweats, women know that the transition to menopause brings on tons of signs and symptoms that no one ever talks about. This week’s guest, menopause educator and researcher Andrea Donsky is on a mission to change that. As the co-founder of Morphus, Inc., Donsky has become a data collecting machine and has recently published four abstracts in the journal Menopause, including The Wide Range of Symptoms of Perimenopause and Menopause and the Means By Which Women Seek Support, where she addresses the dozens (103 and counting…) signs and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. We talk about the importance of specific symptom tracking, the need for better healthcare provider education, and much more this week. Known as the “Menopause Educator and Researcher” to her nearly 350,000+ TikTok followers, Andrea Donsky is a nutritionist on a mission to change the conversation around perimenopause and menopause. Andrea is a four-time published menopause researcher and entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in the health and wellness space. Andrea hosts the popular podcast ‘Menopause Reimagined,’ and appears as a Menopause Expert on television across North America. Her latest venture, www.wearemorphus.com helps women to “Reimagine Menopause” as a journey of empowerment so they feel heard, supported, and validated. Morphus empowers women to take control of their symptoms and health with nutrition, lifestyle, research, and science-backed supplements. Follow her on TikTok and Instagram @andreadonsky and @wearemorphus to learn more. Resources Andrea Donsky’s four poster presentation abstracts published in Menopause here (page 23) Morphus White Papers on women’s health during perimenopause and menopause here Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Paradis Sport: Use code: FEISTY20 for 20% off any single item at https://paradissport.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Veterinary surgeon Debbie Tacium, 55, wanted to flip the script of my menopause. After suffering pain, loss of coordination, weakness, and changes in body composition during perimenopause, she went back to the sport she loved most in life–gymnastics. She wanted to use it to bring herself back to herself and remember what it was like to be a child who could fly. This week she shares her journey, what it’s brought her, and what we can all learn from challenging our beliefs about what’s possible during this season of life. Debbie (Debra) Tacium, DMV, works as a veterinary surgeon and is an adult gymnast, former competitive child and pre-teen gymnast, and all around self described “gymnastics nerd.” She came up through the sport in a time when you were schooled to push through pain and do what it took to be as small and light as possible. Acute and chronic injuries took her out of the sport until perimenopause when she returned to the sport determined to reclaim her body and open her mind to what was possible in your 50s. Now, she’s experiencing joy instead of heartbreak and excited about where she can go next. Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Paradis Sport: Use code: FEISTY20 for 20% off any single item at https://paradissport.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Bill Campbell, PhD, has spent his entire career as a fat loss researcher. So when his wife hit menopause and wanted help with body composition changes, he thought it would be easy. Spoiler alert: It was not. Which made him realize his field had a lot to learn, especially about active women whose bodies change even when their training and nutrition has not. Now he’s on a mission, diving into the literature and conducting research of his own to further our understanding of body composition changes during this time of life. We talk all about it, what he’s learned, and his work developing a Female Fitness Menopause Survey to learn more. Bill Campbell, PhD is a Professor of Exercise Science and Director of the Performance and Physique Enhancement Laboratory at the University of South Florida. He is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength & Conditioning Association and former president of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (where he is also 1 of 35 individuals to be recognized as a ‘Fellow’ of the organization—an honor reserved for those individuals who have outstanding contributions to the field of sports nutrition). He has published over 200 scientific papers and abstracts, three textbooks, and 20 book chapters in areas related to physique enhancement, sports nutrition, resistance training, and dietary supplementation. You can learn more about him and his work at www.billcampbellphd.com Resources Estrogen modulates metabolic risk profile after resistance training in early postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial, here Transdermal Estrogen Therapy Improves Gains in Skeletal Muscle Mass After 12 Weeks of Resistance Training in Early Postmenopausal Women, here Metabolic effects of menopause: a cross-sectional characterization of body composition and exercise metabolism, here Powerpenia Should be Considered a Biomarker of Healthy Aging, here Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Running through the menopause transition can be challenging. If you feel like throwing in the towel sometimes, you’re not alone. This week’s guest, distance runner and blogger at runandbebrave.com has faced it all: injuries, setbacks, poor sleep, fatigue, vanishing motivation, hot flashes, and all the joint pain that accompanies the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Through it all, she found a way to keep going, and she believes you can, too. She talks all about how this week. Normi Coto, PhD, is an English teacher by day and a writer by night. She writes about running, writing, prayer, rhetoric, and mindset. A runner since 1983, Normi ran through three pregnancies back when running was misunderstood almost as poorly as women’s health. She has run 6 marathons, and is most proud of qualifying for Boston twice, running it once (2001), and finishing her first 50K ultramarathon in 2023 in Washington D.C. at the age of 54. Normi’s PhD dissertation was Persuasion by Word of Foot: A Rhetorical-Ontological Inquiry into Barefoot Running as a Health Practice–a practice she has found helpful for resolving her own stubborn running injuries. 2024 was her hardest year yet when she ran straight into menopause. But she’s still going. You can learn more about her and her work at www.runandbebrave.com Resources: Running and Menopause: The 9 Ways I Made It Through the Roughest Running Year to Date, blog post here Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Welcome to Menopause Research Review! Now that menopause has hit the mainstream, we’re swimming in a steady stream of studies, which is great and can also be overwhelming. So for 2025, we’re introducing a regular segment called Menopause Research Review where we break down key research as it comes out with resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause performance specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo. This week we kick it off with a study published in Menopause: The range and variation in serum estradiol concentration in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women treated with transdermal estradiol in a real-world setting: a cross-sectional study. We dive into hormone testing, what it tells us (and what it doesn’t) as well as what it means (or not) to have therapeutic levels. Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD, is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She is a MedFit Care provider and provides weekly workouts and medical updates at her Substack Athletic Aging. She is an Endocrine Consultant for Wild Health. Most recently, she has launched her own private practice specializing in helping active and high-performing women reach their performance potential from puberty through menopause. Dr. DiGirolamo is now seeing patients for virtual consultations for menopausal care and performance optimization. Visit her website www.drcarlad.com to learn more about her services and schedule an appointment. Resources The range and variation in serum estradiol concentration in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women treated with transdermal estradiol in a real-world setting: a cross-sectional study, Menopause Hormone replacement therapy (oestradiol-only preparations): can the laboratory recommend a concentration of plasma oestradiol to protect against osteoporosis?, The Association of Clinical Biochemists Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get $125 off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Spikes, crashes, excursions, and elevated numbers. Blood sugar in real time, overnight, and over time is on a lot of active midlife women’s minds. But what do we really know about what this all means…and what it doesn’t, especially when it comes to long term health? This week’s guest Oxford nutrition scientist and globally recognized type 2 diabetes expert Dr. Nicola Guess helps sort through all things elevated glucose and helps separate what we need to worry about with what we don’t. Nicola Guess, RD, MPH, PhD, is a dietitian based in London specializing in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Westminster, Research Fellow at King’s College London, and Head of Nutrition Research at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait. She also runs her own private clinical practice. Her primary research interests are in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes, including the effects of nutrients on the underlying pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Dr Guess is a National Institute of Clinical Excellent (NICE) scholar investigating meal provision for inpatients with diabetes; a member of the NICE expert committee; a member of the Diabetes UK Clinical Study Group, and previously a Winston Churchill Travel Scholar investigating approaches to type 2 diabetes prevention in the UK and China and a Diabetes UK Academic Health Partnership Fellow investigating the role of diet in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. You can learn more about her work and follow her research at drguess.substack.com/ Resources Erratic glucose in normoglycaemic athletes: insufficient protein? blog How useful are CGMs for athletes? blog Blood Glucose Levels of Subelite Athletes During 6 Days of Free Living, Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (JDST) Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Women are often accused of being “too emotional”, whether it’s PMS, perimenopause, or just plain life. Worse, we’re made to believe those emotions make us weak. What if the opposite were true? What if our emotions were our super power, a force we could channel to give us strength in and out of the gym? This week’s guest Aimee Anaya Everett is living proof we can do just that, as she has channeled her own emotional turmoil into a world class Olympic coaching and lifting career. Now she helps other women in midlife and menopause do the same. Aimee Anaya Everett is the co-owner of Catalyst Athletics. She has devoted the last 29 years to the sport of Olympic Weightlifting as an athlete and a coach. In her time as a coach, Anaya Everett became the second female International Coach in USA Weightlifting, and the first American female coach to coach at the Olympics. Aimee is also the head lifting coach for Mat Fraser’s HWPO Training. Aimee coaches Olympic Weightlifting athletes across all levels, including a multiple American and Pan Am record holder, World Championship multi-medalist, and a Youth World Champion. She also loves coaching beginners and garage lifters with no desire to compete. Aimee has a passion for mental training and toughness, and has a Masters Degree in Human Behavior Psychology. You can learn more about her and her work at www.aimeeanaya.com Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

For the longest time, endurance athletes avoided the weight room, afraid unwanted muscles would weigh them down, while strength athletes all but kicked cardio to the curb. Now we know that no matter if you’re running an ultra or competing in a CrossFit competition, the right blend of cardio and strength is the secret sauce for success–especially once you hit midlife and menopause. This week, renowned exercise physiologist Dr. Alyssa Olenick dives in on how our hormones impact our muscles, metabolism, and general physiology, and how the right blend of hybrid training can help you stay strong, fit, healthy, and injury free during and beyond the menopause transition. Dr. Alyssa Olenick holds a PhD in exercise physiology and is a certified sports nutritionist and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer. Alyssa completed her doctoral training in exercise and human metabolism, sex differences, and menstrual cycle physiology. She also completed a postdoctoral research fellow investigating the areas of menopause and metabolism. As a coach she specializes in the areas of endurance, strength, and hybrid training. She runs her online business ‘Doc Lyss Fitness’ and training programs ‘The Lyss Method’. She is also a strength athlete, ultra-marathon runner, and all-around fitness lover who is passionate about educating people on science-based fitness to get them into the gyms and on the roads/trails — or often, doing both at the same time! You can learn more about Dr. Alyssa Olenick and her programs at www.doclyssfitness.com Resources How to exercise for menopause with Dr. Alyssa Olenick on YouTube Menopausal Women Need Unique Muscle Making Guidelines, Feisty Menopause Blog Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause - A 20-week control trial, BMC Women's Health Effect of Concurrent Training on Body Composition and Gut Microbiota in Postmenopausal Women with Overweight or Obesity, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Supplements get a bad rap. And to be fair, there is a lot of trash out there. But there are some treasures, too, especially for midlife and menopausal women who often can use some extra help building bone, recovering from injuries, and hitting it hard during training and events. This week we break down the best ergogenic aids for active women in and beyond the menopause transition with Kristen Arnold of Sports Nutrition for Women. Kristen Arnold MS, RDN, CSSD is a board-certified sports dietitian, cycling coach, retired professional athlete, and team sport director for USA Cycling and professional cycling teams. Her private practice is centered around empowering women through evidence-based sports nutrition coaching and information, and she has done research on improving postmenopausal women's health through nutrition strategies and counseling. You can learn more about her and her work at sportsnutritionforwomen.com. Resources The JUMPFOOD study: additional effect of hydrolyzed collagen and vitamin C to exercise treatment for patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee) in athletes—study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial here Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women—A Randomized Controlled Study here How collagen could help heal your torn rotator cuff, Achilles tendon, meniscus and more here The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review here Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/ Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Here we go again with the bombardment of “New Year, New You” ads and messages to “eat this, not that,” or “do this specific workout for 30 days to get amazing abs.” You know the drill and they’re probably in your feed as we speak. In this first-of-its kind episode, Feisty Media podcast hosts Kathryn Taylor (Girls Gone Gravel), Sara Gross (Women’s Performance Podcast), Kelly O’Mara (If We Were Riding), and Selene Yeager (Hit Play Not Pause) unite for a candid conversation about these societal pressures of New Year's resolutions and the pitfalls of Fitness Challenges within women’s fitness culture. Building positive new habits isn’t a bad thing, but the problem is that most of the challenges, diets, and cleanses often lead to underfueling, which can sabotage your goals as an active woman. Sharing their own personal experiences with diet culture and disordered eating, Kathryn, Sara, Selene, and Kelly advocate for more self-acceptance and celebrating what the body can achieve, emphasizing overall health over aesthetics. Quite simply - they want you to be fueled for your 2025 goals. That’s why we’re launching the Feisty Fueled Challenge in January to foster healthier food and fitness dialogues. This FREE five day challenge will help you dive deeper into some of the internalized messages that we all struggle with, and feel empowered to make smart and mindful decisions about how to fuel in 2025. Starting January 6th, you’ll receive daily emails from leading fueling & mindset experts that will reframe your mindset around fueling and cover some practical ways to fuel your 2025 goals. With just 10 minutes each day, you’ll be ready to be your best feisty, fueled self in 2025 and redefine health and fitness on your own terms. To sign up for the FREE Feisty Fueled Challenge: https://www.womensperformance.com/fueled-challenge

The conversation around hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms is pretty clear. Hormone therapy is the gold standard for treating hot flashes and night sweats and can help with many other common symptoms that come with the menopause transition. It’s very effective and broadly safe. But recently, the conversation has evolved past symptom management and into preventative health with many experts suggesting that hormone therapy may play a larger role in extending a woman’s healthspan, if not lifespan. That maybe we should all start taking hormones to protect our hearts and cognitive health. And there’s promising research in those areas. Yet none of the medical associations recommend hormones for those purposes. Why? That’s what we dig into this week with Professor Susan Davis, AO, who is a pioneer and leading expert in women's health as a clinical endocrinologist, researcher, and educator. She reflects on her decades of research on various forms of hormone therapy and shares what we know–and still don’t know–today regarding traditional hormone therapy as well as testosterone therapy for women’s health post menopause. Professor Susan R Davis AO, MBBS, FRACP, PhD, FAHMS is a clinician researcher with expertise in the role of sex hormones in women across the lifespan. She is Head of the Monash University Women’s Health Research Program and holds a Level 3 NHMRC Investigator Grant. Susan is a Consultant Endocrinologist and Head of the Women’s Endocrine Clinic, Alfred Hospital Melbourne and a consultant at Cabrini Medical Centre. She is a Fellow and Council Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. She is a past President of the Australasian Menopause Society and the International Menopause Society. She has over 435 peer-reviewed publications and has received numerous national and international prestigious research awards. Susan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medicine, to women's health as a clinical endocrinologist and researcher, and to medical education. You can learn more about her and her work at Monash University. Resources 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause here Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cardiovascular Disease: The Role of Formulation, Dose, and Route of Delivery here Use of MHT in women with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis here Studying Studies: Part I – relative risk vs. absolute risk by Peter Attia, MD, here Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at...

A healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you won’t suffer during peri or postmenopause. Many women are led to believe that if they exercise, eat healthy, and practice all the right lifestyle habits that menopause won’t really affect them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even if you’re doing “everything right” you can still be blindsided by hot flashes, sleepless nights, joint pain, mood swings and/or other symptoms, and if you are, pharmaceutical tools like hormone therapy are there for you. That’s the message that award-winning lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Laurie Marbas–who was in that very position herself–wants all women to know. This week, we talk about her journey and how women can use both lifestyle and conventional medicine to feel and perform their best through perimenopause and beyond. Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA, is a menopause-certified practitioner and double board-certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician who has been utilizing food as medicine since 2012. She holds medical licenses in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and operates a concierge practice at drmarbas.com. You can join her free webinar, Master Menopause and Feel Fabulous, where she shares her exclusive 5-step blueprint to thrive during this transformative stage of life at drmarbas.lpages.co/menopause. She is also the co-founder of The Healing Kitchen with Brittany Jaroudi, blending culinary expertise with medical guidance to create a recipe for health. A veteran of the United States Air Force, Laurie served in the Middle East and South America. She is also a wife, mother of three grown children, author, speaker, and an avid hiker and runner, dedicated to inspiring health and vitality through lifestyle medicine. Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

If you’ve ever felt stiff and stuck like the tinman in the Wizard of Oz after being left out in the rain; have tight, sore knots that restrict your mobility, or have battled issues like frozen shoulder, this show is for you. We’re learning all about fascia–the unsung connective tissue that holds our muscles in place, facilitates healthy, dynamic movement, and transfers energy throughout the body. When it gets stuck–which it's more likely to do during peri and postmenopause–we do, too. This week’s guest, performance physical therapist Nicole Armbrust, guides us through a special presentation on fascial health and mobility so we can feel and play our best, injury and pain free for life. (As a bonus, Nicole gives a visual presentation, which you can watch on our Feisty Menopause YouTube channel.) Nicole Armbrust is a performance physical therapist with 24 years of experience, a masters runner with 17 Boston Marathon finishes, and a UESCA certified running coach. She also has completed a Fellowship in Applied Functional Science (FAFS) through the Gray Institute. While years of clinical practice and patient care gave her vast experience, Nicole is pivoting her business/expertise away from “traditional PT” and into coaching, courses, and speaking engagements using a hybrid model of in-person and online offerings. You can find her on www.jumpstartrunning.com and Instagram under the same name. Resources Jumpstart Running Mobility Video Playlist The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause review article Join the Feisty Girona Gravel Camp: https://www.thomsonbiketours.com/trips/feisty-girona-gravel-camp/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

Menopause doesn't mean that you will automatically be slower. It does mean you may have to change the way you train, especially since we don’t bounce back from hard efforts the way we used to, and we’re more vulnerable to injury. This week’s guest knows all about all of that as she recently worked her way back from surgery for a blown ACL to running and qualifying for the Boston Marathon 22 months later. This week we dive into her story and the adaptations in exercise programming, strength training, nutrition, and mindset that can help you prevent and come back from injury during this time of life. Julie Sapper is the co-founder with Lisa Levin of Run Farther & Faster, an online run coaching company, and a 12-time Boston Marathon finisher. For the last fifteen years, she and Lisa have been coaching runners of all levels for all goals and distances, working extensively with women in their 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's. They also host the Run Farther & Faster Podcast on which they feature experts on all things running and provide advice on a wide range of running-related topics. Over her 25 year career, Julie has experienced injuries and setbacks, and most notably, an ACL tear in 2022 at age 52. She has, as a result, become somewhat of an expert on returning to sport after injury. You can learn more about her and her work at runfartherandfaster.com/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

Horrible periods. Crippling anxiety. Weight gain. Rage. Sheet-soaking night sweats. This week’s guest, elite runner, triathlete, and endurance coach, Phaedra Kennedy had all of it, and unfortunately at the time, had no idea it was perimenopause. Because that’s just how it’s been for women. We get the birds and the bees talk as kids, but then we get to this age, and it’s just like, figure it out. You're on your own. Phaedra has devoted her life to changing that reality and to helping midlife and menopausal women find the right support and training modifications to stay in the game and keep feeling and performing their best. We dive into all of it and more this week. Phaedra Kennedy is an endurance coach that specializes in working with women, the majority of whom are peri or post menopausal. She is also an age group runner and triathlete and over the last 25 years has raced everything from 5 km to Ironman. She is an NCCP Trained Triathlon Coach, an NAASFP Certified Run Coach, a CanFitPro Personal Trainer, and a DTS Level One Exercise Coach. She has taken Dr. Stacy Sims Menopause for Athletes Course and was a part of the Navigate Menopause founding cohort. You can learn more about her and her work at www.pkperformancecoaching.com Previnex 2024 Black Friday Special: Our longtime sponsor, Previnex, makers of joint health, muscle health and now their own green drink called Gut and Greens Superfood is having their annual Black Friday sale where they offer 20% off. The sale starts on Friday, November 29th and runs through Sunday, December 1st. Just use the code BF2024 for 20% off your order. AND because you’re a VIP for listening to this show you get early access! If you want to order Wednesday or Thursday, November 27th or 28th, you can use the special early access code: BF2024EA for the same deal immediately. Visit: https://www.previnex.com/ Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Feisty Menopause Performance Retreat: Join us from November 21st-23rd, 2024 https://www.feistymenopause.com/retreat Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up:https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

Midlife and the menopause transition can leave us breathless, with stress, rising anxiety, and for some an accelerated decline in lung function. The good news is help is right under your nose–your breath. Many of us think of breathing as something that just happens–so we really don’t think about it at all. But as this week’s guest, human performance specialist Erin Carson explains, deliberately thinking about and using our breath gives us the power to calm our nervous system, decompress our joints, and improve our lung function, performance, and health, which is especially beneficial during the menopause transition and beyond. Erin Carson, CSCS, is the head coach for ECFIT where she provides strength training programs for endurance athletes seeking to perform at their very best in triathlons, marathons, and cycling events. Erin’s programs are anchored in science-based fundamentals of mobility, strength training, and breathwork. Her commitment to the most advanced training strategies offered by performance specialists around the world ensures that she’s at the cutting-edge of high performance sport support. Her clients include world champions and Olympians as well as everyday athletes seeking excellence. You can learn more about her and her work at www.ecfitstrength.com Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Feisty Menopause Performance Retreat: Join us from November 21st-23rd, 2024 https://www.feistymenopause.com/retreat Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up:https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and many peri- and postmenopausal women have questions. Like why is my fasting blood glucose and/or AIC going up? What role do hormones, diet, exercise, and lifestyle play? What does it mean (and not mean) for my current and future health? So, this week we sat down with midlife health and nutrition specialist Val Schonberg to explore “prediabetes” (which, spoiler alert, is not recognized as a diagnostic category by the World Health Organization) and how we should think about it as active midlife women. Val Schonberg RDN, CSSD, is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition science from the University of Minnesota. She is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Certified Menopause Practitioner with The Menopause Society, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Val owns a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia where she specializes in midlife health and menopause, recreational and professional sports nutrition, all types of eating disorders and helping individuals break free from dieting and disordered eating. She is the consulting dietitian for Emory Sports Medicine, Orthopedics, Atlanta Ballet, and the Atlanta Dream Women’s NBA team. Val is passionate about providing nutrition care to populations vulnerable to disordered eating and promoting positive nutrition messages that help people make informed decisions about their health and live a life where they are at peace in their relationship with food and their body. You can learn more about her at valschonberg.com. Resources The Problem with the PRE in Prediabetes for Women in Midlife and Beyond Subscribe to the Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Feisty Menopause Performance Retreat: Join us from November 21st-23rd, 2024 https://www.feistymenopause.com/retreat Follow Us on Instagram: Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up:https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Support our Partners: Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY to get $25 off any pillow between now and December 2, 2024. Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and book a call with a Registered Dietitian Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/