Blogging with Dr. Stacy Sims
The science behind ice baths and sauna sessions.
Extreme temperature treatments have been a hot (pun intended) trend for the past few years. Long time athlete Gabby Reece famously swears by super hot (up to 220 degrees F!) sauna treatments followed by icy cold plunges and Lady Gaga’s...
Plyometric training can improve power, speed, and agility as well as improve metabolic and bone health in women of all ages.
Plyometric exercises involve explosive movements, such as jumping, hopping, and bounding, that help to improve muscle power, speed, and agility. Women often look aghast...
It might be the most important supplement many women still aren’t taking.
There are few supplements I recommend across the board. Creatine is one of them. A growing body of research shows it can help increase strength, power, and athletic performance in females, and it’s also...
Tracking and training with your menstrual cycle helps you dial in your fitness with your physiology.
It’s well known that I advocate tracking and when appropriate adjusting training and nutrition to align with the physiology of the menstrual cycle and the individual’s responses to her...
Females suffer more GI issues than their male counterparts. Here’s how to get the fuel you need without the GI distress you don’t.
Women are no strangers to GI distress. Research shows we’re more prone to symptoms like bloating, stomach cramps, and constipation, partially...
Take your performance to the next level by understanding your unique physiology.
In the summer of 2019, the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) won the World Cup, making it the U.S. women’s fourth World Cup title. They scored a record-setting 26 goals throughout the tournament and also...
Digestion is just the beginning of what this “virtual organ” does for your health, performance, and well being.
What you eat is essential for health and performance. But what you put in your mouth is only part of the equation. What is happening in your gut, is just as, if not...
UPDATED. Research shows iron deficiency is underestimated in women, and it’s taking a toll on our health and performance.
Iron is essential for energy. It helps your body deliver oxygen to your working muscles and the mineral participates in the energy making process in your...
Skip the fad diets and detoxes. This year, resolve to do the one thing that improves health-span and lifespan—make muscle.
The new year inevitably ushers in a fresh crop of diet books and 30-day detoxes. Skip the keto, low-carb, and fasting. Detoxes and cleanses are no more than...
How to use these powerful botanicals to feel and perform your best.
From coffee to green powders to capsules, teas, and tinctures, adaptogens are ubiquitous in the wellness world right now, with promises of strengthening immunity, increasing mental focus, boosting energy, reducing stress,...
How to work with your female physiology to succeed in thin air.
If you’ve ever run, biked, hiked, or skied in the U.S. Rockies, European Alps, the Himalayans, or anywhere high above sea level—especially above 2400 meters or 8000 feet—you know performance drops as the air thins....
If you’re an active female, chances are you’re at risk for low energy availability and the health consequences it brings. Here’s what you need to know.
When researchers screen the nutritional intake of female athletes, a staggering percentage are not eating enough to...
By working with your premenstrual physiology, you can make progress (and yes, podiums) despite the challenges of premenstrual syndrome.
By now, you’ve heard me talk all about “period power”—that your menstrual cycle is when your body is more resilient to stress and a great...
Elite women are training, competing, and yes, winning, during and after pregnancy, rewriting the playbook for moms in sport.
It wasn’t that long ago that active women were discouraged from continuing their exercise routine when they got pregnant. Sure, they were supposed to meet the bare...
Whether you’re crossing time zones or working shift work, circadian rhythm disruption takes a toll, and is worse for women. Here’s what to know.
Anyone who’s been in an airport lately knows that travel is back. Airports and planes are packed as people take long overdue...
Collagen is the current darling of the wellness industry. It can benefit a lot of women, but not all supplements work the same.
More women (and men for that matter) are interested in collagen supplements than ever before. Weightlifters believe they can enhance muscle mass. Athletes want them to...
Kerry Litka talks about her change of perspective as a post-menopausal woman
For a change of pace, I thought that a case study of a woman in our community might be of interest to my readers, and it ties in nicely with the sale of my Menopause 2.0 course (the last time it goes on sale until...
Donating blood is great. But you don’t need to give a pint to gain fitness as new research may suggest.
Women are not small men. It’s been my mantra for well over a decade. In recent years, the scientific community has been catching up and calling attention to sex differences in...
What you need to know about the pre-event pasta party.
Women perform best when they’re well-fueled. Anyone who follows me here is clear on that. Women should prioritize protein to make and maintain our muscles. We also need carbs, of course, to fuel our exercise, training, and competition....
The right amount of this essential macronutrient keeps your female physiology working its best.
Building and maintaining muscle is essential not just for performance but also for health and longevity. Lower muscle mass is associated with increases in metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease,...
Females appear more sensitive to brain tissue inflammation. Here’s what might help.
Scientists have recently reported that women are more likely than men to experience long COVID after an infection, and are significantly more likely to experience related complications in the brain and...
Race day temperatures are rising. Here’s what active women need to know.
As I write this, race season is underway in the Northern Hemisphere and temperatures are climbing as much as 20 degrees above average across a large swath of the U.S. As sweltering weather becomes the norm, it’s...
Your physiology changes as your hormones fluctuate, but there’s never a “bad day” to nail a personal best.
My life’s work is largely devoted to helping women work with their unique physiology to train and perform their best. That means adjusting training sessions to...
Resistance training triggers hormones that increase abdominal fat burning.
When women come to me wanting to change their body composition, I direct them straight to the weight room. Contrary to the old “cardio to burn fat” “resistance training to build muscle” dogma...
