Dr Stacy Sims
Date: 1st October 2025
Today’s guest is one of the world’s leading voices in the science of female performance - and she’s here to change the way you think about training, recovery, and your body.
Dr. Stacy Sims coined the phrase “Women are not small men” - and she’s spent her career proving why.
In this episode, we unpack everything from caffeine and cold-water therapy to cycle-based training, menopause, RED-S, and strength training after 40. Whether you’re a female athlete, a coach, or simply someone looking to optimize health and energy at any age - this is the episode for you.
You’ll also hear the story of how Stacy went from elite athlete to world-renowned researcher - and what she’s learned by standing at the frontlines of sport science, often as the lone voice in the room.
This episode is packed with myth-busting, empowering science - and practical tools you can use starting today. Let’s dive in.
Highlights:
- Women ≠ Small Men: How the moment a lab tossed her data sparked a mission to rebuild sports science for female physiology.
- Lift Heavy, Live Long: From teens to menopause, heavy strength trains the nervous system, protects power, bones, and brain.
- Fuel the Clock, Not the Hype: Early eating and post-training protein + carbs beat late-morning “fasting” for women’s health.
- Beyond “Just Go on the Pill”: Track cycles, fix low energy, consider real fixes for cramps and heavy bleeds - don’t mute the system.
- Athlete to Advocate: From Kona and World Cups to the lab bench - lived experience powering better answers for women and girls.
- Puberty’s Performance Dip: A temporary wobble, not a verdict - relearn movement, build strength, keep girls in the game.
- Her Why: Empower the next generation - science, not stereotypes - so daughters inherit sport that finally fits.
- Test, Don’t Guess: Cycle-aware training, caffeine trials, and simple logs turn “generic advice” into personal performance.
- Heat Loves Her, Ice Not So Much: Women gain more from sauna; skip the ice baths - cool water beats ice-cold shock.
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