10/11/2025
It’s a road block I find a lot.
Clients tell me they feel fine to train without eating.
That may well be the case but I promise you will get more out of your work out and post workout if you eat before you train .
Why ?
Hormonal changes increase stress sensitivity
• After 40, estrogen and progesterone start fluctuating and eventually decline.
• Estrogen helps regulate blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, and muscle recovery.
• When estrogen drops, the body becomes less efficient at using carbohydrates and more prone to storing fat — particularly when stressed.
• Training fasted adds another stress layer (increased cortisol), which can make the body hold onto fat and break down muscle instead of building it.
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⚡ 2. Fasted training raises cortisol
• Cortisol naturally rises in the morning — that’s normal.
• If you train without eating, you spike it further.
• Chronically high cortisol can lead to:
• Poor recovery
• Sleep issues
• Muscle loss
• Increased belly fat
• Hormonal dysregulation (especially during perimenopause and menopause)
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🍌 3. Muscle protection and energy
• As women age, muscle preservation becomes key for metabolism, strength, and bone health.
• Without pre-exercise fuel, the body pulls from amino acids in muscle to make glucose for energy (via gluconeogenesis).
• A small pre-workout snack (like a banana, half a slice of toast with honey, or a few bites of yogurt) signals the body:
“We’re fed — use carbs for fuel, not muscle.”
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🔥 4. Better training results
• Women who eat before training generally:
• Hit higher intensities
• Recover faster
• Build more lean muscle
• Have more stable hormones
Dr. Sims often says:
“You can’t train hard if you’re under-fueled. You’re just teaching your body to burn less.”
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✅ What she recommends instead
• Before training: something small with carbs and a little protein — even 100–150 calories.
e.g. a banana + few sips of protein shake, or toast with nut butter.
• After training: refuel within 30–45 min with a mix of carbs and protein (e.g. Greek yogurt and fruit, eggs and toast).
Eat before exercise .🫣
