E. 97 Hormonal Red Flags: How Stress and Diet Are Wrecking Your Cycle

In this solo episode of the Self Selecting Podcast, we’re diving deep into a topic that many of you have been asking for—hormonal health, menstrual cycles, and how they intersect with female athletes’ training, recovery, and performance.

From understanding anovulation and amenorrhea to navigating perimenopause, menopause, and the impact of lifestyle and PEDs, I’m giving you a full breakdown of how your body is signaling imbalances and what that actually means. Whether you’re a competitor, coach, or someone trying to figure out your hormonal roadmap, this is a must-listen.

We also get real about misdiagnoses, lab recommendations, and why cookie-cutter protocols don’t work for hormonally complex issues.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:54] – Intro, guest recap, Patreon episode debate, and Cory's health update

- [02:54 – 04:37] – One-time consults & how Cory supports athletes dealing with hormonal challenges

- [04:37 – 07:19] – Defining common hormone conditions: anovulation, amenorrhea, perimenopause, menopause

- [07:19 – 09:31] – Understanding anovulation: bleeding vs true menstrual cycles

- [09:31 – 12:00] – Amenorrhea explained: primary vs. secondary, chronic stress & diagnosis

- [12:00 – 14:44] – Digging deeper into secondary amenorrhea, PCOS, thyroid function, prolactin

- [14:44 – 17:19] – Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA): how stress & under-eating disrupt reproduction

- [17:19 – 20:56] – What perimenopause looks like & how lifestyle can accelerate onset

- [20:56 – 23:06] – Perimenopause vs dieting stress, long-term effects on hormonal health

- [23:06 – 26:03] – What menopause is and how it differs from perimenopause & amenorrhea

- [26:03 – 28:39] – Why symptoms aren’t always hormone-driven: the role of lifestyle and stress

- [28:39 – 31:21] – The problem with prescribed Anavar and other aggressive HRT protocols

- [31:21 – 33:24] – The risk of dieting too hard: how chronic suppression compounds over time

- [33:24 – 36:46] – Why sleep and nutrition are critical for hormonal preservation

- [36:46 – 40:06] – Why getting your period is a sign of optimal health (and not an inconvenience)

- [40:06 – 43:25] – Lab test recommendations + closing thoughts on hormone mismanagement & empowerment

Links & Resources:

https://coryfit.com/

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