Science-based exercise tips for women | Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple

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Nov 17, 2025

Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, an exercise scientist specializing in female physiology and strength training, discusses the nuances of women's exercise science. She debunks myths around menstrual cycle syncing and emphasizes that men and women respond similarly to training. Lauren shares insights on the importance of strength training for aging populations, the role of protein intake, and the minimal impact of fasted versus fed workouts. She offers practical advice for women to create effective and sustainable training programs.

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INSIGHT

Training Responses Are Largely Similar

Men and women show largely similar adaptations to strength and endurance training despite hormonal differences.
Initial hypotheses about big sex differences have weakened as more human outcome data appeared.

ADVICE

Prioritize Outcome Evidence

Base recommendations on human outcome studies rather than rodent or isolated mechanistic data.
Test interventions that measure real changes in muscle, strength, or body composition before advising them.

INSIGHT

Rodent Findings Don't Equal Human Reality

Rodent models showed estrogen effects on muscle that did not translate cleanly to humans.
Menopause-related muscle loss appears driven more by aging than by ovarian hormone loss alone.

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Do women really need a completely different training plan to men, or has the "women are not small men" message been taken too far? I am joined by exercise scientist Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple to explore what the science actually shows about female physiology, menstrual cycles, menopause and strength training.

We look at how women respond to exercise in real outcome studies, where hormone based claims come from, and how to build a simple, effective programme without getting lost in unnecessary complexity.

What We Cover

How similar men and women are in their basic responses to strength and endurance training
The evidence on menstrual cycle based programming and why cycle syncing is not supported by muscle protein synthesis data
Fasted vs fed training in women when total calories and protein are controlled
Ageing, muscle, bone and why strength work and balance matter for fall prevention
Protein targets in older adults and why training is the primary driver of gains
Creatine, recovery and whether any supplements are uniquely helpful for women

This episode will help you cut through confusing sex specific advice and build a training approach that is practical, sustainable and evidence based.

If you want to hear more from Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple, you can explore her work on her website and connect with her on Instagram.

Intro (00:00)
Why Women Can’t Train Like Small Men (01:01)
What Most Research Gets Wrong About Female Physiology (02:44)
How Hormones Shape Training and Recovery (04:10)
What the Data Really Says About Exercise for Women (06:00)
Do Women Need Sex-Specific Training Plans? (10:26)
Fasted vs Fed Workouts: Which Is Better for Women? (33:41)
What Your Muscle Fibers Reveal About Performance (39:11)
Can Strength Training Reverse Aging? (42:05)
The Truth About Bone Density and Longevity (46:46)
How Protein and Creatine Boost Results (01:05:05)
The Most Effective Training Strategies for Women (01:15:15)

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Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

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