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Dr. Stacy Sims: Female-Specific Exercise & Nutrition for Health, Performance & Longevity

Huberman Lab

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Women’s Metabolic Flexibility: Fasted workouts and their effect on hormones

Women possess more oxidative muscle fibers, which grants them greater metabolic flexibility compared to men. These oxidative fibers have a higher aerobic capacity, enabling sustained low-intensity exercise primarily using free fatty acids for energy, supplemented by glucose. During exercise, women first utilize blood glucose before tapping into free fatty acids, with minimal reliance on liver and muscle glycogen. Fasted workouts aim to enhance metabolic flexibility; however, they can elevate stress levels, resulting in increased cortisol. Without sufficient fuel, women may struggle to reach the necessary intensities for triggering post-exercise hormone responses, such as growth hormone and testosterone, which are crucial for reducing cortisol levels. Thus, prolonged fasting during workouts can exacerbate overall stress and hormonal imbalances in women.

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