Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Guest Information
- Timestamps
- Related Resources
- Premium Content
- Detailed Study Notes
- Transcript
Listen Here:
For a full list of apps, go here. Or simply search “Sigma Nutrition” in your app of choice.
Or listen directly on the Sigma website here.
Introduction
How much do hormonal fluctuations really influence performance and recovery? Should women be adjusting their training and nutrition based on the menstrual cycle? And do female athletes need different protein strategies or recovery protocols than men?
These are questions that have fuelled countless online claims, from rigid “cycle syncing” programmes to supposedly gender-specific nutrition rules. But how much of that is actually grounded in evidence?
In this episode, the conversation tackles those debates head-on, exploring what we truly know about female physiology, adaptation, and recovery, and where confident narratives outpace the science.
You’ll hear from four leading experts: Professors Kirsty Elliot-Sale, Stu Phillips, Shona Halson, and Dr. Eric Helms, as they unpack the data on menstrual-cycle variation, autoregulation, and the real determinants of muscle growth and recovery in women.
These discussions were originally recorded live as part of “The Inside Advantage” event hosted by Optimum Nutrition at the McLaren F1 Performance Centre in the UK, where Danny Lennon moderated the session.
Guest Information
Prof. Stuart Phillips
Prof. Stu Phillips is Professor of Kinesiology and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health at McMaster University. He is also Director of PACE and the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Health Research.
His research is focused on the impact of nutrition and exercise on human skeletal muscle protein turnover. He is also keenly interested in diet- and exercise-induced changes in body composition.
Prof. Kirsty Elliott-Sale
Kirsty Elliott-Sale, PhD, is Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), where she leads the Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport.
Prof Elliott-Sale’s research focuses on key questions in female athlete physiology, including menstrual cycle effects, hormonal contraceptive use, pregnancy and postpartum exercise interventions, musculoskeletal health and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S).
She collaborates with high-performance organisations such as Arsenal Women, UEFA and national sports institutes, contributing to both applied practice and policy in women’s sport.
Prof. Shona Halson
Professor Shona Halson from ACU’s School of Behavioural and Health Sciences has been a mainstay of Australia’s high performance sport network. She was the Head Recovery Physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport from 2002 to 2018 and has been a part of three Olympic campaigns with the Australian Olympic Committee.
Her research focuses on recovery, fatigue and sleep and she has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and multiple book chapters. Shona has a particular interest in maximising recovery and monitoring and improving sleep in elite athletes.
Eric Helms, PhD
Eric is an AUT Senior Research Fellow and the Strength and Conditioning Lab Manager at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ), at Auckland University of Technology. Eric researches physique and strength sport, specifically training and nutrition, with an emphasis on long-term sport careers holistically integrated with life.
He is also a coach and educator with 3D Muscle Journey (3DMJ); co-founder and author for MASS (Monthly Applications in Strength Sport) research review.
Timestamps
- [02:07] Introducing the topics of discussion
- [07:46] Understanding the menstrual cycle
- [09:22] Recovery and hormonal impact
- [10:23] Where did “cycle syncing” claims originate?
- [15:01] Indirect effects of hormones on performance
- [17:28] Sleep and menstrual cycle
- [18:46] Training adaptations and hormonal differences
- [26:29] Do we have research on female athletes?
- [29:20] Muscle building: are there sex differences?
- [34:01] Do hormones influence training?
- [45:08] Key ideas segment (Premium-only)
Related Resources
- Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
- Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
- Watch: Optimum Nutrition’s ‘Inside Advantage’ event
- Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
- Relevant studies:
- Colenso-Semple et al., 2025 – Menstrual cycle phase does not influence muscle protein synthesis or whole-body myofibrillar proteolysis in response to resistance exercise
- Colenso-Semple et al., 2023 – Current evidence shows no influence of women’s menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training
- Smith et al., 2025 – Perceived Negative Menstrual Cycle Symptoms, But Not Changes in Estrogen or Progesterone, Are Associated with Impaired Cycling Race Performance
- Past episodes with these guests:
- #452: Stuart Phillips, PhD – Bacterially Synthesized Whey, Plant vs. Animal Proteins, Muscle & Extended Fasts, & Much More
- #280: Kirsty Elliot-Sale, PhD – Energy Availability, Menstrual Disorders & RED-S
- #192: Shona Halson, PhD – Recovery Strategies for Elite Performance
- #454: Eric Helms, PhD – Plant or Animal Protein: Rethinking Protein & Muscle
Premium Content
Not a Premium subscriber? Subscribe here!