56 min
98: Harnessing Your Hormones Female Athlete Nutrition
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- Nutrition
In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I talk with a returning guest, Dr Nicky Keay. Listen to Episode 38: Understanding Hormones for Female Performance for my original conversation with Dr Nicky Keay. Dr Nicky joins us again to share her love of hormones and the new book she has just written on this topic “Hormones, Health and Human Potential. A guide to understanding your hormones to optimise your health and performance”. Working in this field for over 30 years, Nicky has amassed a wide variety of different experiences and advice that she shares in stories throughout the book.
Zooming out, Dr Nicky introduces listeners to what hormones are and how they work in the body. Nicky explains the importance of hormones for health, as well as the role our behaviors have on our hormones, things like sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress levels. Nicky ranks sleep as the most important factor for healthy hormones, advising listeners to prioritize sleep in the hours before midnight. Second, Nicky discusses the importance of varied exercise, avoiding either extremes of doing too much or not enough. Thirdly, Nicky touches on nutrition for hormones: going long periods without eating increases cortisol and should be avoided.
We discuss hormones throughout the lifespan, starting before we’re even born. We talk about how our exercise and nutrition needs differ as we age in response to fluctuation hormones. Dr Nicky and I talk about being proactive to get the most out of our hormones rather than being reactive when problems arise.
We touch on the menopause and debunk the myth that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is dangerous. Nicky speaks to the benefits of HRT during the menopause and for athletes experiencing RED-S. We differentiate between HRT and the contraceptive pill to protect bone health in women with amenorrhea.
Nicky’s book and this discussion on hormones is not just for women: men have hormones and can suffer with RED-S too! Hormones also play a big role in digestion and the gut, something Nicky’s book explores more.
Dr Nicky’s book, “Hormones, Health and Human Potential. A guide to understanding your hormones to optimise your health and performance”, is set to be published October 28th.
Preorder Nicky’s book today and receive 20% off with code NICKY
Follow Nicky and her work on Instagram and Twitter @nickykfitness and her website https://nickykeayfitness.com
Dr Nicky’s Official Bio:
Nicky Keay is a medical doctor with expertise in the field of exercise endocrinology. Graduating from Cambridge University, she is Honorary Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Medicine, University College London. Nicky’s clinical and research endocrine work is particularly with exercisers, dancers and athletes, with a focus on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and with women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.
LINKS MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:
This episode is brought to you by PRACTICE BETTER:
Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months.
https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp
Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com
Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds
In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition, I talk with a returning guest, Dr Nicky Keay. Listen to Episode 38: Understanding Hormones for Female Performance for my original conversation with Dr Nicky Keay. Dr Nicky joins us again to share her love of hormones and the new book she has just written on this topic “Hormones, Health and Human Potential. A guide to understanding your hormones to optimise your health and performance”. Working in this field for over 30 years, Nicky has amassed a wide variety of different experiences and advice that she shares in stories throughout the book.
Zooming out, Dr Nicky introduces listeners to what hormones are and how they work in the body. Nicky explains the importance of hormones for health, as well as the role our behaviors have on our hormones, things like sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress levels. Nicky ranks sleep as the most important factor for healthy hormones, advising listeners to prioritize sleep in the hours before midnight. Second, Nicky discusses the importance of varied exercise, avoiding either extremes of doing too much or not enough. Thirdly, Nicky touches on nutrition for hormones: going long periods without eating increases cortisol and should be avoided.
We discuss hormones throughout the lifespan, starting before we’re even born. We talk about how our exercise and nutrition needs differ as we age in response to fluctuation hormones. Dr Nicky and I talk about being proactive to get the most out of our hormones rather than being reactive when problems arise.
We touch on the menopause and debunk the myth that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is dangerous. Nicky speaks to the benefits of HRT during the menopause and for athletes experiencing RED-S. We differentiate between HRT and the contraceptive pill to protect bone health in women with amenorrhea.
Nicky’s book and this discussion on hormones is not just for women: men have hormones and can suffer with RED-S too! Hormones also play a big role in digestion and the gut, something Nicky’s book explores more.
Dr Nicky’s book, “Hormones, Health and Human Potential. A guide to understanding your hormones to optimise your health and performance”, is set to be published October 28th.
Preorder Nicky’s book today and receive 20% off with code NICKY
Follow Nicky and her work on Instagram and Twitter @nickykfitness and her website https://nickykeayfitness.com
Dr Nicky’s Official Bio:
Nicky Keay is a medical doctor with expertise in the field of exercise endocrinology. Graduating from Cambridge University, she is Honorary Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Medicine, University College London. Nicky’s clinical and research endocrine work is particularly with exercisers, dancers and athletes, with a focus on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and with women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.
LINKS MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:
This episode is brought to you by PRACTICE BETTER:
Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months.
https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp
Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com
Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds
56 min