The Truth About Cycle Syncing, Fasted Training & Building Muscle After 40

Most women have been told at some point that their menstrual cycle should dictate how they train, that fasted workouts are wrecking their hormones, or that muscle-building becomes nearly impossible after 40. In this episode, Dr. Sasha Hakman sits down with researcher and women's health expert Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to separate what the science actually shows from what the fitness industry is selling. They break down why cycle syncing isn't backed by the data, whether fasted training really matters, how much protein your body can actually use at once, and what's really true (and not true) about building muscle in perimenopause and menopause. If you've ever felt confused, discouraged, or like you needed to buy one more program to finally "get it right," this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

Why the fitness industry profits from confusion — and how "cycle syncing" programs oversell the effect of hormones on your training

Fasted vs. fed training: does it affect fat loss, muscle growth, or strength adaptations? (Spoiler: no)

Low energy availability explained — who's actually at risk, and why it's different from simply training fasted

The truth about the "anabolic window" and post-workout protein timing

How much protein your body can actually use in one sitting, and why more isn't always better

Why weight training under stable, loaded conditions beats unstable-surface or "functional" exercises for building muscle

Understanding "the neighborhood of failure" — how close to failure you really need to train, and how to get started if you're intimidated by the weight room

Rep ranges myths: why sets of 5 and sets of 25 can build the same amount of muscle

Does the menstrual cycle affect training performance or adaptation? What the actual research says (not the extrapolated animal studies)

Hormonal birth control, "brain changes," and exercise capacity — what's real and what's not