ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life

by Stacy T. Sims, Selene Yeager

Women are not small men. Stop eating and training like one.

Because most nutrition products and training plans are designed for men, it’s no wonder that so many female athletes struggle to reach their full potential. ROAR is a comprehensive, physiology-based nutrition and training guide specifically designed for active women. This book teaches you everything you need to know to adapt your nutrition, hydration, and training to your unique physiology so you can work with, rather than against, your female physiology. Exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Stacy T. Sims, PhD, shows you how to be your own biohacker to achieve optimum athletic performance.

Complete with goal-specific meal plans and nutrient-packed recipes to optimize body composition, ROAR contains personalized nutrition advice for all stages of training and recovery. Customizable meal plans and strengthening exercises come together in a comprehensive plan to build a rock-solid fitness foundation as you build lean muscle where you need it most, strengthen bone, and boost power and endurance. Because women’s physiology changes over time, entire chapters are devoted to staying strong and active through pregnancy and menopause. No matter what your sport is—running, cycling, field sports, triathlons—this book will empower you with the nutrition and fitness knowledge you need to be in the healthiest, fittest, strongest shape of your life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Fitness, Self Help, Sports, Audiobook, Food

1 pages, Audio CD

First published July 5, 2016

Reviews

[E.H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a book written by a PhD, this book makes a lot of specious claims, gives statistics in a way that is misleading, and in general seems to do a lot of hand-waving about the specific recommendations its making. For example: in one info block, the claim is made that intermittent fasting can cause "adrenal fatigue"--not a real disease. Many of the recommendations about pregnancy and training are contradictory or confusing (you should exercise 30-60 min, 3xweek or 45-90 min--which is it?), and although the section aims to debunk common myths, many are perpetuated (like telling women to eliminate their coffee intake). Later on, she notes that "women who take oral contraceptives have a 50 percent higher risk of developing lupus," but as far as I can tell this was found by one study, which found a small increase what is already a small risk--from about 6/100,000 to 12, it was only for certain doses of hormones, and although this fact occurs in the "gut biome" section, there's no evidence that's the mechanism. Yet there's that fact, on page 145, leading one to believe that there's a well-established link there. There is also, as far as I know, not a good link between soy and the ill effects people attribute to it. You can't preload with electrolytes or special "prehydration" products (I mean, you can be well-hydrated or dehydrated, but "hyperhydrating" is not a thing as long as you have working kidneys). I could go on but I won't.

Basically, I feel like if they can't get the science right on these things, why should I trust what they have to say about what I should eat to run better? This is 100% just a normal diet book with a muscular skin.

[Tash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's some things I got out of the book:

For females, low-carb, high fat and protein diets and intermittent fasting result in muscle loss, not fat loss. Boo. It can pause periods. This is bad. Eat some protein and carbs within half an hour of hardcore exercise.

It's harder to smash HIT exercises a week before your period. You'll feel low on energy and that's because you are. Once your period starts though, your hormones drop back down and it's on like donkey kong.

Menopause does not sound fun, and it sucks that you stop processing carbs as well as you when you're younger. Which resulted in me committing to eat more pasta more often. Gotta make it count. The drop in progesterone also means that you don't sleep as deeply. I hereby commit to sleeping in while I still can.

This book is aimed at Iron(wo)men and the like. I can't really see myself chugging BCAAs, measuring my protein intake or wearing those funny bike pants, but if you do, then this is the book for you.

I wanted citations instead of sweeping statements. There was alot of sentences that started with "Recent research found", other times, the specific study was spoken about in great detail. Some consistency would have made some of this seem more believable (although I know since can be very selective).

Ok, off to eat some pasta and get some shut-eye!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, did I ever need this book.

This book covers female athletes from young adulthood, through perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. It compare contrasts how female athlete bodies are different from male athletes and how much of the research regarding nutrition, fueling, hydrating, conditioning largely ignore the particulars of female physiology, which hinders our performance and causes a myriad of issues such as GI distress, bloating, dehydration, and more...

Then you get the information you need to understand the effect your hormonal cycles has on your performance and training, and also what to do about it. Simple changes are often all that's needed to reverse these issues that can feel chronic.

Personally, I have been struggling with low-blood pressure, fatigue, and transient issues based on my hormonal levels. Also, whenever I increase my training my appetite goes off the rails and I put on weight while feeling miserable and hungry all the time.

Because of GI issues I've experienced, I wouldn't eat before a run and usually went out hungry. My run would feel grueling and I'd get lightheaded. After my run, I'd drink water and usually feel a little seasick. After that would pass I'd have a light snack (apple or banana) a while later. Then a couple hours later I'd suddenly be ravenous and overeat whatever was within reaching distance.

A few corrections based on the advice in this book, with regards to fueling before a workout (I split my afternoon snack to 1/2 before and 1/2 after and changed it to a protein rich source with easy going carbs, rather than fiber heavy.) Now I feel great during runs. I have consistently shaved off time. When I get home I drink water and finish the second half of my protein rich snack. No more savage pantry raids.

The other stuff is a longer game. I need to analyze my diet, supplements, and blood work to make sure I am getting enough iron and B12 to support my blood. The amount of protein athletes need is also surprising and explains my wimpy blood and lack of gains. I also need to be careful with my hydration, salts, and electrolytes to keep my blood pressure right.

The book also outlines specific strategies for dealing with your high-hormone phase (a week or so before your period) and your period, that are surprisingly simple and very effective. You also learn when your body is primed for putting on muscle and endurance gains, and when your effort is mostly spent fighting nature.

So many of my observations about how I feel now make sense. I workout regularly with my husband, who of course is not subjected to these hormonal shifts, who was certain these fluctuations was "just in my head." Now, I have real answers as to what is going on in my body. I know when to go with the flow, when to train hard, what to eat, drink and how much I need, and how to find and understand metrics that will help me understand what is going on in my body.

I have read numerous magazine articles, books, blogs, and nearly everything in this book was information I had never seen/heard anywhere else. Not from my doctors, when I asked point blank why I have GI issues when I run (at mile 1.5! not 21...), why I feel so tired (you have low-iron, take a supplement), why my performance gains were so slow and arduous. Shrug, shrug, shrug... I thought I was just defective.

Now I have a clear plan that is already working. Maybe a 1/2 marathon isn't impossible for me...Maybe I can surpass the sprint marathon and train for an Olympic...

Last note...I am usually content to borrow books from the library, but I'm glad I own this one. I highlighted passages, I've tabbed pages with recipes and exercise recommendations, and I'm sure I'll be continually referring back to the text as I go through this process of understand my body's relationship to my athletic goals.

[Steph Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I decided to run a marathon. Long story, but a friend is traveling to Duluth to do Grandma's Marathon and told her I would do the half. It sold out same day and I sucked it up and clicked the button for the full. It was a lapse of sanity. I can admit that now. This title fell into my lap when I told my dentist about the race. She recommended it. And it has been a solid, sound recommendation. It is not only focused on female physiology, but female biochemistry over the years and how to properly train and prepare to be competitive in sports during pregnancy, menopause and beyond. It's very empowering and the entire section on pre-hydration was a total eye-opener. I feel really good, even on long runs in soft snow when I follow the protocol. I would DEFINITELY recommend it to any of my athletic lady friends.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was skeptical of this book, but after it was mentioned in an athletic/exercise subreddit for the 80th time, I caved.

What lured me in: the promise of a discussion about adapting around the natural hormonal waves my body experiences month-to-month. That was a big part of what the Reddit chatter had been about. There is one chapter on this (pgs 16-34). I don't know that I want to take Zinc, Magnesium, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, and Aspirin every day for the 7 days leading up to my period. That's a lot of supplements to counteract a bit of a performance slump. But I'm not a professional athlete so **shrug**. All this to say: this chapter didn't do much for me save for validating the dip I see in my physical capabilities each month.

This book was written in 2016; a lot of what was written felt commonsense to me. Things like: don't avoid carbs (never have, never will), get enough sleep (I have walked out of gatherings announcing I HAVE TO SLEEP. You don't have to tell me twice), don't fast (duh! but also thank you for saying it out loud), and drink water, or water with extra stuff in it when you're sweating a lot (yes, though I do have to get better about fueling during a long workout).

The big issue is that a lot of the nutrition advice is suspect. When someone tells me I should be regularly fueling with things like brown rice syrup, quinoa flour, and sprouted whole grain toast, my eyebrows go wwaaayy up. Also, when someone tells me to choose egg whites over eggs, or low/no fat dairy over full fat dairy? No. This is diet advice, not endurance athlete fueling advice. My hackles stood on end reading this shit. The sample meal plans in here felt deprive-y and smacked of Disordered Eating Lite.

PS. was this book sponsored by Kashi? It was pushed several times. That stuff is nasty IMO.

So, where does all of this leave us? I gave the book 2-stars mostly because it feels more harmful than helpful. My own disordered eating was triggered; I had to sit down with a journal and write out why I'm allowed to eat pasta and cookies. There were some good nuggets: the hormone stuff, the recommended strength training exercises. That said, in trying to flesh out an entire book, Stacy Sims veered into diet culture. This is a diet book with a strong woman on the cover.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.

Main strength: Women are not little men, and training like little men does our body a disservice. I also like that Sims recommends using real food to meet your energy and hydration needs. I think this is wise advice.

I learned two things from this book:

1. A woman’s performance can be impacted by hormones (aka where she is in her cycle). Seems like a no brainer, but not something I had really read much about. In fact, I would have thought performance would be worse during the actual menstrual cycle, but she lays out the evidence for why this is not the case.

2. As women age, changes in their hormones impact how their body burns certain fuel. Again, makes sense and actually good to know. I'll be 49 in a few months, and I do feel as if my approach to training and diet has had to change.

Weakness of this book:

I felt as if beyond the two things I learned not much else was there. Above a few generalizations about hormones, by her own accounting, each athlete has specific needs, and the only way to fully understand what they need is to get tested and then use the results of those tests to tweak what they are doing.

I also don't agree with some of her dietary advice, which goes against other stuff I've read. For example, I think she shortchanges intermittent fasting. I've actually read several books on TRE which is a form of intermittent fasting that has been shown to have many health benefits. I personally have started a 8 hour window of eating with a tremendous amount of success. I'm not participating in an ironman, but I do train regularly. In fact, I think as a woman who is getting very close to menopause, it has helped me beyond expectations. I've never been leaner, stronger, or slept better with less overall effort. So there you go.

So, yeah. It was okay.

[Sarah Clement · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are too many of these books out there at the moment - books that are given an air of authority because of the author's qualifications and endorsed by a particular community of fitness and health enthusiasts. The book basically boils down to the old, tired trope of using body types to determine how you should eat and train. It's useless, not proven, and particularly not valuable for the majority of the population that is somewhere in between the 3 standard body types. I can't understand the hype around this book, as it's just yet another book that regurgitates the same ideas but doesn't offer anything particularly new, innovative, or scientifically sound.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a woman who is into fitness, whether new to it or fairly well acquainted, chances are that this book will have something for you.

As the excerpt says, women are not small men. This should not be a revelation to most reading this, but unfortunately the fitness industry tends to lump all their training programs together without any accounting for the specific needs of women. Stacy T. Sims, PhD, who holds her PhD in Environmental Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition, saw this need in the market and put together what is perhaps one of the best and most easily digested books on how to train and eat as a woman. That said, of course something written as broadly as this book is (I said "easily digested") will not be without faults. Some of the statements regarding recent research were stated too generally to be entirely accurate (as noted by a few other reviews). But, overall, there is something in here for the bulk of women who are trying to learn to train smarter, instead of just harder.

[Viv JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Stacy Sims mantra is "You are not a small man. Stop eating and training like one" and this book is a really excellent and in-depth look at the science behind these physiological differences and their effects on performance and health. It is a book I would recommend to all sporting and active women and one which I feel I have learned a lot from. The only downside, for me personally, was that it is very much aimed at those involved in endurance sports (perhaps because Sims comes from a triathlon background) and I would have liked a bit more strength/power-based training information and that's the only reason for not giving 5 stars. Highly recommended otherwise!

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly skimmed the second half. Wasn't a big fan -- seemed like some of the information isn't totally accurate and not relevant to me. I was mostly interested in how I can better my eating but ended up with a lot of tips for very serious athletes

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good takeaways. I was looking for more specific information and recommendations. I found the advice very broad for a book with a targeted audience.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Good hook -- women are not small men. I don't doubt the author's info on hydration because that's her field. I am less convinced by her prescriptions for supplements.

[Michelle Kilty · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some really solid information. However, like some other reviewers have noted, she sometimes slips into pseudoscience and presents possibilities as facts. I hope there will be more books like this in the future, because while some information is useful, other parts are questionable.

I think the Run Fast, Eat Slow books are actually way more useful.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

sellest raamatust peaks endale tegelikult tegema täiemõõdulise konspekti, aga ma ei viitsi ja jään lootma, et sedamööda, nagu mu hormoonid ja sportlikud ambitsioonid muutuvad, taipan aegajalt mõne peatüki mäluvärskenduseks üle lugeda.

igaks juhuks vist peab kinnitama, et kuigi autor on ise endine triatleet ja võistlussportlane ja paljud tema näited on ka sellest maailmast, ei väida see raamat, et kõik inimesed peaksid ultramaratone jooksma või Ironmani läbima. pigem isegi vastupidi, nenditakse, et sihtgrupile - naised, aga eriti (peri)menopausis naised - on tervislik ja kasulik ikkagi eelkõige jõutrenn (mida ka ei pea tegema üldse kohutavalt palju, lihtsalt... korralikult. ses mõttes, et intensiivselt). kogu seda vastupidavusvärki võivad soovijad ju oma lõbuks teha, ja neile, kellele see rõõmu pakub, on siin raamatus palju kasulikku infot. aga selleks, et kõrge eani terve ja tugev püsida, ei ole vaja kuhugi joosta ega kellegagi võistelda.

mis on ses mõttes kergendus, et ma ise ka tõesti enam ei viitsi maratone joosta. aga oleks tahtnud küll, et ajal, kui ma seda veel tegin, oleks mul see raamat ja see info käepärast olnud. üks põhilisi asju, mille alles nüüd teada sain, oli see, kuidas toimib õieti hüdratsioon (nb! seosed ka kehatemperatuuriga!) ja miks ei saa ühe ja sama pudelitäie vedelikuga end nii ära toita kui joota. "toit taskus, jook pudelis" on üks autori põhilisi mantraid, ja spordigeelidest tean nüüd eemale hoida. seejuures selgub, et ka puhas vesi ei ole trenni või võistluse ajal sobivaim jook. see kõik on kenasti füsioloogia ja keemiaga ära seletatud ja ei ole isegi liiga keeruline aru saada. ah, ja oluline naiste hormonaalne eripära: janutunne on väiksem kui meestel ja väheneb vananedes veelgi, st seda ei saa usaldada ja tuleb oma hüdratsioonil ikkagi eraldi silm peal hoida.

kuna raamat on suunatud naistele ja - järgmine mantra - "naised ei ole väikesed mehed", siis on siin üldse palju juttu kõigist neist trenni- ja toitumisõpetustest, mis on välja töötatud mehe keha silmas pidades ja mis naiste puhul hormonaalsetel põhjustel samamoodi ei tööta. ja muidugi ei tööta nad ka kõigi naiste puhul ühtmoodi ja isegi mitte sama naise puhul kogu aeg ühtmoodi, sest... hormoonid. sellest teemast võtan kaasa teadmise, et aktiivsele naisele ei sobi vahelduvpaastumine, tühja kõhu peale treenimine ega ketodieet absoluutselt. seda oleks ka elus vb natuke varem teada tahtnud.

veel üks oluline kontseptsioon: LEA ehk low energy availability, mis kimbutab väidetavalt väga suurt osa treenijaid, aga eriti naisi. seisneb selles, et süüakse nii vähe, et kehal jagub energiat küll trenni/võistluse ärategemiseks (ja tulemusedki ei pruugi esiotsa kehvad olla), aga ülejäänud elu elamiseks (organite töö, aju ja menstrueerimise jaoks nt) ei jää enam piisavalt järele. ja miks süüakse vähe? sest soov on kaalu kaotada, ainult et LEA puhul ei kao see kaal kuhugi, pigem koguneb. vaja on ikkagi piisavalt süsivesikuid (jällegi, ei mingit ketot - samas perimenopausis naine tõesti peaks süsikate tarbimist vähendama), piisavalt valku (valku peavad üldse kõik naised rohkem sööma, aga eriti jällegi sporti tegevad naised) ja no loomulikult ei tohi ka rasva vältida. ehkki üllatusega sain siit näidismenüüdest teada, et rasvavaeses jogurtis ja kodujuustust on rohkem valku ja seega tasub neid täisrasvastele eelistada. sest see piisava valgukoguse saamine on päris keeruline ülesanne, kui nüüd hakata numbreid vaatama - 30g hommikusöögiks, no kuidas seda üldse päristoidust saab? ma nagu nii sportlasena end ka ei tunne, et valgupulbrit tarbima hakata kohe esimese asjana ärgates.

väikseks tõrvatilgaks mu jaoks on see peatükk, mis räägib ajust ja psühholoogilistest aspektidest - mitte et ma spordipsühholoogi siin sümptomite ja lahenduste osas ei usaldaks, aga hullult häirib mind korduv sõnade "hardwired" ja "wired" kasutamine meeste ja naiste ajude võrdluses. jah, täiskasvanud inimeste ajud on erinevad, aga seda mitte sellepärast, et poisid ja tüdrukud sünniksid erinevate ajuühendustega, vaid sellepärast, et aju on kohutavalt plastiline ja reageerib soospetsiifilise kasvatusele vastavate ühenduste loomisega (allikas: dr Gina Rippon jt päris aju-uurijad). naised ei ole mitte sündinud sotsiaalsemaks või vähemvõistluslikuks, nad on selliseks kasvatatud. selle peatüki kontekstis eriti ei ole vahet, sest eks toimetulekumehhanismid on ikka samad, aga lihtsalt... segab selline sõnakasutus.

täiesti vahele jätsin rasedana treenimise peatüki, pole plaanis, aga igaks juhuks ehk hea teada, et see on siin ka olemas. lisaks ka pikemalt ja põhjalikumalt menstruaaltsüklist ja menopausist; luustikust ja mikrofloorast; taastumisest ja toidulisanditest. üldises plaanis suurepärane raamat.

[Stephanie O'keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my running coach. It is a bible of women’s nutrition! One of the main reasons I never got on the keto or low-carb bandwagon is because it never made sense to me. Women have different nutritional (NOT just caloric) needs than men. This was particularly evident to me in the case of pregnancy and breast-feeding. During those times I knew that if I restricted carbohydrates I would feel worse and/or my milk supply would drop. Also, when I first read a book about the ketogenic diet back in 2015, almost all the studies had been done on men. At that time, there was no discussion whatsoever as to how women might react differently to a low-carb or ketogenic diet. I had a similar reaction to intermittent fasting. Fortunately, there are several women in the ketogenic world who are coming out and talking about how a woman’s cycle greatly influences her nutritional needs at the time. However, there are very few women who are both in the ketogenic world and either recreational athletes or elite athletes. I love that this book tackles everything from periods to menopause to hydration to mindset in women. I’m inclined to say that only athletic women will find this interesting, but I do think there is tons of valuable information for any woman who struggles with their weight, mood, PMS symptoms and etc. And I think men who train women or train with them would get value from seeing how women need to train differently than men. Women are NOT small men! So we need to stop training like them.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is an important subject, and I was super into it for about the first half.

There are, as there should be for any non-fiction book, a list of references in the back, but it is frustratingly unclear which references goes with which statements, and that makes it rather difficult to check further details.

The things that blocked me from zooming through the back half as fast as I did the first half were:

1) It goes a little murky on this is science/this is a sales pitch, and I find that seriously off putting as that makes the incentives of the author less clear.

2) Anyone who advises regular intake of medicine looses a lot of credibility in my eyes. Sims advises aspirin for a bunch of stuff - like taking 250 mg aspirin a day for a full week before flying. This feels very wrong to me on a "higher" level.

3) Some of the advise seems to point in different directions. For instance half the book is saying "eat real food!" while the other half is "add protein powder! Take these supplements!" Again this leads to a loss of credibility.

My main take-aways are: Bodies are hella complicated (the specific dietary advice is not particularly straight forward, and most are definitely too much of a hassle for my current life style), and we need more scientific studies on females.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never had a nutrition book really speak to me the way this one did. Her battle cry is: Women are not just small men. And really gets into the physiology of how we're different and why that matters. But she manages to do so in a way that is still easy to read without going all Sheldon Cooper on us. I took a ton of notes on this and then just decided to buy my own copy, which I'm looking forward to re-reading and highlighting the heck out of.

[Yasu · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but I will definitely be taking the contents with a grain of salt... Some of the studies cited have been disproven in the last five years (e.g. the scientific benefit of stretching and foam rolling) and I haven't trawled through the references to personally see what the quality of the studies used for the purposes of the book were but I assume there are some others that are questionable.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for women who want to know how to be healthy! A tip I liked: one study shows 54 year old women need an hour of exercise a day to minimize weight gain, which is a lot more than the usual recommendation. Also, don't fill up on so much fiber that you're not getting in other nutrients you need because you feel full. (Note: some swearing.)

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. I learned so much about a topic I had no idea about--the effects of the hormone cycle on performance and hydration. I definitely recommend this book to all women and coaches.

[Jasmin Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable handbook tailoring fitness and general health guidelines specifically to women, particularly to how our unique hormones and menstrual cycles create unique needs in our fitness and fueling. The author has a TED talk titled "Women are Not Small Men", with this book greatly expanding on those concepts.

My biggest takeaways:

- Strong is the new skinny. Focus on strength training (heavy weight & core strength), because muscle is literally armor for women as we age.
- Higher muscle mass also aids fat loss by growing our metabolism, aka the number of calories we burn daily just by existing.
- Don't worry about getting bulky. That's hard for women to do. Strength keeps you safe and looking / feeling good.

- A good diet includes all food groups: protein, fat, and carbs. Any diet that tells you to cut out one of these major food groups entirely is a fad and will hurt you in the long run.
- A complete diet will also include good fiber, nutrient dense whole foods like fruits and veggies, and probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and sourdough bread (yay!)
- Tend your gut microbiome (internal ecosystem). Results in better physical AND mental health on multiple fronts.

- High cortisol causes women to hold onto weight. Famine = hanging onto fat reserves. So good sleep and regular meals (incl breakfast) are a must. Skipping meals and spotty sleep elevates cortisol, makes your body panic and hold onto weight. Mental health and managing cortisol is crucial to giving your body permission to let go of fat stores.
- Protein is queen. Helps with satiety and appetite hormones, like grehlin and leptin, which regulate your cravings and sense of fullness. Aim for roughly one gram of protein per lb of goal weight daily (so if goal weight is 150lb, aim for 150 grams of protein per day.)
- Know your female hormones. Your menstrual phase effects your dietary needs and your exercise capabilities, and ignoring your needs can cause harm. Generally, high hormones (ovulation + luteal phase) = lower performance, and low hormones (menstruation and follicular phase) = higher performance.
- Underfueling (calories and nutrients too low) causes chronic elevated cortisol, weight gain, missed periods, brittle bones, mental illness, and a host of serious health issues. Beware LEA (low energy availability) and REDs (relative energy deficiency in sport). Eat enough.
- Be sure to eat some protein and carbs within 30-45 minutes of finishing your workout to aid muscle growth and prevent unhealthy muscle breakdown.
- Mind your mind. Fitness and physical flourishing is for women too, not just men. Self hatred and the shame game are not the answer. We have phenomenal capabilities and it's a privilege to steward our bodies, even if we have other commitments and relationships to tend to as well.

The book also includes accessible strength training exercise tutorials, complete with pictures. Very helpful!

I also appreciated specific chapters on pregnancy, menopause, and bone health. I wish the book included a bit more on the postpartum period and the lengthy process of transitioning back to one's baseline fitness level after birth.

The last third of the book was geared more specifically to high level athletes, with detailed information on food and nutrition regimens for competitive racing. Definitely good info, but not what I needed.

Still, the info in the first two thirds was worth the price of the book. I appreciate having a comprehensive fitness-food philosophy and look forward to applying these principles.

[Kim Catanzarite · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always happy to learn new information about food and fitness from a female point of view. I was surprised to see how many women, like me, have spent much of their lifetime trying to weigh just a bit less and who eat a deficit number of calories in order to do it. Especially those who are serious about working out. No more. I'm a little pissed at my scale right now to tell you the truth and will be ignoring it until further notice!

[Mckenzie Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fascinating. Honestly wish this was my textbook in college for human physiology and that I had read before my last few marathons. It was so comprehensive on how female athletes differ from males and how we can capitalize on that for best performance. I appreciated how in depth it went for perimenopause and post menopausal athletes which I feel doesn’t get a lot attention- AND how to use cycle tracking and adapt training/nutrition for the best advantage. Essentially women aren’t little men and we need continued conversations about how to adapt training to best fit our physiology!

[Emma Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into how to tailor your training and nutrition to work with your anatomy and body chemistry instead of following advice from studies that are based on a sample of men. There could be a bit more about plant based options in here but it's a great start and allows you to have a good base to start more research.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and was surprised to discover that it was written well before Lyle McDonald wrote his 400 page 1st Volume of the Woman's Book. A lot of the topics he touches, were already wonderfully explained here. She goes into detail about not only how to work with your menstrual cycle, but also what exactly is happening during menopause and pregenancy as well.
Her dieting advice is also good, even with an example for a vegan diet and how vegetarians need to make sure to be getting in enough Leucine. However, saying that "the quality of food is far more important...than the number of calories contained" can be misleading for some. We can eat the healthiest food, but if we eat too much of it, we might not see results if weight loss is the goal. I think perhaps she didn't want to dish out the typical 1200 kcal limit and help women get away from this mindset that we need to eat very little. Regardless, calories are still a topic and shouldn't be ignored when it comes to weight loss.
Admittedly, it's somewhat discouraging reading her book in the sense that you feel that women's physiology works against them in so many ways. I like the positive attitude of the book, and the focus on hydration and electrolyte intake for women, since women store electrolytes differently than men but the topic is rarely discussed, if ever.
I was a bit surprised that she addresses somatypes, as I understood that this has been debunked scientifically several times. Those are my only two slight "beefs" with the book and reason for a star deduction. Other than that, fantastic book with good recipes and insightful information.

[Jennifer White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book to read on audio, which I did. I wish I owned a paper copy to use as a reference.

While parts of the text were review or reinforced what I know already, a few things, especially regarding the fueling part, have stuck with me:
1. Hydration is most important for long runs. So that means I've got to pull out my water pouch.
2. The reason my guts are a mess after races is all that Gu. Maltodextrin is awful for the stomach. She provides some tangible alternatives.
3. Eat real food as fuel during runs.
4. Eat a lotta protein post-workout.
5. Change up your strength routine to keep your muscles guessing.
6. Eat foods rich in probiotics.
7. Skip almost all vitamins (I wish I could remember the ONE thing she recommends for athletes).
8. Ensure you get regular periods - otherwise it means you are suffering from what is now known as relative energy deficiency in sports (REDS).

Some of the stuff comparing women to men I found hard to listen to, especially regarding our emotions and mindset around athletic events. But overall the book gave me confidence to push my performance.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to Stacy Sims speak on a podcast (The Proof with Simon Hill) which prompted me to pick up this book. I was really interested in her female-specific approach to training. Women are not well represented in exercise physiology studies due to the complexity of our hormonal shifts and historical misogyny. While the first part of this book was very interesting to me, the second half was geared toward elite, not recreational athletes. I still learned so much about how the different phases of our menstrual cycle affect training efforts and how to optimize training by working *with* our physiology. But overall, I don’t think this was the book I was really looking for. I am glad I read it because now I know which topics I want to dive into a little more. Also, some of the ways she presents the science reads a little more speculative. I think her casual tone and attempts at humor lend to this, but the scientific community might have an issue with it.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of mixed feelings about this book. It does have some great insights and the idea is great for a book: there are a lot of differences between women and men and most research is done on men. There are some conflicting advices in this, and the recommendations of taking certain supplements and aspirin all the time need some extra research backup, because I don't think that doesn't have side effects. The structure of the book doesn't make sense to me, and I lacked a conclusive end. In all, it has some nice new insights, but it's not perfect.

[Chris Linder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old school gender stuff. I don’t need to be reminded every other sentence that men and women are different Additionally I don’t really feel like I need to know about men…I am reading it to learn about me. Some good info, some meh. Pretty opinionated, rather than providing info and letting me form my own opinion

[Jessica Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordering my own copy! So much good stuff in here.