I remember when I first started noticing how much of a difference meal timing made—not just for myself, but for my clients too. This was about 16 years ago, and I had my clients eating proper meals before and after exercise to see if it improved their performance and recovery. And guess what? It did. But at the time, people laughed at me. There wasn’t solid research backing it up yet, so I struggled to explain why it worked—just that it did. Now, I’m thrilled that the science has finally caught up to what I had already figured out through experience.
For too long, most sports science and nutrition research has been based on men and then applied to women as an afterthought. The problem? Women aren’t small men. Their hormones, energy systems, and recovery needs are different—and their nutrition should be too.
Dr. Stacy Sims has been a key voice in bringing female-specific nutrition and training strategies to light. And one of the biggest misconceptions? That keto, fasting, and traditional “bro” training methods are just as effective for women. Spoiler: They’re not.
1. Why Keto & Fasting Don’t Work Well for Women
The ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting have been hyped for fat loss, but they can be counterproductive for female performance and body composition.
🚫 Keto suppresses performance – Women rely more on carbohydrates for fuel than men do, especially during high-intensity training. When carbs are restricted, performance drops and recovery slows down.
🚫 Fasting increases cortisol – Skipping meals and delaying food intake can increase stress hormones, which can lead to muscle loss, lower energy, and stalled fat loss over time.
🚫 Hormonal disruption – Women’s hormones are more sensitive to energy availability. Fasting can disrupt menstrual cycles, slow metabolism, and increase cravings later in the day.
💡 The Fix? Eat to Train, Don’t Train to Eat.
Instead of restricting, focus on fueling workouts properly to improve strength, endurance, and body composition without extra gym time.
2. Nutrient Timing: When You Eat Matters More Than You Think
If you train hard but feel exhausted, struggle with progress, or hit fat loss plateaus, nutrient timing could be the missing piece.
🔹 Pre-Workout Nutrition: Performance Boost
What you eat before training determines how much energy and strength you have during the session.
❌ Mistake: Training fasted or on low-carb meals.
✅ Fix: Eat a balanced meal 1-2 hours before training (protein + carbs).
💪 Best options:
• Greek yogurt + fruit + honey
• Oats with protein powder
• Whole grain toast with eggs
• Rice cakes + peanut butter + banana
🔹 Post-Workout Nutrition: Maximize Recovery & Gains
The most important meal of the day isn’t breakfast—it’s your post-workout meal. This is when your body absorbs nutrients the best to repair muscles, burn fat, and prevent fatigue from carrying over into your next workout.
❌ Mistake: Skipping post-workout meals or eating only protein.
✅ Fix: Eat within 30-60 minutes after training with a mix of protein and fast-digesting carbs.
🍽️ Best options:
• Protein shake + banana
• Chicken + rice + veggies
• Cottage cheese + fruit + honey
• Eggs + toast + avocado
👉 Just changing the timing of your meals (without changing calories) can improve body composition, strength, and recovery.
3. Women Recover Differently: Why Training Programs Need to Change
Most strength training programs are designed for men—and it shows.
🔸 Women have better endurance & recover faster – They don’t need as much rest between sets and benefit from higher training volume instead of long breaks.
🔸 Women’s absolute strength is lower, but relative strength is high – Programs focused on one-rep maxes and low reps don’t bring out the best in female lifters. Women thrive on higher rep ranges (8-15 reps).
🔸 Temperature & metabolism differences – Ever noticed that women in mixed-gender group training classes are shivering while the men are sweating? That’s because women have lower resting metabolic rates and lower muscle mass, making them more prone to feeling cold during long rest periods.
💡 The Fix? Train Smart, Not Just Hard.
• Shorter rest periods (30-60 sec for upper body, 60-90 sec for lower body)
• Higher rep ranges (8-15 reps instead of 3-5 reps)
• More time under tension (slower eccentric movements = better gains)
• Prioritizing post-workout nutrition for recovery
Final Thoughts: Science Needs to Catch Up, But You Don’t Have To
Women’s bodies work differently from men’s—so their training and nutrition should reflect that.
✅ Stop following male-focused plans that don’t optimize your performance.
✅ Eat before and after training to maximize strength and recovery.
✅ Skip restrictive diets and instead focus on fueling properly.
Because getting stronger and leaner shouldn’t require adding more workouts—it just requires training and eating the right way. If you’re in need of extra help; flick me an email and let’s get you on the right path.
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