What if the workout habit you thought was helping your body is actually making perimenopause harder? In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading exercise physiologists and women's integrative health practitioners, gives a clear, honest breakdown of why fasted training may not be the best fit for active women, especially runners navigating changing hormones, stress, cravings, sleep issues, and body composition goals.
Louise explains how morning workouts, low fuel, caffeine nuances, and high cortisol can stack up quickly for ambitious women who are already juggling a lot. She shares why a small amount of protein and carbs before training can help support hormone production, energy, recovery, mental health, and long-term performance. She also challenges the confusing noise online around women’s health, HRT, cortisol, and perimenopause trends, reminding listeners that context matters.
This episode is especially useful for women who run, lift, train early, struggle with cravings, wake up at night, feel burned out, or feel stuck despite doing “everything right.” Louise keeps the message grounded in solid female-specific science: fuel your body, stop punishing and potentially harming yourself, and make choices that support your long-term health, energy, and ability to run strong for life.
RESOURCES + LINKS
Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide & award-winning 1:1 Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/
Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here, including “How to Ditch Cravings & Overeating Habits For Good” mentioned in this episode.
Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products, including Kion aminos & Creature creatine. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/maximizing
Link to check out Function Health & save $25 off comprehensive, proactive blood work using code “LVALENTINE11” here. $25 goes back to support BTW with each new sign up! Thank you!
Check out my FullScript here where you can see my curated favorite supplement picks, by topic, to address your concerns & save 25% off! A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW. Thank you!
Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(4:12) Social media misinformation in women’s health
(7:21) Building a private, focused wellness community
(9:21) Why active women need a different approach
(13:18) The problem with fasted training
(19:03) Why fasted training is not black and white
(21:19) How cortisol overload affects active women
(24:21) Why training without fuel adds more stress
(27:10) Simple pre-workout fuel ideas
(32:16) Why recommendations can change as science evolves
(34:33) Releasing shame around past diet and fasting habits
(36:45) Why post-workout fueling matters too
(38:04) Concerns around careless hormone prescribing
(44:30) Is fasted training ever appropriate?
(45:12) How underfueling can affect mood, cravings, and sleep
(48:07) The rare exception after a big meal or holiday
(50:41) Listener questions and closing thoughts
(52:38) Outro
Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!
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Please note if you want to be a podcast guest, there is a fee and interview process to vet you as a guest. This is safe space and curated Community exclusively for women who love to feel, look and run our best without B.S. noise, endless pills, extreme diets or misleading fads.
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