Stacy Sims

At a glance

• Stacy Sims is an American exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist. She has held positions at Stanford University and Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and is a former cyclist and triathlete.
• Her well-known slogan is ‘Women are not small men’: much sports and nutrition advice was studied in men and does not always fit the female body.
• She explains how the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and especially perimenopause and menopause affect training, recovery, heat, hydration and nutrition.
• Her books ROAR (2016) and Next Level (2022) turn this into practical advice; her TEDx talk on the theme has been widely viewed.
• For women in the menopause transition she advocates heavy strength training, short high-intensity intervals and enough protein to support muscle, bone and metabolism.
• For longevity, her work matters because women live longer but more often lose muscle and bone after menopause.
• Takeaway: around menopause, don’t rely on endurance training alone; add heavy weights and short, hard efforts.