The One ‘Fitness Hack’ That’s Actually Hurting Women’s Hormones
You wake up, chug water, maybe a coffee, and head into your workout fasted because “that’s what disciplined people do.”
Here's what your body actually hears:
“We’re in a stress state, brace for survival.”
Let's dive into why fasted workouts might actually be holding you back…
Cortisol naturally rises about 30 to 45 minutes after waking, and that’s completely normal. It’s your body’s way of helping you get up and moving. But when you jump straight into a fasted workout, especially something high-intensity or heavy lifting, you’re essentially stacking stress on stress.
For women, especially those juggling training, work, and everything else, that extra stress can start to show up in sneaky ways like:
Feeling wired but exhausted mid-day
Increased belly fat storage, despite working out
Struggling to build muscle or hit PRs
Crashing later and craving sweets/carbs at night
Here’s What’s Actually Happening:
Fasted workouts trigger a cortisol spike, which causes your blood sugar to drop. With no food available to fuel your muscles, your body starts breaking down muscle tissue for energy and increases inflammation markers in the process. You might be burning calories, but it comes at the cost of muscle, recovery, and long-term performance.
And those late-night cravings? They’re not about willpower. They’re your body’s natural response to low blood sugar and elevated stress hormones from training without fuel earlier in the day.
Here's How to Upgrade Your Performance:
If you want to perform better and recover faster, fuel your body before you train. Within 30 minutes of waking, have a small combo of 15–25g carbs and 10–15g protein.
Try something simple like half a banana + protein shake, small yogurt + berries, or rice cake + turkey slices.
Your body (and your workouts) will thank you for it.
Ready to take a smarter approach to your training and recovery?
Let’s chat about how to build a plan that actually works with your body, not against it.
