Summary
Overview
Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, a PhD in integrative physiology and certified strength and conditioning specialist, discusses evidence-based fitness for women. She explains that men and women respond similarly to resistance training, debunks myths about menstrual cycle-specific training protocols, and provides practical guidance on building muscle and strength. The conversation covers training frequency, exercise selection, nutrition timing, hormone therapy, and common misconceptions about cortisol and women's fitness.
Muscle Tissue and Training Response in Women vs Men
Dr. Colenso-Semple explains that at the cellular level, muscle tissue responds identically in men and women. The primary difference is baseline muscularity due to testosterone surges during male puberty. Once training begins, men and women gain similar relative muscle size, and being within the normal testosterone range doesn't predict training response. The adaptation potential is largely independent of testosterone levels within normal ranges.
- Muscle protein synthesis and growth response are identical between men and women
- Baseline muscularity differences are due to testosterone surges during male puberty
- Men and women gain similar relative muscle size when they start training
- Being within normal testosterone range (300-900 ng/dL for men) doesn't predict training response
" When we look at how the muscle responds, so we look at muscle protein synthesis in response to exercise or nutrition, there are no differences. Very similar protein metabolism response, very similar growth response. "
Starting Resistance Training: Age and Approach
There's no age too early for girls to start resistance training, though culturally it hasn't been taught to teenage girls as it has been to boys. Starting younger helps build habits and provides performance and injury reduction benefits for female athletes. Even starting at 70, people can gain muscle, making it never too late. The key is viewing muscle building as a savings account for aging, as physical inactivity accelerates age-related muscle loss.
- No age is too early for girls to start resistance training, similar to boys
- Resistance training reduces injury risk and improves performance in teenage female athletes
- Starting earlier builds better habits, but you can gain muscle even starting at 70
- Building muscle early is like a retirement account for aging
" It's not that it's unsafe. It's just that it wasn't done. And so people weren't teaching teenage girls how to lift weights. "
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