Men and women are not created equal
I’m fully aware that the title of this post might ruffle some feathers, but rest assured, this isn’t some political or ideological statement.?
Here’s the thing: Historically, a significant portion of scientific and medical research, including clinical trials, was conducted predominantly on male subjects. This imbalance arose for various reasons, including concerns about the variability introduced by female hormonal cycles and the potential risks to future pregnancies. Consequently, findings from such research were often generalized across genders.?
In other words, scientists assumed that men and women would respond comparatively to specific interventions, lifestyle changes, diets or medications.
While men and women indeed share some of the same physiology, we’re very different animals as far as dietary needs, stress resilience, body composition, emotional needs, hormones and exercise requirements are concerned — just to name a few of the areas I frequently discuss on the blog, YouTube channel and podcast.
But what does that mean?
It means that if you’re a woman and follow wellness advice geared toward men (as most of the advice out there is), you’ll likely run into problems, such as elevated stress and anxiety levels, weakened immunity, weight gain or the inability to lose weight.
That’s why I’m dedicating this post to sharing what my wife and I have learned over the past few months to help women optimize their health and well-being instead of getting frustrated by blindly following strategies that might be more applicable to men.
Body Composition
Contrary to some conventional beauty standards, women aren’t supposed to be just skin and bones or morbidly obese. From a purely evolutionary and biological perspective, women do well with a body fat percentage between 20% and 30%. That’s much higher than the 8% to 15% for men, but the extra body fat is critical for hormonal health. Sufficient energy reserves (in the form of body fat) are particularly critical during pregnancy and lactation.?
Remember that throughout most of human history, we didn't have a steady food supply and had to burn body fat in the event of an unsuccessful hunt or a weather event that would destroy much of the planted crops. By carrying a few extra pounds of fat, women were able to increase the chances of survival for a fetus or nursing infant in the absence of food.?
That’s likely one of the reasons why a slightly higher body fat percentage isn’t detrimental to female health. In contrast, men would likely experience an increased risk of metabolic dysfunction (e.g., insulin resistance) with 20% or more body fat.
But what about extraordinarily fit women, such as the ones you may see compete at the CrossFit Games? I firmly believe that pushing your body to such extremes isn’t particularly healthy in the long run, but there are likely worse things you could do as a woman.?
In other words, if having biceps, traps and abs resembling mine help you achieve your fitness goals, go for it. However, if physical performance isn’t your primary objective (but longevity and overall wellness are), I’d encourage you to pursue a more moderate physique.
It took my wife several years to accept that her higher-than-mine body fat percentage was no sign of metabolic dysfunction (or poor lifestyle choices) but a reflection of her different physiology and metabolism.?
I shouldn’t have to spell it out, but having more fat than men isn’t the same thing as being overweight or morbidly obese. There is a line you don’t want to cross, and one of the best ways to figure out if you have is to assess your metabolic health regularly.
Diet and Macronutrients
As discussed in the previous section, women can have a higher body fat percentage than men without any adverse health implications. Therefore, women can consume more fat or carbohydrates to maintain a higher body fat percentage because excess calories from carbs or fat are stored as fat.?
In an upcoming podcast episode with Dr. Shawn Baker (I’ll send out an email when the episode goes live), he suggests that women who follow a strict carnivore diet must consume more fat than men (a carnivore diet doesn’t allow any meaningful amounts of cabs).
But that doesn’t mean all women should follow a carnivore diet (unless you’re trying to heal a serious metabolic or autoimmune condition). In other words, a strict carnivore or even a well-implemented ketogenic diet can be excellent tools for treating specific conditions. But if you’re trying to maintain your health and well-being, I think an animal-based framework is the way to go because it’s flexible, enabling you to consume as much fat or carbs as you need to feel your best.
Whatever dietary framework you choose, I recommend avoiding processed foods, polyunsaturated fatty acids (which are prevalent in vegetable/seed oils, poultry and pork) and the most toxic plants.?
Equally important is to stop stressing over food. The latter triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response, which means you’ll be holding on to stored fat (instead of burning it for energy) in preparation for your nervous system’s anticipated fight with a sabertooth tiger that never happens.?
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On a side note, chronic caloric restriction triggers a similar effect (and, thus, doesn’t work).
Hormetic Stressors (Exercise, Fasting, Heat and Cold Exposure)
Dozens of factors influence how men and women respond to and cope with stress, including the interplay of hormones like cortisol, testosterone and estrogen.?
Over the past decade, I was mistakenly under the impression that women can and should exercise, practice intermittent fasting and expose themselves to hot and cold temperatures in the same way as men do. However, I’ve learned that might not be a good idea because it can hurt female reproductive, stress and thyroid hormones, leading to an irregular menstrual cycle, sleep disturbance, reduced metabolic rate and fluctuating energy levels.
The point is that humans, including women, have a limited capacity to deal with stress, and adding hormetic stressors when you’re already redlining or when you’re in certain phases of your menstrual cycle (more on that later) is probably a bad idea.
Practically, that means adjusting your workouts to your overall stress levels (and menstrual cycle). For example, if you wake up after having slept only for a couple of hours or suffer from elevated stress and anxiety, killing yourself in the gym is ill-advised. You can still perform low-intensity exercise to help your body destress and recover, but don’t push yourself to your limits.
On stressful days, fuel yourself with nutrient-dense foods (freeze-dried organ meat supplements are an excellent way to provide your body with the extra nutrients it may need) instead of embarking on a 24-hour fast or loading up on junk food.
I love sauna bathing and cold plunging and regularly push myself to my limits. But that strategy might not be ideal for supporting your wellness goals. For premenopausal women, I recommend using the sauna to relax (especially on high-stress days) during the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle instead of testing the limits of your cardiovascular system by staying in the sauna for an hour at 230 degrees Fahrenheit and high humidity levels (the latter can be an effective tool to boost growth hormone levels leading up to a competition, but it’s likely detrimental to your overall health, especially leading up to your menstruation when stress levels may be naturally higher).
Additionally, physiological and metabolic differences between genders suggest that women may have a lower cold tolerance on average compared to men. That, too, is likely influenced by the menstrual cycle.?
When I got our first cold plunge a few years ago, my wife tried it once and never again because she suffered a panic attack from the 39-degree cold water. Despite my regular encouragement to try again and fight through the cold, it took her two years to hop back in.?
She now plunges at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and likes it. The bottom line is that you have to listen to your body instead of blindly following someone else’s advice (including mine).
Implications of the Menstrual Cycle and Menopause
Men are on a 24-hour hormonal cycle (following the circadian rhythm), and premenopausal women are on a roughly monthly hormonal cycle. That has significant implications for everything we’ve covered in this article.?
For example, how a woman's body responds to stress changes based on her menstrual cycle phase. In an upcoming podcast episode, Dr. Dave Rabin suggests avoiding high-stress activities (e.g., intense exercise, fasting, cold plunging…, etc.) during the luteal phase (days 15 to 28 if you’re on a 28-day cycle) because they can negatively impact a female’s well-being and hormonal health. Conversely, you can likely push it harder (e.g., in the gym, sauna or cold plunge) during the menstrual, follicular and ovulation phases of your cycle.
Once you reach menopause, everything changes again, and you might experience an increased sensitivity to stress, sleep disturbances, decreased metabolism, lower insulin sensitivity (leading to an increase in abdominal fat), and a shift in nutritional requirements.?
During that time, it’s vital to double down on strength training to maintain your muscle and bone mass while reducing high-intensity workouts; dial in your diet to ensure you’re getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals; and work on stress management techniques to help with your mood and sleep.
Wrap Up
The bottom line is that women should do things differently than their male counterparts to achieve or maintain optimal health. That means paying close attention to their diet (without stressing over it), stress levels and exercise regimen.?
To conclude this artice, here are a few tips you can consider implementing:
Let me know if you disagree!