What is Women’s
Performance Endocrinology?
It is the application of physical training, nutrition, and wellness strategies to each woman’s unique endocrine physiology along her lifelong reproductive continuum.
The goal is to optimize her physical performance in sport and high-performance occupations and activities, from reproductive age through menopause.
The interplay of the mechanisms that drive physical adaptation and the reproductive cycle in females are among the most powerful physiologic forces of nature.
These hormonal systems underlie the processes that promote survival and procreation and thus the mere existence of the Human race.
Harnessing synergy between these processes rather than positioning them against each other drives a female’s ability to perform to her potential, physically and mentally.
These adaptive mechanisms change during a female’s life from puberty, through her reproductive years and into menopause, all with the purpose of maintaining balance and promoting survival and longevity.
Leveraging the advantages nature has afforded females allows for the optimization of athletic potential through every stage along her reproductive continuum.
Up until recently, it was accepted as “normal” that an elite female athlete would stop menstruating at the height of her training and that this was necessary for her to perform optimally in her sport or occupation.
Today we are smarter.
With advances in knowledge of the unique physical adaptation mechanisms that underlie female performance, it has become clear that achieving physiologic balance with nutrition and training strategies tailored to her body’s individual hormonal environment is where optimal performance, health and longevity live and thrive.
For more than 20 years, I have dedicated my career as a Women’s Health physician. For the last 18 years, I have focused my efforts as a Reproductive Endocrinologist, understanding and managing female reproductive hormone physiology from puberty through menopause.
Using the knowledge and experience gained over the course of my career and applying it through the lens of an athlete and fitness professional are the fundamentals from which the practice of Women’s Performance Endocrinology was born.
Why it Matters
Whether you are an elite athlete, firefighter, or soldier, your livelihood depends on the ability to consistently perform physical tasks at a high level for the duration of your career.
The approach to achieving consistent performance is different between women and men because male and female physiology is different. The basis of these differences is rooted in the female menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle serves as a “vital sign” linked to a female’s ability to adapt to physical challenges and perform physical tasks.
The key to unlocking a female’s physical potential is understanding her unique pattern of hormonal cycling – and all the factors that impact it – and tailoring physical training to her unique physiologic profile and circumstances.
