Most athletes were raised inside a training culture that worshiped restraint. Smaller meals. Fasted runs. Earn your carbs. Eat like your appetite is the problem. Somewhere along the line, discipline got confused with deprivation, and endurance athletes paid for it with stalled progress, brittle energy, and the kind of fatigue that lingers long after a workout ends.
Now layer menopause on top. Hormones shifting week to week. Sleep that feels unpredictable. Recovery that doesn’t hit the way it used to. Changes in insulin sensitivity and nutrient use. A nervous system that hits its “I’ve had enough” threshold faster. Suddenly the same strategies that once kept you sharp now keep you exhausted, inflamed, and frustrated with paces that don’t match the effort.
This isn’t a motivation issue. It’s physiology evolving. And trying to fuel like you did a decade (or two) ago is like trying to run your marathon PR wearing the shoes you found in your high school closet. That season had its place. This one has new rules.
Why More Fuel Matters Now
Estrogen does far more than control cycles. It influences glycogen storage, blood sugar regulation, inflammation, and the way you build and preserve muscle. When estrogen fluctuates or drops, your fueling needs change right along with it.
Menopausal athletes become less efficient at storing glycogen. More sensitive to under-fueling. Slower to recover when carbs are low. More reactive to stress—because the hormonal buffer that used to soften the edges isn’t as strong anymore.
So when athletes tell me their energy swings are constant, workouts feel strangely harder, or their nervous system feels fried, I don’t start with mindset work. I look at the plate. Nine times out of ten, the “mystery” is under-fueling.
Fueling isn’t optional at this stage. It’s the gateway to feeling strong again.
What “More” Actually Looks Like
It’s more carbohydrates—especially around training—to rebuild glycogen and protect lean tissue. It’s protein spread across the day, not a lone scoop in the morning and a bar somewhere mid-afternoon. It’s fat showing up as support, not the main event. It’s electrolytes as a daily habit, not a Band-Aid after a cramp.
And yes, it’s during-run fuel too. Not waiting until you’re bonking at mile eight to decide maybe you’ve “earned” a gel. Consistent carbs early and often. Think of it as supporting the workload instead of rationing like you’re preparing for scarcity.
This isn’t about eating “more food to gain weight.” It’s about eating enough to access the strength you’re already training for.
This Is Not a Shortcut to Weight Gain
That fear is real, and I hear it every week. But here’s the truth: women who fuel better recover better. They sleep deeper. Their cortisol stabilizes. Their lean mass improves. Their blood sugar stops yo-yoing. Their training actually works again.
Under-fueling slows you down. Strategic fueling wakes your system back up.
You’re not losing discipline by eating more. You’re reclaiming your athletic capacity.
Ready to Stop Rationing and Start Performing?
If you’re tired of feeling depleted, stuck, or like your training isn’t clicking the way it used to, the problem probably isn’t motivation—it’s low energy availability.
My Fuel Like You Mean It guide breaks down the science, the strategy, and the real-world application of fueling for performance in peri- and post-menopause. No extremes. No gimmicks. Just the system your physiology actually needs now.
Fuel smarter. Recover deeper. Run stronger.