Midlife Strong Yearly Round Up [2024]
Looking back before moving forward
I always have mixed emotions at the end of the year. Part of me wants to reflect on the past year, while another part just wants to move on.
Before diving into 2025, I wanted to take a moment to review the highlights of 2024 in a different kind of roundup.
This year, I’ve written (mostly) weekly posts, read many others, kept up with research, and listened to several podcasts.
Here are the highlights of 2024, including some of my personal favorites.
Most popular post
Reader’s favorite post (and mine) is The Game-Changing One Health Principle (OHP) for Women Over 40. I finally integrated everything I’d learned in this one.
The idea is simple yet profound. With Aging Pause, which is the intersection of aging and hormonal change, key changes in the body are occurring.
First, oxidative stress and inflammation are increasing (where you have one you have the other) and nitric oxide is decreasing. I believe this causes the many health issues and symptoms we experience.
Being an overarching principle - not an activity- is so important because there are many ways to keep the OHP in check. Right now, in the midlife space, there is such a narrow view of what women can do, including hormone therapy, protein, and weight training.
But there is so much more, and that is exciting. Many women can’t or don’t want hormone therapy, leaving them feeling abandoned, which makes this even more vital, as one woman states:
They tell us that lack of estrogen puts us at risk for heart attack and other serious things so it makes the growing process seem scary and daunting. Especially if you’re not a candidate for estrogen it makes it even more disappointing.
This has been my biggest breakthrough, and I continue to develop it.
The second most viewed post of 2024 was Meet Your New Post-40 Nervous System
Stand out studies
These key studies challenge the conventional narrative surrounding midlife for women. Click the titles to read more about the studies.
The False Fight: Animal vs. Plant Protein
People often tout animal protein as the only way to help women build muscle and maintain health, yet this study shows a much stronger link to healthy aging with plant protein.
Why this matters? Maintaining muscle mass, strength and health is also about keeping inflammation and oxidative stress down, which plant foods help us do more than animal foods. Yet no woman has to choose, as both play key roles in a balanced diet.
Exercise and Health of Body Fat
Most women gain body fat with Aging Pause. This study of same-weight women revealed that those who exercised regularly for at least two years had healthier body fat (less inflammation/better blood flow).
Although this study was done with women in their 30s, it builds off other emerging research showing that long-term exercise helps reshape body fat to be healthier.
Why this matters? I see women all the time wanting to give up on working out because they aren’t getting lean. But different types of body fat exist, and regular exercise keeps the fat we have healthy.
Aging Dramatically at Two Time Points
The researchers measured thousands of different molecules and microbes in people ranging from 25 to 75. They found that peaks in aging happen between the ages of 44 and 60.
Because the age range was around the menopause transition, they conducted a separate cluster analysis on male and female data sets to find that this occurred in both sexes.
Why this matters? We have few studies that dig into the effects of aging in midlife women. People often overlook the significant contribution of biological aging, assuming it’s simply hormones. More studies like this please!
“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women. Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research” - lead author Xiaotao Shen
Beetroot juice and postmenopause heart health
In this small, double-blind randomized control study, researchers examined the effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice on arterial function in early and late menopausal women, to find it increased flow mediated dilation (FMD) by 2%.
Why this matters? FMD is a marker of nitric oxide and how blood vessels expand. This declines with aging, but women see a dramatic drop after menopause.
Hormone therapy increases FMD, but as women age, the effects lessens so adding beetroot juice or foods high in nitrates is another source of nitric oxide.
Favorite product
I share my thoughts on the Ladder App, a strength training tool, in this video for paid subscribers. This app lets you try it for 7 days without a credit card. You can join one of their teams depending on your needs and equipment.
The coaches are all very experienced and knowledgeable and they make new workouts every 6 weeks.
I always thought I had to do a class, but this app keeps me motivated. I haven’t given up on my classes but love doing this once or twice a week and especially when traveling.
I’m currently Team Limitless. How about you?
Best Podcast
My favorite midlife podcaster is Ann Marie McQueen from Hot Flash Inc. Being on her podcast was something I wanted for a long time - and it finally happened. I wholeheartedly respect her commitment to unbiased reporting and truth-seeking.
One of my faves was her interview with Dr. Davis on the research on testosterone in women. There’s a lot of discussion surrounding testosterone, and this episode helps women understand where we are at and need to go to get answers.
If you’re looking for new midlife focused podcasts, I also enjoy the Hit Play not Pause with Selene Yeager and the Midlife Feast Jenn Huber.
Nice surprise
I was pleasantly surprised to see more prominent articles addressing iron deficiency without anemia–a significant issue for women, especially those who menstruate.
Peter Attia addressed on his podcast and Oprah featured an article: Is this why you’re so tired?
This year I finally started a petition to build awareness around iron deficiency without anemia and next year I’m giving another talk on the subject.
For more about the problem, read: Stand Up for Women: Make Ferritin a Screening Standard
Best new term
Dr. Vonda Wright coined the term Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause in the review study in Climacteric. This is used to describe a cluster of symptoms that occur during the menopause transition, such as joint pain, loss of muscle mass, and higher risk of injury.
According to this paper, 70% of women will experience musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, with 25% being severely affected. Also, 40% will show no structural abnormities with testing.
Wright attributes these issues to the decline in estrogen as it affects all these tissues, including tendon, bone, muscle, cartilage and ligaments. She does briefly mention aging as a factor.
Best & worst health claim
The increasing awareness that exercise, and strength training in particular, is vital for bone health is very welcome. Rebekah Rotstein from Buff Bones does a great job of helping women understand how they can enhance bone health and prevent future fractures through exercise. Don’t miss our interview with her.
One of my least favorite claims is that cardio increases cortisol overall and so women need to limit it. I discuss this in my recent post: The Case for Cardio.
I recently read on a Facebook group that a woman had stopped cardio and had an emergency where she needed to run. She was so out of breath and her heart pounded that she made a vow to bring back cardio into her life.
Most over-rated and under-rated health advice
Most over-rated health advice in my mind is protein. I feel we have exaggerated the benefits, and it’s got women in a scramble to hit targets, often at the expense of other nutritious foods.
Don’t get me wrong, protein is important, but it’s certainly not a miracle cure for women. I expand on this in my Are We Pushing Too Much Protein on Midlife Women post.
The most underrated advice is how breathing can help boost women’s health and well-being. Poor breathing is one of the hidden disrupters of the OHP. And I think it’s going to get more popular as some of these studies come out and get attention.
Thanks for being here
As this year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank you for being here. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read what I have to say. I have a lot planned for 2025, including the loooong awaited release of my book, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated as we move forward.
Wishing you all the best in 2025!
Happy New Year!