The Truth About Cycle Syncing, Hormones, and Women’s Performance with Dr. Victoria Felkar
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Release Date: 03/24/2025
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Timeline: Get 10% off Mitopure, clinically proven to boost mitophagy. Go to timeline.com/vanessa. In this episode, I sit down with Julia Mitchell to explore the principles of muscle-centric medicine and the critical role muscle plays in overall health, longevity, and body composition. We discuss practical strategies for achieving your fitness goals, from optimizing protein intake to structuring your day for success, and choosing the right carbs and fats for muscle growth. In this episode, you’ll learn: The core fundamentals of achieving the body composition you want How to set yourself...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% OFF all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text VANESSA to 64000. That’s VANESSA to sixty-four thousand. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. In this myth-busting solo episode, Vanessa recaps her powerful conversation with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple — a leading researcher in women’s physiology and strength training — and breaks down the real science behind the most persistent myths in women’s fitness and hormones. From fasted training to protein timing, lifting heavy, cortisol,...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Timeline: Get 10% off Mitopure, clinically proven to boost mitophagy. Go to . In this myth-busting episode of The Optimal Protein Podcast, host Vanessa Spina is joined once again by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple — one of the most trusted voices in evidence-based women’s health and strength training. Social media is overflowing with advice on what women should and shouldn’t do when it comes to building muscle, managing hormones, and training across the menstrual cycle. But how much of it is actually backed by science? Dr. Lauren joins us to expose the truth behind the most persistent...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% OFF all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text VANESSA to 64000. That’s VANESSA to sixty-four thousand. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Wondering what to eat in a day on high-protein keto — and how much? In this solo episode, Vanessa lays out your exact roadmap to eating for fat loss, satiety, and energy on a high-protein ketogenic diet. You’ll learn: How to set your macros (without overthinking it) How to calculate your protein target for results What a full day of eating...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Timeline: Get 10% off Mitopure, clinically proven to boost mitophagy. Go to . Ready to cut through the noise and actually build muscle and lose fat? Dr. Mike Israetel joins me to break down the simple science behind protein intake, hypertrophy training, and smart recovery — all in a way that’s perfect for beginners. If you want real results, not just internet fitness myths — this episode is for you. Visit for 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS receive a free gift with your second shipment—fun surprises like a free 6-pack, Ketone-IQ merch, and more!...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% OFF all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text VANESSA to 64000. That’s VANESSA to sixty-four thousand. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. In this solo deep-dive, Vanessa breaks down her full-length interview with Dr. Ted Naiman, author of Satiety Per Calorie: Eating, Solved. This is the episode for anyone tired of dieting, confused by nutrition extremes, or struggling to lose fat sustainably. Vanessa walks you through every major insight from the episode, from the four levers of...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Timeline: Get 10% off Mitopure, clinically proven to boost mitophagy. Go to . In this powerful and practical episode, Vanessa sits down with returning guest Dr. Ted Naiman—board-certified physician, fitness expert, and author of the new book Satiety Per Calorie: Eating, Solved. Together, they unpack the revolutionary concept that could change the way you eat forever: satiety per calorie—a simple but groundbreaking way to eat more food, feel fuller, and effortlessly lose fat. Dr. Naiman explains why our modern food environment has hijacked hunger, how food processing dilutes satiety,...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% OFF all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text VANESSA to 64000. That’s VANESSA to sixty-four thousand. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Feel like your metabolism needs a reboot? In this special solocast, Vanessa Spina shares a full audio walkthrough of the Keto Reset — a simplified, protein-prioritized approach to fat adaptation and sustainable fat loss. Whether you’re new to keto or ready to do it right, this episode is your personal guide to resetting your body for real...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Timeline: Get 10% off Mitopure, clinically proven to boost mitophagy. Go to . What if the key to a leaner body, a clearer mind, and total food freedom isn’t willpower… but your gut bacteria? In this powerful episode of The Optimal Protein Podcast, I’m joined by world-renowned physician, author, and gut health pioneer Dr. Steven Gundry to dive into the bold insights from his new book, The Gut-Brain Paradox. Dr. Gundry reveals how an imbalanced microbiome doesn’t just affect digestion — it can hijack your cravings, dull your focus, and even impact your mood, behavior, and...
info_outlineOptimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% OFF all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text VANESSA to 64000. That’s VANESSA to sixty-four thousand. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. What if the keto diet you thought you knew… was actually working against your goals? In this solo episode of The Optimal Protein Podcast, I’m breaking down what I call “The New Keto”—a science-backed, high-protein version of keto designed for fat loss, lean muscle retention, and metabolic flexibility. Based on the latest research and...
info_outlineTimeline: Get 10% off Mitopure, clinically proven to boost mitophagy. Go to timeline.com/vanessa.
In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Victoria Felkar, a leading expert in women’s health, endocrinology, and performance. Victoria’s work challenges common myths and misconceptions surrounding women’s health — from hormone fluctuations to muscle growth and strength training.
In this episode, we discuss:
✅ Why the belief that women and men are vastly different in muscle growth and strength isn’t as clear-cut as you might think
✅ Misconceptions about cycle syncing and whether tailoring training to the menstrual cycle is backed by solid science
✅ Why overly simplified messages about hormones and female health can do more harm than good
✅ The dangers of focusing solely on estradiol in peri- and post-menopause and why this narrow focus is bad science
✅ Why isolating health into distinct processes — like sleep, nutrition, or hormones — overlooks the interconnectedness between these factors
Victoria’s insights will empower you to better understand the complexities of female physiology and take a science-backed approach to improving your health, performance, and body composition.
Episode Highlights:
🧠 Common misconceptions about women’s health and performance — and what the science really says
💪 Are women and men really that different when it comes to building strength and muscle?
🔍 Why oversimplifying menstrual cycle training strategies can mislead women
🔥 The surprising truth about hormonal influences in peri- and post-menopause
🌐 Why sleep, nutrition, and hormones shouldn’t be treated in isolation — and how interconnected these systems really are
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Connect with Victoria Felkar:
🔗 Website