Stronger with Time – Details, episodes & analysis

After eight episodes with the world’s leading experts, what actually works for women’s health, strength, and performance?

This is the first summary podcast of Stronger With Time—a distillation of what I’ve learned from conversations with eight world-class researchers and practitioners in women’s health and performance. 

🎓 Join the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course →⁠⁠ https://scienceofthriving.com.au⁠⁠

📲 Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

If you’ve been following the series, or if you’re looking for a rigorous, practical update on what the research actually supports, this is your one-stop briefing.

Inside, you’ll learn:

→ Why “cycle syncing” needs context, not blanket rules (Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple)

→ How to balance intensity and base training for results (Prof. Paul Laursen)

→ What muscle research really says about menopause and strength (Prof. Severine Lamon)

→ The truth about protein, adaptation, and what actually matters after 40 (Prof. Stuart Phillips)

→ Why gender-based nutrition rules often don’t hold up (Prof. Louise Burke)

→ How mindset and emotional fitness drive lasting change (Craig Hall)

→ The power of individualised breathing for sleep and recovery (Dr. Rosalba Courtney)

→ How to build muscle and strength at any age without dogma (Prof. Tommy Lundberg)

And more.

This is the playbook I’m using, based on both the literature and decades of coaching.

Next up:

More episodes with true experts, deeper dives into the research that matters, another run of my Menopause course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au, and an upcoming “Ask Me Anything” where I’ll answer your biggest questions.

Follow for more.

🎓 Register for the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au

📲 Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

Can you really build muscle, strength & power at any age? Or does it all “fall off a cliff” after 50?

In this episode, Professor Tommy Lundberg unpacks the real evidence on muscle mass, strength, gender, and aging. You’ll discover:

• How (and why) muscle power and strength change with age - and what you can do about it

• Why most people can gain muscle in their 50s, 60s, and beyond

• What actually happens to women’s muscle through menopause

• The rep ranges, frequencies, and volumes that drive real results

• The science behind anti-inflammatories, cold water, and “cardio interference”

• Why context, recovery, and individualisation matter more than ever

  
  

Ideal for women, coaches, and anyone determined to age with strength and confidence.

🎓 Join the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au

📲 Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

How do stress, menopause, and modern life change the way women breathe? Is there really a “right” way to breathe - or do we need a more adaptive, compassionate approach?

In this conversation, Dr. Rosalba Courtney shares the latest science behind functional breathing, the E.A.R.S. model, and how women can use breathwork to ease anxiety, improve sleep, and regain control during menopause.

You’ll learn:

• What dysfunctional breathing actually is and how to spot it

• How stress, anxiety & menopause disrupt your breathing patterns

• The link between CO₂ tolerance, nervous system health & sleep quality

• Why rigid breathing techniques can do more harm than good

• Nasal vs. mouth breathing: what the science says (not social media)

• Evidence-based breathing drills for sleep, anxiety & nasal function

• The truth about sighs, yawns, and breath holds — and how to use them

Whether you’re a coach, a midlife woman, or anyone interested in the science and art of breathing, this episode gives you practical tools to breathe easier and thrive.

 🎓 Join the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au

📲 Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

What happens when the body, confidence, or routines you've built your identity around begin to shift - and how do you navigate this transition with grace rather than resistance?

In this honest and grounded conversation, Tony speaks with one of Australia’s first life coaches Craig Hall to explore the quiet identity shifts that surface in midlife.

You’ll learn how to:

• Understand why emotional triggers are useful - not shameful

• Rebuild self-trust when your confidence has shifted

• Let go of the pressure to “go back to who you were”

• Work with - rather than against - your current reality

• Navigate the invisible identity shift with more compassion and less control

This episode is for anyone who feels like their old tools no longer fit - and is ready to meet midlife with more grace, honesty, and strength.

Join the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au

Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

How should female athletes approach nutrition and recovery—and does the menstrual cycle significantly alter these strategies?

In this evidence-driven conversation, Professor Louise Burke clarifies:

• Accurate guidelines for carbohydrate loading in women

• The realities of training fasted for women

• Collagen supplementation and its actual effectiveness

• Practical nutrition and recovery strategies

• Optimal caffeine use without compromising sleep

• Crucial insights into maintaining bone health

Perfect for coaches supporting female athletes and women training through different life stages, this episode provides clear, actionable guidelines to confidently manage nutrition and performance.

 Join the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au

Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

How should protein and resistance training strategies evolve as women age—and does menopause actually change these needs? 

In this conversation with Professor Stuart Phillips, we clarify the latest science behind protein metabolism, muscle-building workouts, and supplements.

You'll gain practical insights into:

• Accurately determining your protein needs• Why menopause doesn't dramatically alter protein requirements

• Choosing resistance training intensity safely and effectively

• The real mechanisms behind muscle growth

• Collagen supplementation: effectiveness versus marketing

• Pre-sleep protein intake benefits: what research actually supports

Ideal for coaches supporting women through menopause and for women training through this life stage themselves, this episode provides clear, evidence-based guidelines to confidently navigate protein, training, and muscle health

Join the 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → https://scienceofthriving.com.au

Follow us on Instagram → @tonyboutagy

What actually happens to female muscle as we age—and why is menopause a breaking point?

In this episode, we sit down with molecular biologist Profesor Severine Lamon to unpack what really happens to female muscle as we age—and why menopause marks a unique, non-linear turning point in training and recovery.

Topics we cover include:

•  When muscle decline begins—and why it’s not linear

•  How different types of testosterone influence performance

•  The impact of hormone therapy on strength and recovery

•  How sleep loss alters training effects at the genetic level

•  The 3x/day protein + leucine strategy for aging muscle

•  The overlooked risks of performance drugs in women’s health

Whether you're coaching women or training through menopause yourself, this episode gives you science-backed tools to preserve strength with clarity and confidence.

🎓 Enrol in Tony’s 9-Week Science of Thriving Course → ⁠⁠https://scienceofthriving.com.au ⁠⁠ 

👉Follow on IG → @tonyboutagy    

In this episode of Stronger With Time, Dr. Tony Boutagy sits down with Professor Paul Laursen (renowned exercise physiologist, HIIT researcher, and co-founder of Athletica.ai) to discuss all things endurance training, zone 2 work, HIIT, fasted cardio and some of the misinformation around these training modalities. 

In this Eposide:

00:00 – Intro: Why this conversation matters for women and coaches  

01:00 – Paul’s background & why elite athletes aren’t always healthy  

03:00 – Metabolic dysfunction & burnout in high performers  

06:00 – Muscle mass, mitochondria & why resistance alone isn’t enough  

08:00 – What Zone 2 actually does for your metabolic health  

11:00 – How to test aerobic fitness without a lab (180-age method)  

14:00 – Why building fat-burning capacity is so critical for women  

17:00 – How many hours of Zone 2 do you really need?  

19:00 – Why Zone 3 is “no man’s land” & how to avoid overtraining  

22:00 – Full breakdown of zone training (Zone 1–6 explained)  

25:00 – When Zone 3 is useful—and when it’s a mistake  

26:00 – The science behind short intervals vs long ones  

29:00 – Why 30/30 intervals work (and how to dose them properly)  

33:00 – The biggest mistake most people make with intervals  

35:00 – How much VO₂max training is enough for health & longevity  

39:00 – Why base training *must* come before HIIT  

41:00 – Do women respond differently to aerobic training?  

44:00 – The myth that women should avoid Zone 2 & fasted cardio  

47:00 – What the research *really* says about fasted training for women  

49:00 – Fueling performance on low-carb diets: how it actually works  

52:00 – Carbohydrate targets, CGMs & training with metabolic flexibility  

54:00 – Stress, cortisol & how glucose spikes show up on CGMs  

55:00 – Final thoughts & how to join Paul’s real-world nutrition study

Guest Bio:

Professor Paul Laursen is a world-leading endurance coach and exercise physiologist with 150+ peer-reviewed papers. He’s the co-founder of Athletica.ai and author of the Human Kinetics textbook High-Intensity Interval Training. He’s coached Olympic medalists, Ironman champions, and continues to pioneer research at the intersection of performance and health.

Resources & Links:

– Free 2-week Athletica.ai trial → https://athletica.ai  

– Field Study: Join Athletica’s nutrition + training research project  

– Professor Laursen’s textbook on HIIT → https://hiitscience.com/hiit-science-book-application/

– Peter Attia: VO₂max and longevity reference → https://peterattiamd.com/all-things-vo2-max/

– Jeff Volek’s FASTER Study →  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26892521/

📣 Want to thrive through menopause with evidence-based training? Enrol in Tony’s 9-Week Course: https://scienceofthriving.com.au

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, a leading researcher whose work has reshaped our understanding of female performance across the menstrual cycle.

Her landmark study — the most tightly controlled investigation to date — offers the clearest insight yet into how hormonal fluctuations impact training outcomes. By challenging outdated assumptions based on rodent data and male physiology, her work sets a new benchmark for how we train women.

Together, we cut through myths and confusion surrounding female-specific training, covering:

• Muscle and metabolic changes across the cycle

• Fuel utilization and recovery

• Impact of oral contraceptives on performance

• Smarter strategies for strength, nutrition, and adaptation

If you’re a coach or woman looking for clarity on how to train through hormonal change — this is essential listening.

Music by - Scott Bagnall

Welcome to STRONGER WITH TIME, a podcast dedicated to evidence-based training approaches for women at every life stage, hosted by strength coach and sports scientist Dr Tony Boutagy.

👉 Follow on IG → @tonyboutagy   

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In this introductory episode:

00:00 – Welcome + Tony’s background: from uni coach to 30-year career in exercise science and strength

00:50 – Rise of resistance training for women + how social media confused the conversation

01:50 – Why long-form discussion matters + importance of going directly to the source

02:47 – What to expect in future episodes: interviews with leading researchers in muscle, hormones, aging, cardio, mindset & more

03:58 – How this podcast blends research + real coaching to guide training through all hormonal stages

Host Bio: Dr Tony Boutagy is a renowned strength coach and sports & exercise scientist with 30+ years of experience.

Specialising in women's strength training through hormonal transitions, Tony bridges the gap between research and practical training methods.

📣 Want to thrive through menopause with evidence-based training? Enrol in Tony’s 9-Week Course: https://scienceofthriving.com.au

Music by - Scott Bagnall