Most women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are told that they need to eat less, workout more, manage stress, and get certain hormones checked. This approach isn’t wrong. But it is insufficient. And it largely amounts to symptom management. In the Western medicine paradigm, medical providers typically don’t do a lot of digging to get to the root cause.
For millions of women, this combination of calorie-counting with high-level symptom management ends in frustration. Or guilt.
But what if something else is going on? What if PCOS isn’t only a gynecological issue? And what if it’s not your fault?
I sat down with Kimberly Cunningham, a functional medicine provider and registered nurse practitioner, who shared something that reframed everything I thought I knew about PCOS. She explained that roughly 80% of women with PCOS may have an underlying deficiency in GLP and GIP production—the hormones that regulate blood sugar, appetite, and satiety. In other words, many women with PCOS aren’t dealing with a willpower problem at the refrigerator. Or a problem with “fertility.” They’re up against an undiagnosed metabolic disorder that their healthcare providers may have totally overlooked.
This changes the entire conversation. And most importantly, it removes a burden from your shoulders and your personal health story.
Important note: I’m not a doctor. Nobody at FastFit is going to diagnose or treat your PCOS. The goal of this article is to inform and empower you. To give you hope. In my conversations with clinicians and in following the research, we want to give you a holistic framework for the next time you talk to your gynecologist, endocrinologist, or functional medicine provider. This is a starting point, not a treatment plan.
Three Ways to Address PCOS (and Other Chronic Inflammatory Issues)
PCOS is a chronic inflammatory condition, and chronic conditions require a multi-disciplinary approach. There’s no single fix. But there are three evidence-backed strategies worth discussing with your healthcare providers.
1. Get the right labs—and the right provider
If your doctor has only tested your reproductive hormones and sent you on your way, you may be missing the bigger picture. PCOS is directly connected to metabolic function. Insulin resistance, blood sugar regulation, and inflammatory markers are all at play here. A provider trained in functional or integrative medicine can run a more comprehensive panel—including A1C, fasting insulin, and metabolic markers—that reveals what’s actually driving your symptoms.
Emerging research on GLP-1 receptor agonists shows real promise for women with PCOS, particularly in improving insulin sensitivity, reducing abdominal fat, and supporting hormonal balance. A 2025 meta-analysis in Scientific Reports found that GLP-1 receptor agonists effectively reduced body weight, BMI, and insulin resistance in women with PCOS [1]. Kimberly Cunningham The point isn’t to advocate for a specific medication. It’s to say: if the root issue is metabolic, the treatment should be, too.
2. Build muscle—it's one of the most powerful tools you have
Here’s something that doesn’t get enough attention in the PCOS conversation: muscle tissue is one of the largest consumers of glucose in your body. The more muscle you have, the more capacity your body has to absorb and regulate blood sugar—even at rest.
Research shows that strength training improves insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS, lowers androgen levels, reduces inflammation, and supports healthier body composition—sometimes even without significant weight loss.
- A 2022 scoping review in Medical Sciences found that resistance training improved multiple PCOS-relevant outcomes—including glycemia, testosterone, and body composition—across every study examined [2]
- In a 16-week progressive resistance training study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, both PCOS and non-PCOS women saw significant reductions in testosterone, blood glucose, and body fat percentage [3]
- Separately, research has linked increases in muscle mass to meaningful reductions in insulin resistance risk [4]
Muscle is medicine. Kimberly knows this—and this is why she’s a FastFit member. Our isokinetic resistance technology delivers high-intensity strength training in 20-minute sessions, twice a week. The machines maintain constant velocity while you produce maximum force through every phase of every rep—which means your muscles get a potent, joint-safe stimulus without the guesswork of loading plates or managing form breakdowns. For women managing PCOS, that kind of efficient, intense, and consistent muscle tension matters.
Muscle isn’t just aesthetic. It’s metabolic infrastructure. It truly is medicine.
3. Support your body from multiple directions
Strength training creates a foundation—but it works best alongside other intentional habits. Prioritize protein (aim for 0.7–1.0g per pound of body weight). Support your gut health with fiber and diverse, whole foods. Prioritize sleep. Reduce chronic stressors where you can. And stay in conversation with your provider about whether interventions like GLP-1 therapies, metformin, or targeted supplementation make sense for your specific situation. (We partner directly with Kimberly Cunningham as part of our member-only fat loss program.)
You Don’t Have to Settle for the Status Quo
The women I’ve seen make real progress are the ones who stop blaming themselves and start building a strategy that addresses what’s actually happening in their bodies.
If you’ve been told your PCOS symptoms are just something to live with, I’d encourage you to push back. Find a provider who takes your labs seriously. Build muscle that changes your metabolic health from the inside out. And know that the frustration you’ve felt isn’t a character flaw—it may be a medical gap that’s finally starting to close.
Citations
[1] Tan, B. et al. “Efficacy and safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists on weight management and metabolic parameters in PCOS women: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Scientific Reports, 2025. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99622-4
[2] Kite, C. et al. “Time to Load Up—Resistance Training Can Improve the Health of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A Scoping Review.” Medical Sciences, 10(4), 53, 2022. PMC9590069
[3] Lara, L.A.S. et al. “Hyperandrogenism Enhances Muscle Strength After Progressive Resistance Training, Independent of Body Composition, in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2019. PMID 29927897
[4] Kite, C. et al. (see [1]). Multiple studies reviewed in this scoping review report improvements in fat-free mass and insulin-related markers following 8–16 weeks of resistance training in women with PCOS.
