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Women in the United States typically lose their testosterone 15 years before anyone even checks for it.
“The FastFit program is amazing. That eccentric loading and the ability to resist way more weight than you can lift—it’s the best way to build muscle in the shortest amount of time and the safest modality. But without testosterone, you can’t respond to the ask. Working out is an ask. There’s no response without testosterone.” — Kimberly Cunningham, Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner
Kimberly Cunningham, NP, is back for part two of our conversation, and this time she goes deep on the subject she’s spent 11 years mastering: hormone therapy.
The episode starts with clear definitions of premenopause, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Kimberly walks through each stage and what’s happening hormonally. But the real revelation is what standard medicine is missing. In the United States, women typically start losing testosterone around age 35—a full 15 years before most providers would even think to check for it. Without testosterone, you can’t build muscle, you can’t build bone, everything hurts, and inflammation starts climbing. It doesn’t have a diagnostic code. Most OB-GYNs receive seven hours or less of hormone education in their entire residency.
Kimberly also dismantles the myths that have kept women and men from pursuing hormone therapy. The study that linked testosterone to prostate cancer was based on an effective sample size of zero. The Women’s Health Initiative study that scared a generation of women off estrogen has been debunked? The FDA has removed the black box warnings. The truth is that hormones offer a protective covering for prostrate, breasts bones, and brain.
Finally, Kimberly explains how to get tested properly—why total testosterone alone isn’t enough, why sex hormone binding globulin matters, and why the lab method (liquid chromatography, not immunoassay) is critical to accurate results. And she connects it all back to FastFit: our isokinetic exercise machines provide the optimal amount of tension for developing muscle. But without testosterone, your body can’t respond to the ask. Strength training and hormone optimization work together.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The medical definitions of premenopause, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause (and why the distinctions matter)
- Why women in the U.S. start losing testosterone around age 35, and why most providers don’t check for it
- The symptoms of low testosterone in women: muscle loss, chronic pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, and loss of libido
- Why the studies linking hormones to cancer and heart disease have been debunked
- How to get properly tested: total testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG, and why the lab method matters
- Why 85% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, and how sunscreen with endocrine disruptors blocks synthesis for 24 hours
- How testosterone is the missing link between strength training and results
- How to find a qualified hormone practitioner: BioTE Medical, functional medicine certifications (IFM, A4M), and what to look for
- When men should start checking testosterone (around age 45) and the symptoms to watch for
🎧 Listen to Episode 52 now:
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