High Performance Health

She more than doubled her HRV in under a decade, and the behaviour that moved it most was not training, supplements or sleep duration, but going to bed and waking at the same time.

This week I sat down with Global Head of Human Performance at WHOOP and author of Aligned, Dr Kristen Holmes, to unpack why sleep-wake consistency is the foundation of a resilient nervous system in midlife.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

- Why is sleep-wake consistency a stronger predictor of mortality and disease than how long you sleep?

- How does the contrast between your day and your night affect the severity of menopause symptoms?

- What is the physiological sigh, and why did it outperform other anxiety-reducing techniques in the research?

- Can you really raise your HRV, and how much of it is genetic rather than modifiable?

- Why does eating late at night suppress both sleep quality and overnight recovery?

- Why do unresolved trauma and an outcome-driven identity keep your nervous system stuck in fight or flight?

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The One Behaviour That Steadies a Midlife Nervous System09:12 Why Day and Night Contrast Predicts Milder Menopause Symptoms17:21 The Physiological Sigh, Winter Light and Why Late Meals Wreck Recovery26:44 Data or Intuition: Using Your Numbers Without Becoming Obsessed34:54 The Five Habits Behind a Doubled HRV44:11 Falling Asleep at the Wheel: The Crash That Rebuilt Her Life52:30 Unresolved Trauma, Fear and an Identity Wrapped Around Outcomes

01:00:53 Living by Your Values When Willpower Runs Out

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Aligned: The Data-driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential by Dr Kristen Holmes: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468591/aligned-by-holmes-kristen/9781529146981

Explore Dr Kristen's work: https://drkristenholmes.com/

Track your recovery with WHOOP: https://www.whoop.com/

A BIG thank you to our sponsor who makes the show possible:

• MitoQ - Support your cells at the source with MitoQ NAD+ Dual Action, designed to boost NAD levels and help your cells actually use them for steady energy and sharper focus

👉 https://www.mitoq.com and use code ANGELA for 10% off your first order.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Kristen Holmes is Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist at WHOOP, where she studies how sleep, circadian alignment and recovery shape performance. A former US National Field Hockey Team player and one of the most successful coaches in Ivy League history, she holds a PhD and is the author of Aligned, a data-driven guide to recovery and human potential.

Want to go deeper? Start here:

Take the BioSyncing Quiz to help you understand what’s actually happening in your body — and how to fix it.

👉 https://biosyncing.scoreapp.com/

🌸Reset your hormones, restore your energy, and reconnect with your body in just 21 days.

👉 https://www.highperformance-health.com

💌 Fresh Start Sunday Newsletter

Your weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.

Each Sunday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide.

👉 https://angelafosterperformance.com/

🥗The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women -

👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/creatine-guide

⚡️ 10 Habits that Helped me reverse my Biological Age by 25 years in Perimenopause -

👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/10-habits-optin-page

▶️ Watch Next:

Why Women Over 40 Can't Lose Belly Fat (And Why More Exercise Makes It Worse) | Dr. Erin Kinney

https://youtu.be/Mi5F3U2gHR8

Dr. Robin Berzin: Why Perimenopausal Women Start HRT Too Late and When the Research Says to Start

https://youtu.be/KCyc2-aY0kg

👩‍💼 About Me:

Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing:registered: Method. Host of the High Performance Health Podcast with 500+ episodes featuring world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, and female performance science.

The most accomplished women have everything handled on the outside, but their hormones, energy, and nervous system are quietly paying the price.

The old playbook stops working in midlife.

This channel is designed to help high-performing women optimise energy, hormones, cognitive performance, and longevity using science-backed strategies built around female biology.

Angela’s personal mission is to help 1 million ambitious women perform better, age slower, and never have to choose between success and their health.

If you want to be part of that mission, make sure you subscribe and share the channel with a woman you care about.

Follow me for daily health and performance tips:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelasfoster/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaFosterPerformance

#angelaFoster #HighPerformanceHealth #WomensHealth #Longevity

Your heart is ageing faster than you think. It stiffens between 35 and 50, and shrinks between 50 and 65. For years this was written off as an unavoidable part of getting older. It isn't.The right type of exercise has been shown to reverse almost 20 years of cardiac ageing, and it takes far less time than you've been told.

If you're exercising more than ever but still feel exhausted, or pouring hours into cardio with nothing to show for it, this episode explains what's really happening in your heart, your mitochondria and your metabolism after 40, and the exact way to train smarter, not longer.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Why is my heart ageing faster after 40 and can I reverse it?

- Why do I feel tired but wired in perimenopause?

- What is metabolic flexibility and why do I lose it after 40?

- How little zone two exercise do I actually need to see results?

- What is the Norwegian 4x4 protocol and is it safe for women over 40?

- Do I really need 10,000 steps a day?

- How do squats after meals improve blood sugar and lower mortality risk?

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Your Heart Is Ageing Faster Than You Think (and How to Reverse It)

02:00 The Five Heart Rate Zones Explained, From Recovery Walks to VO2 Max

06:32 Tired But Wired? How HRV and Your Mitochondria Drive Energy in Perimenopause

10:32 How Little Zone Two You Actually Need for Insulin Sensitivity and Stamina

12:57 The Study That Made Sedentary Hearts 20 Years Younger

15:11 The Norwegian 4x4: 40 Minutes for Extraordinary Heart Gains (Plus Why Cortisol Isn't the Enemy)

18:19 Don't Start Here If You're Burnt Out: Rebuild Your Capacity First

20:46 Movement Snacks, Squats and the Truth About 10,000 Steps

23:46 Your Sustainable Weekly Framework in Just 3.5% of Your Time

Want to go deeper? Start here:Take the BioSyncing Quiz to help you understand what’s actually happening in your body — and how to fix it.

https://biosyncing.scoreapp.com/

Reset your hormones, restore your energy, and reconnect with your body in just 21 days. https://www.highperformance-health.com

Fresh Start Sunday Newsletter

Your weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.Each Sunday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide. https://angelafosterperformance.com/

The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women - https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/creatine-guide️

10 Habits that Helped me reverse my Biological Age by 25 years in Perimenopause - https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/10-habits-optin-pageAbout Me:

Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing:registered: Method. Host of the High Performance Health Podcast with 500+ episodes featuring world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, and female performance science.

The most accomplished women have everything handled on the outside, but their hormones, energy, and nervous system are quietly paying the price.

The old playbook stops working in midlife.This channel is designed to help high-performing women optimise energy, hormones, cognitive performance, and longevity using science-backed strategies built around female biology.

Angela’s personal mission is to help 1 million ambitious women perform better, age slower, and never have to choose between success and their health.If you want to be part of that mission, make sure you subscribe and share the channel with a woman you care about.

Follow me for daily health and performance tips:Instagram: @angelasfosterFacebook: @AngelaFosterPerformance

Naturopathic doctor and author of The Cortisol Cure, Dr. Erin Kinney, explains why cortisol isn't the villain we think it is, but a "fix it" hormone you earn through rest and spend through everything else. She unpacks why decades of overspending leave midlife women with a depleted account, why that stubborn belly fat took years to build via insulin resistance, and why the instinct to push harder with more cardio and fewer calories only drains you further.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Why cortisol is your "fix it" hormone, not just a stress villain

- Why your midlife belly fat took years to build, and why you need cortisol to lose it

- How the body robs your sex hormones, then floods you with tired-but-wired adrenaline

- Why pushing harder with more cardio and fewer calories backfires

- How to tell your account is overdrawn, from morning fatigue to crashing after workouts

- Why building muscle, not cardio, is the top lever for flipping insulin resistance

- Which everyday activities are secretly a spend versus a deposit

- Which adaptogens and nutrients refill the account, and why carbs matter more than you think

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - The Cortisol Bank Account: Why Midlife Leaves You Overdrawn When You Need It Most

08:00 - Why Your Belly Fat Took Years to Build: Insulin Resistance, Low Cortisol & Why You Can't Burn It

16:11 - HRT, Thyroid & the Signs Your Account Has Hit Zero: Fatigue, Caffeine and Crashing After Workouts

20:24 - Why More Cardio Is a Mistake: Building Muscle to Flip Insulin Resistance & Your Two Nervous System Muscles

28:36 - Adaptogens & the Brain's Off Button: Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Magnesium and What Actually Calms You Down

38:26 - Morning Workouts, Carbs Without Fear & Learning to Work With Your Seasons

44:05 - Training Your Nervous System: HRV, Meditation as a Skill and Going to Bed Before Midnight

VALUABLE RESOURCES

- Dr. Erin Kinney's new book: The Cortisol Cure

A different way to think about stress, built around the cortisol bank account, with a Cortisol Debt Assessment to score where your account stands.

- Take the Cortisol Debt Score assessment: https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cortisol-debt-score

- Follow Dr Erin Kinney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkinney

- Subscribe to Dr Kinney on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKinney

A BIG thank you to our sponsor who make the show possible:

AlgaeCal Plus - supports bone density in midlife. It’s plant-based calcium from ocean algae and one of the only supplements clinically shown to increase bone mineral density when used consistently.

👉 https://checkout.algaecal.com/ANGELA for your exclusive 10% discount (discount automatically applied at checkout).

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Erin Kinney is a naturopathic doctor, speaker, and author of The Cortisol Cure. She helps high-achieving women understand and rebalance their stress physiology through her cortisol bank account framework, treating patients in clinical practice and reaching a wider audience through her book, her Cortisol Cure community, and The Dr Kinney Show podcast.

Want to go deeper? Start here:

Take the BioSyncing Quiz to help you understand what's actually happening in your body, and how to fix it

👉 https://biosyncing.scoreapp.com

🌸Reset your hormones, restore your energy, and reconnect with your body in just 21 days👉 https://www.highperformance-health.com

💌 Fresh Start Sundays Newsletter

Your weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.

Each Monday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide.

👉 https://angelafosterperformance.com/

🥗 The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women

👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/creatine-guide

⚡ 10 Habits That Helped Me Reverse My Biological Age by 25 Years During Perimenopause

👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/10-habits-optin-page

👩‍💼 About Angela Foster

Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing® Method. She is the host of the High Performance Health Podcast, featuring over 500 conversations with world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, nutrition, and female performance.

Angela's mission is to help one million ambitious women optimise their hormones, energy, cognitive performance, and longevity, so they never have to choose between success and their health.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who would benefit from it.

Follow me for daily health and performance tips:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelasfoster

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaFosterPerformance

#AngelaFoster #HighPerformanceHealth #Women'sHealth #Menopause #Perimenopause #Cortisol #StressManagement #Longevity #HealthyAgeing

The 3 Best Supplements for Mitochondria, Energy & Longevity in Menopause

Get my free Longevity Stack Masterclass and Supplement Guide for women to learn how to build a personalised supplement stack: https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/free-longevity-stack-masterclass

In this episode, Angela explains how mitochondria produce energy, why mitochondrial function can become less efficient with age and hormonal change, and the three advanced supplements she personally uses as part of her longevity strategy: NAD precursors, urolithin A and MitoQ.

You’ll discover how each targets a different aspect of mitochondrial health — energy production, mitochondrial renewal and protection against oxidative stress — and why supplements work best when layered on top of the fundamentals of sleep, nutrition, exercise, cardiovascular fitness, stress management and, where appropriate, optimising hormones.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Why Energy Can Change in Menopause — Declining oestrogen can influence mitochondrial biogenesis and the efficiency of cellular energy production.

NAD for Cellular Energy — NAD plays a critical role in helping mitochondria convert food and oxygen into ATP, the energy currency of your cells.

Urolithin A for Mitochondrial Renewal — Urolithin A supports mitophagy, the body’s natural process for clearing damaged mitochondria and making room for healthier ones.

MitoQ for Mitochondrial Protection — MitoQ is designed to reach the mitochondria directly and help protect them against oxidative stress generated during energy production.

TIMESTAMPS AND KEY TOPICS

01:38 — Three different ways to support mitochondrial health

02:50 — Supplement #1: NAD and cellular energy production

04:10 — Supplement #2: Urolithin A and mitophagy

06:22 — Supplement #3: MitoQ and oxidative stress

08:01 — Why supplements should come after the foundations

08:16 — Angela’s longevity supplement protocol and free masterclass

Want to go deeper? Start here:Take the BioSyncing Quiz to help you understand what’s actually happening in your body — and how to fix it. https://biosyncing.scoreapp.com/

Reset your hormones, restore your energy, and reconnect with your body in just 21 days. https://www.highperformance-health.com

Fresh Start Sunday NewsletterYour weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.Each Sunday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide. https://angelafosterperformance.com/

The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women - https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/creatine-guide️

10 Habits that Helped me reverse my Biological Age by 25 years in Perimenopause - https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/10-habits-optin-pageAbout Me:

Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing:registered: Method. Host of the High Performance Health Podcast with 500+ episodes featuring world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, and female performance science.

The most accomplished women have everything handled on the outside, but their hormones, energy, and nervous system are quietly paying the price.The old playbook stops working in midlife.This channel is designed to help high-performing women optimise energy, hormones, cognitive performance, and longevity using science-backed strategies built around female biology.

Angela’s personal mission is to help 1 million ambitious women perform better, age slower, and never have to choose between success and their health.

If you want to be part of that mission, make sure you subscribe and share the channel with a woman you care about.

Follow me for daily health and performance tips:Instagram: @angelasfosterFacebook: @AngelaFosterPerformance

ZOE nutritionist Dr. Federica Amati explains why basal metabolic rate barely changes in perimenopause, but postprandial metabolism does, glucose, fat, insulin, and inflammation stay elevated longer after meals, partly via gut microbiome shifts. She unpacks why "thin" can mask sarcopenic obesity, why calorie labels carry ~20% error, why a nutrient-dense breakfast curbs cravings, and why a 70,000-woman ZOE study saw a 35% symptom drop from diet changes alone.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Why basal metabolic rate isn't the problem in perimenopause, but postprandial metabolism is

- What's actually driving new midsection fat storage as estrogen declines

- Why calorie counting fails as a long-term strategy, from label error to the food matrix effect

- How satiety hormones like GLP-1, PYY, and GIP shift after menopause, and why breakfast is the highest-leverage meal of the day

- Why looking thin doesn't mean you're metabolically healthy, and what sarcopenic obesity reveals about muscle as an organ

- What HRT actually changes about your metabolism, muscle mass, and visceral fat, and what it doesn't

- How a 70,000-woman study found a 35% drop in menopause symptoms from diet changes alone, and why brain fog improved most

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro

08:00 – Inside ZOE's Age-Matched Study: Why Postprandial Metabolism Shifts After Menopause

16:00 – Same Meal, Different Response: Satiety Hormones, Carb Cravings & Why Under-Eating Backfires

25:00 – Weight Set Point, Calorie Quality & the Sarcopenic Obesity Trap

34:00 – Why Calorie Counting Fails: Label Error, Nutrient Absorption & the Food Matrix Effect

40:00 – The 70,000-Woman Study: A 35% Symptom Drop From Diet Alone (and Why Breakfast Matters Most)

45:00 – What HRT Actually Does (and Doesn't Do) for Metabolism, Muscle & Visceral Fat

52:00 – Building Your Metabolic Buffer Before Menopause in an Obesogenic World

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Dr Federica Amati's new book: The Appetite ResetHow appetite really works, what GLP-1 medications are actually doing in the body, and how to eat to support your natural appetite signals, on medication or not.👉https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/482823/the-appetite-reset-by-amati-dr-federica/9780241833209

Follow Dr Federica Amati on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.fede.amati/

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Federica Amati is a medical scientist, Association for Nutrition registered nutritionist, and Head Nutritionist at Zoe, where she leads research on nutrition, gut health and disease prevention across the life course. She holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research from Imperial College London, where she also teaches, alongside a Master's in Public Health and a background spanning pharmacology and clinical nutrition. She runs a clinical practice with Well Founded Health, a concierge medical company.

Want to go deeper? Start here:

💌 Fresh Start Sundays NewsletterYour weekly 3-minute guide to creating the healthiest, most vibrant version of you.Each Monday, get one simple habit to boost energy, balance hormones, and enhance longevity - joined by 25,000+ women worldwide.👉 https://angelafosterperformance.com/

🌸 The 21-Day Hormone ResetDoing everything right but still don't feel like yourself? The 21-Day Hormone Reset helps you understand your hormones, restore your energy, and start working with your body instead of against it.👉 https://www.highperformance-health.com/

🥗 The Ultimate Guide to Creatine for Women👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/

⚡ 10 Habits That Helped Me Reverse My Biological Age by 25 Years During Perimenopause👉 https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/

About Angela Foster

Angela Foster is a corporate lawyer turned health and performance coach, keynote speaker, and creator of the BioSyncing® Method. She is the host of the High Performance Health Podcast, featuring over 500 conversations with world-leading experts in longevity, hormones, neuroscience, nutrition, and female performance.

Angela's mission is to help one million ambitious women optimise their hormones, energy, cognitive performance, and longevity—so they never have to choose between success and their health.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who would benefit from it.

Follow Angela for daily health and performance tips:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelasfoster/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaFosterPerformance/