WHAT WE EXPLORE

* What a DEXA scan actually measures (and what it misses about your muscle)

* Visceral fat vs. body fat: why the distinction matters for metabolic health

* Body composition tracking tools for women who cannot access a DEXA

* How perimenopausal women lost body fat with just walking and bodyweight training

* Strength training for beginners: why you do not need a gym or heavy weights

* 15-minute workouts that actually move the needle for busy women

* How to navigate conflicting health research without losing your mind

* Menopause hormone therapy: patches, pellets, injections, and what the experts actually use

* The exact hormone panel every woman should get before starting HRT

* Why taking personal ownership of your health is the ultimate non-negotiable

Timestamps:

* 00:00 Why Women’s Health Research Has Failed (And What’s Changing)

* 01:10 What DEXA Scans Actually Measure — And What They Miss

* 04:10 Why Skeletal Muscle Is Your Most Important Metabolic Organ

* 07:30 DEXA vs. Scales vs. Waist-Hip Ratio: What to Use and When

* 09:00 Why You Should Trust How You Feel Over Your Data

* 12:45 You Don’t Need a Gym or Heavy Weights to Build Muscle

* 15:00 The 15-Minute Home Circuit Busy Women Can Actually Stick To

* 18:30 Why Health Advice Is So Conflicting — And How to Filter It

* 23:30 How to Read Research Without Getting Misled or Overwhelmed

* 32:00 HRT Delivery Methods Explained: Patches, Pellets, Injections, and Creams

* 41:30 The Exact Blood Panel Every Woman Should Get Before Starting HRT

* 47:00 How to Build a Health Plan That Works for Your Real Life

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ABOUT THE PROOF OF PRACTICE

The Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets Practice Hosted by five of the most respected names in women’s health: Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, Amber Taylor, Gabby Reece, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Dr. Stacy Sims, this show exists because women have been studied less, treated as afterthoughts, and given advice built for men. We’re changing that.

Every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance: for women, by women who’ve dedicated their careers to getting it right. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works.

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JOIN THE PROOF OF PRACTICE COMMUNITY

The conversation doesn’t stop when the episode does.

📷 Follow us for evidence-based clips and the kind of content that makes you feel less alone in what you’re going through. This is where the conversation stays alive.

👉 https://www.instagram.com/proofofpractice_

💌 Some things deserve more space than an episode allows. Join us on Substack for deeper dives, exclusive resources, and the nuance that actually helps you make sense of your health, not just follow a trend.

👉 https://proofpractice.substack.com/

🎧 If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something you needed to hear, there’s more where that came from. Subscribe so you never have to go looking. Every new conversation lands straight in your feed, ready when you are.

Dr. Emily Kraus, Sports Medicine Physician and Director of the FASTR (Female Athlete Science and Translational Research) program at Stanford University, joins us to dig into one of the most overlooked areas of women's health: bone density, bone stress injuries, and the hidden epidemic of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). Dr. Kraus breaks down exactly why female athletes are at disproportionately high risk for bone stress injuries and how under-fueling, even when unintentional, can trigger hormonal suppression, menstrual cycle dysfunction, and long-term skeletal consequences.

The conversation spans everything from iron deficiency and foot strike hemolysis to the surprising relationship between estrogen, strength training, and bone building across the lifespan. If you think bone health is only a concern after menopause, this episode will completely reframe how you think about your body at every age.

What we explore:

- What RED-S is and why it affects far more women than anyone is diagnosing

- Why female athletes are at higher risk for stress fractures than male athletes

- The silent signs of under-fueling that appear long before you lose your period

- Fasted training and young female athletes: why skipping breakfast is not neutral

- Iron deficiency in active women: how to test it, which form to take, and why runners are especially vulnerable

- Jumping vs. running for bone health, and how to ease into plyometrics safely

- How perimenopause accelerates bone loss and what you can actually do about it

- Why hormonal contraception can mask RED-S and complicate the clinical picture

- Estrogen and bone health: the case for transdermal estrogen in certain athletes

- Strength training for bone density: why muscle quality matters just as much as bone density scores

- Wearables and the future of early detection for overtrained, under-fueled athletes

- Why sleep is a non-negotiable part of bone recovery for athletes at every age

About Dr. Emily Kraus:

Dr. Emily Kraus is a sports medicine physician and researcher at Stanford University, where she directs the FASTER Program: Female Athlete Science and Translational Research. Her work is focused on closing the gender gap in sport science by producing rigorous research and translating it into real-world clinical tools. She splits her time between treating athletes and leading research on bone health, energy availability, and the female hormone system across the athletic lifespan. She's one of the clearest, most practically minded voices working at the intersection of performance and women's health.

Connect with Dr. Emily Kraus:

Website: https://fastr.stanford.edu/ (Including practical nutrition and fueling infographics built specifically for female athletes.)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stanfordfastr/ | https://www.instagram.com/emilykrausmd/

For a deeper look at the research coming out of FASTR over the past few years: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QYW2ekv6JGMo4MhoKwnp4SZhg5NtDSIk/view?usp=drive_link

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro: Why Women Lose Bone Density Faster Than You Think

03:46 What Is RED-S and Why Most Doctors Miss It

06:01 5 Warning Signs You May Have RED-S Right Now

08:21 Why Fasted Training and Carb Fear Are Wrecking Your Health

11:17 How to Test and Treat Iron Deficiency in Female Athletes

15:12 Why Runners Lose Iron Faster Than Any Other Athlete

17:16 How to Rebuild Bone Density During Perimenopause

20:43 Stop Eating for Leanness Eat for Longevity Instead

25:27 How Birth Control Masks RED-S Symptoms in Athletes

29:54 Estrogen Protects Your Bones: What to Ask Your Doctor

34:38 How Strength Training Builds Bone Density at Any Age

39:03 Why You Cannot Catch Up on Sleep and What to Do Instead

–

The Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets Practice

Hosted by five of the most respected names in women's health: Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, Dr. Amber Taylor, Gabby Reece, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Dr. Stacy Sims, this show exists because women have been studied less, treated as afterthoughts, and given advice built for men. We're changing that.

Every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance — for women, by women who've dedicated their careers to getting it right. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works.