Muscle Loss, Belly Fat & Perimenopause: What's REALLY Happening & How to Fix It: Dr. Hannah Cabre

Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina

Vanessa Spina

Fitness, Health & Fitness, Nutrition

4.5 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 17 November 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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In today's episode, we take a powerful deep dive into women's metabolism during perimenopause and midlife with Dr. Hannah Cabré, postdoctoral fellow at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and 2025 Fellow of the Year.

We break down why body composition changes so dramatically for women in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s — and what the latest science says you can do to stay strong, lean, and metabolically healthy through this transition.

Dr. Cabré explains what's actually driving muscle loss, increased protein turnover, shifts in fat distribution, and changes in fuel use, and she shares evidence-based nutrition and training strategies that truly move the needle.

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In this episode, we cover:

What perimenopause is and why symptoms vary so much
How estrogen loss increases protein turnover and belly fat
Aging vs. menopause: what's hormonal and what's not
Protein needs for women (1.2–1.6 g/kg) and how to hit them
Simple meal-by-meal protein goals for muscle retention
The best diet pattern for postmenopausal women
Mediterranean-style eating, nitrates, and vascular health
Olive oil, fish, omega-3s & lowering inflammation
Creatine for women: strength, mood, cognition & hydration
Key micronutrients for each stage of a woman's life
Cycle syncing vs. what the science actually shows
Sleep, hydration & recovery strategies to reduce fatigue
Nutrition approaches that support fat loss & body recomposition

If you're navigating perimenopause, noticing body composition changes, or simply want to understand how to fuel and train smarter in your 30s, 40s, and 50s, this episode will give you clarity, confidence, and science-based tools you can use today.

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The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Optimal Protein Podcast. I'm Vanessa Spina.
0:04.7	Hello, my friends, and welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host, Vanessa, and today we are diving
0:10.5	deep into women's health, hormones, and protein metabolism, as well as body composition and fat
0:17.4	loss with one of the most exciting rising researchers in the field, Dr. Hanna Cabre,
0:25.0	PhD, RDN, and postdoctoral fellow at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, of which
0:31.4	she just received a distinguished award of Fellow of the Year in 2025. Dr. Kebri's research explores how hormones, nutrition,
0:40.9	and exercise interact to shape body composition, metabolism, and performance in women,
0:46.7	from pregnancy and postpartum to perimenopause and beyond. Her studies on hormonal contraception,
0:53.6	the menstrual cycle, and strength performance
0:55.7	are helping to redefine how we understand women's physiology in both sport and daily life.
1:02.9	Now, in this episode, we unpack why parimenopause increases protein turnover and muscle protein
1:09.4	breakdown and what that means for our protein needs and body
1:13.7	composition during this stage of life and how women can adjust their nutrition and training to
1:19.1	stay strong, lean, and metabolically fit at every stage of life. We also touch on her work around
1:26.4	creatine across the lifespan, which diet in the scientific
1:31.0	literature was found to be most effective for women who are postmenopause when it comes to
1:37.8	overall health and cardiometabolic risk, omega-3 and omega-6 balance, micronutrients like vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium,
1:46.4	which many of us are deficient in, and the truth about cycle-sinking workouts, what the
1:52.6	science really says versus what's trending online. So if you ever wondered why your body
1:58.0	responds differently to training or dieting throughout your 30s,
2:01.6	40s and 50s, and how to use proteins strategically to combat fat gain and preserve muscle,
2:07.4	this episode will give you the clarity and confidence that you need.
	...

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