
Is Your Brain Fog Really Menopause? Dr. Sarah McKay Explains What the Research Says
High Performance HealthShow Notes
Brain fog in perimenopause isn't inevitable decline.Brain fog in perimenopause isn't inevitable decline. It's a systems puzzle, and once you understand what's actually driving it, you can do something about it.
In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Sarah McKay, neuroscientist and author of The Women's Brain Book, and we break down the real neuroscience behind why your brain feels different in midlife, what the research actually says about HRT and brain health, and the evidence-based strategies to protect and optimise your cognitive performance.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• What actually causes perimenopause brain fog (it's not just your hormones)
• How night sweats disrupt sleep architecture even when you don't fully wake up
• Why anxiety and waking at 3am are early signs of the perimenopause transition
• What the research really says about estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on brain health
• Why the progesterone and GABA sleep claim is not what it seems
• How your career and daily habits are already shaping your long-term dementia risk
• Why your mindset about aging may be affecting your cognitive performance
• The daily framework for protecting your brain: sleep, nutrition, strength training, and stress
TIMESTAMPS:
VALUABLE RESOURCES
• Take the BioSyncing Quiz to help you understand what’s actually happening in your body — and how to fix it.
👉 https://biosyncing.scoreapp.com/
A BIG thank you to our sponsor who make 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. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist and author of The Women's Brain Book, a fully updated guide to the female brain across perimenopause, menopause, and midlife ageing. She has dedicated her career to helping women understand the brain science behind hormones, cognition, and brain health, cutting through the noise to give women evidence-based answers about what is actually happening in their brains and bodies at midlife.
Website: https://drsarahmckay.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay/
More from High Performance Health
Can HRT actually help women in midlife build muscle and reduce visceral fat — or is lifestyle still doing most of the heavy lifting? In this conversation, Dr. Federica Amati explains what her research found, where HRT may be helpful, and why it should be seen as one tool rather than the main driver of body composition.
Dr. Alyssa Olenick on why cardio doesn't cause belly fat, what fasted training really does for fat loss, and how women in midlife should balance lifting, cardio and carbs.
How much protein do you really need to build muscle — and do women in perimenopause or menopause need more? In this conversation, Eric Helms breaks down the evidence behind some of the most common protein recommendations, including the widely quoted 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, when higher intakes may be useful, and why your starting point matters more than obsessing over a supposedly perfect number.
This episode is brought to you by Solaray
If you’re a woman in midlife and short on time, HIIT may be one of the most efficient ways to improve metabolic fitness and target visceral fat. In this conversation, Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan breaks down the exact HIIT protocol her research group uses most often: one minute hard, one minute recovery, repeated for up to 10 rounds.