How Does Muscle Drives Sexual Function for Both Men and Women? What You Need To Know
Proof of Practice PodcastShow Notes
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Muscle isn’t about how you look. It determines how long you live and how good your sex life is. Gabby Reece, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, and Amber Taylor unpack why the muscle as an endocrine organ shapes mood and desire related to vaginal atrophy, pelvic floor therapy, and testosterone receptor density. WHAT WE EXPLORE * Why women get triple cardiovascular benefit from lifting * Muscle as an endocrine organ for mood and brain health * How to treat it vaginal atrophy * Pelvic floor therapy links to orgasm * Testosterone receptor density and lab numbers * Relation of PCOS and muscle quality Timestamps * 00:00 Strength Training Lowers Heart Death Risk * 02:32 Does Lifting Weights Make You Bulky? * 08:44 Muscle as an Endocrine Organ * 13:02 Muscle and Sex Drive Connection * 17:36 Menopause and Vaginal Atrophy * 21:22 Core Strength and Orgasms * 27:59 Why Women Need Pelvic Floor Therapy * 35:25 Nitric Oxide, Testosterone, and Desire * 38:53 What PCOS Reveals About Muscle * 52:25 Exercise Snacks for Busy Women – ABOUT THE PROOF OF PRACTICE The Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets Practice Women have been understudied, undertreated, and given advice built for men. This show exists to change that. 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 — every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works. YOUR HOSTS Gabby Reece One of the most iconic athletes in American sports history, Gabby Reece is a former professional beach volleyball player, Nike’s first female spokesperson, New York Times bestselling author, and lifelong advocate for how women should train, eat, and live. She co-founded the Hamilton House Experience wellness program with her husband Laird Hamilton and hosts The Reecet women’s wellness retreat. Gabby brings decades of real-world performance experience to every conversation. 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/ 🌐 http://gabbyreece.com Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, CSCS*D, FACSM, FNSCA Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan has published over 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is one of the leading researchers in female physiology, metabolism, and sports nutrition. A three-time NSCA award winner — including Outstanding Sports Scientist of the Year (2022) — she translates cutting-edge lab science into practical strategies that actually work for women across every life stage. 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmithryan/ 🌐 http://asmithryan.com Amber Taylor Amber Taylor is a New Zealand–based digital health and product leader who builds evidence‑based fitness platforms designed to better support women’s physiology, safety, and long‑term wellbeing. Drawing on two decades in technology and digital roles at Amazon, Nike, and Les Mills, she uses AI, behavioral insights, and omnichannel delivery to create inclusive training experiences that help women move consistently, recover smarter, and integrate exercise into real life. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, DO Board-certified in family medicine and fellowship-trained in nutritional science and geriatrics, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is the founder of muscle-centric medicine — a framework that positions skeletal muscle as the cornerstone of metabolic health, longevity, and disease prevention. She is the author of the bestselling book Forever Strong and one of the most sought-after voices in functional medicine and women’s performance. 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/ 🌐 http://drg
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Dr. Vonda Wright, Gabby Reece, Dr. Stacy Sims, and Amber Taylor break down why estrogen loss, grip strength and gait speed as early predictors of decline, the GLP-1 driven “skeletonization” trend, and the difference between sarcopenia and dynapenia. WHAT WE EXPLORE * Skeletal longevity and estrogen’s role in cartilage * GLP-1 use and the skeletonization trend * Redefining longevity beyond weight and youth * Why men get hormone testing and women don’t * Building bone and muscle density after 40 * Grip strength and gait speed as biomarkers Timestamps * 00:00 The Zone 2 Training Confusion * 04:43 What Is Skeletal Longevity and Why It Matters * 10:39 Redefining Longevity Beyond Skinny and Age * 15:49 Why Health Basics Beat Biohacking Gadgets * 18:55 The Biggest Unanswered Question in Orthopedics * 22:37 New Study Links Inflammation to Joint Damage * 29:34 Why Men Get Hormone Tests and Women Don’t * 37:39 How to Build Bone and Muscle at Any Age * 45:30 Why Grip Strength Predicts Early Decline * 54:30 How to Talk to Patients Scared of Estrogen * 57:05 What the WHI Study Really Showed About Dr. Vonda Wright Dr. Vonda Wright is an orthopedic sports surgeon and leading expert in women’s health and longevity. For over 20 years, she has helped women build muscle, strengthen bone, and extend their health span — with science, not guesswork. Her mission is simple: help women age with power. Connect with Dr. Vonda Website: http://www.drvondawright.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvondawright/ – ABOUT THE PROOF OF PRACTICE The Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets Practice Women have been understudied, undertreated, and given advice built for men. This show exists to change that. 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 — every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works. YOUR HOSTS Gabby Reece One of the most iconic athletes in American sports history, Gabby Reece is a former professional beach volleyball player, Nike’s first female spokesperson, New York Times bestselling author, and lifelong advocate for how women should train, eat, and live. She co-founded the Hamilton House Experience wellness program with her husband Laird Hamilton and hosts The Reecet women’s wellness retreat. Gabby brings decades of real-world performance experience to every conversation. 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/ 🌐 http://gabbyreece.com Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, CSCS*D, FACSM, FNSCA Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan has published over 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is one of the leading researchers in female physiology, metabolism, and sports nutrition. A three-time NSCA award winner — including Outstanding Sports Scientist of the Year (2022) — she translates cutting-edge lab science into practical strategies that actually work for women across every life stage. 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmithryan/ 🌐 http://asmithryan.com Amber Taylor Amber Taylor is a New Zealand–based digital health and product leader who builds evidence‑based fitness platforms designed to better support women’s physiology, safety, and long‑term wellbeing. Drawing on two decades in technology and digital roles at Amazon, Nike, and Les Mills, she uses AI, behavioral insights, and omnichannel delivery to create inclusive training experiences that help women move consistently, recover smarter, and integrate exercise into real life. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, DO Board-certified in family medicine and fellowship-trained in nutritional science and geriatrics, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is the founder of muscle-centric medicine — a framework that positions skeletal muscle as the cornerstone of metaboli