117. What Every Female Cyclist Over 40 Needs to Know About Building Muscle and Staying Strong | Liz Nelson
In this episode of Fuelled, I sit down with Liz Nelson to talk about one of the biggest conversations I keep hearing from women in their thirties, forties and fifties: why training, body composition, muscle building and performance can suddenly feel harder than they used to. Liz brings a rare mix of experience to this conversation. She has a background in pharmacy, sports science, health communication and endurance coaching, and she works closely with athletes who want to keep doing big, ambitious things as they get older.
We talk about the confusing and often conflicting information women are exposed to around perimenopause, menopause, strength training, hormones, cortisol, carbohydrates and endurance sport. One of the biggest themes in this episode is that the conversation is often far too extreme. On one side, there is fear-based messaging that tells women they need a completely different protocol, that carbs are bad, that endurance sport is harmful, or that they need a special menopause formula to train properly. On the other side, there is a pushback that can be so clinical and blunt that women who are genuinely struggling can feel dismissed. In this conversation, I wanted to create space for more nuance, more reassurance and more practical guidance.
Liz shares her own personal experience of going through the menopause transition and being shocked by a DEXA scan that showed she had lost 10% of her muscle and bone mass in just 12 months, despite still riding regularly and using hormone replacement therapy. That result became a turning point for her. Instead of giving up or assuming decline was inevitable, she made a deliberate decision to take strength training seriously, learn about powerlifting, and build her body back. A year later, a repeat DEXA scan showed she had regained the muscle and bone mass she had lost, and even added a little more. That story is such a powerful reminder that it is not too late to build strength, regain muscle, improve bone health and get fitter, even if things feel like they have changed dramatically.
Another major theme in this episode is that strength training needs to meet the athlete where they are. Lifting heavy does matter, but that phrase can be unhelpful if it makes people think they need to jump straight into barbells, big numbers or a gym environment that feels intimidating. For one person, “heavy” might mean bodyweight. For another, it might mean bands, dumbbells or a gradual progression into more structured strength work. We talk about how the right strength and conditioning program can improve not only bone density and muscle mass, but also confidence, longevity, enjoyment and performance on the bike.
I also share where I am personally right now with training. After a long period of illness, travel and inconsistent routine, I feel like I am rebuilding from a very low fitness base. That can be frustrating, especially when your brain remembers what you used to be able to do, but your body is not there yet. Liz and I talk about the emotional side of starting again, the value of beginner energy, and how motivating it can be to see those small improvements return. We talk about the importance of finding joy in the process, rather than only measuring success by numbers, pace or power.
This episode is for any woman who has wondered why things feel different now, whether she can still build muscle, whether it is too late to start, how to think about strength training alongside endurance training, and how to stop feeling broken when her body is asking for a different approach. It is also for any endurance athlete who needs the reminder that progress is still possible, that strength matters, and that enjoyment is not optional if we want to keep doing this for the long term.
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