Dr. Stacy Sims

Caffeine clears blood sugar. So a woman is going to have to eat when she uses caffeine, whereas a man doesn't have to.

Caffeine clears blood sugar. So a woman is going to have to eat when she uses caffeine, whereas a man doesn't have to.

So if we're looking at sports science research, and I'll just bring it down to sports science because that's the exercise and nutrition research. If we're looking at who's around the room when we're recruiting for studies, for the most part, the language around recruitment is geared for people getting men because we're using a lot of aggressive language in sport.

So if we're looking at sports science research, and I'll just bring it down to sports science because that's the exercise and nutrition research. If we're looking at who's around the room when we're recruiting for studies, for the most part, the language around recruitment is geared for people getting men because we're using a lot of aggressive language in sport.

So it's off-putting to a lot of women. The other aspect about sports science research is there's limited funding. So then we're looking at, okay, how can we get people in that can come in for day after day or week to week? Most often it's men. When we look at what we're doing, we might be doing muscle biopsies, we might be doing blood draws.

So it's off-putting to a lot of women. The other aspect about sports science research is there's limited funding. So then we're looking at, okay, how can we get people in that can come in for day after day or week to week? Most often it's men. When we look at what we're doing, we might be doing muscle biopsies, we might be doing blood draws.

And if that's not explained in advance, it's a little off-putting to people. So when we're looking at the major recruitment strategies and the people that will say, yes, I'll come and do this study, it's 18 to 22-year-old college-age men. And that's just been the norm.

And if that's not explained in advance, it's a little off-putting to people. So when we're looking at the major recruitment strategies and the people that will say, yes, I'll come and do this study, it's 18 to 22-year-old college-age men. And that's just been the norm.

And when we look at how studies are designed, and we're looking again at who's in the room who's designing studies, primarily it's men. Why? Because we see that most of the PIs on the studies and most of the, I guess, scientists that are coming up in academia are primarily men.

And when we look at how studies are designed, and we're looking again at who's in the room who's designing studies, primarily it's men. Why? Because we see that most of the PIs on the studies and most of the, I guess, scientists that are coming up in academia are primarily men.

The first time I realized it from an academic standpoint was when I was a second year at university. And I was a participant in a metabolism lab, and I was one of the only women. And I standardized properly. I did all the things I was supposed to do because I come from a military family. I know how to follow rules. And at the end of the two weeks of experiments, they threw my results out. Why?

The first time I realized it from an academic standpoint was when I was a second year at university. And I was a participant in a metabolism lab, and I was one of the only women. And I standardized properly. I did all the things I was supposed to do because I come from a military family. I know how to follow rules. And at the end of the two weeks of experiments, they threw my results out. Why?

Exactly. So I asked why. And they're like, well, your results don't jive with what we thought we were going to see. They don't mesh with the results that we got from the men. So they're an anomaly. So we're not going to put them in for the context of talking about how carbohydrate metabolism was going. And I thought that was very strange. I was like, well, I've done everything properly.

Exactly. So I asked why. And they're like, well, your results don't jive with what we thought we were going to see. They don't mesh with the results that we got from the men. So they're an anomaly. So we're not going to put them in for the context of talking about how carbohydrate metabolism was going. And I thought that was very strange. I was like, well, I've done everything properly.

How come mine are the anomaly and those guys aren't the anomaly? How do you know that? And they didn't have an answer for it. So that was like the sticking point for me to understand why would my results be an anomaly when I've done exactly the same thing as what the men had done?

How come mine are the anomaly and those guys aren't the anomaly? How do you know that? And they didn't have an answer for it. So that was like the sticking point for me to understand why would my results be an anomaly when I've done exactly the same thing as what the men had done?

And it came down to menstrual cycle, came down to understanding that one week I was in a low hormone state and then the next week I wasn't. So when I started talking about that, this is where the professor who was in charge of the metabolism lab was like, well, we don't study women because they have a menstrual cycle.

And it came down to menstrual cycle, came down to understanding that one week I was in a low hormone state and then the next week I wasn't. So when I started talking about that, this is where the professor who was in charge of the metabolism lab was like, well, we don't study women because they have a menstrual cycle.

And we just study men because they're easier and we don't have to worry about hormone fluctuations interfering with our results. And at that point, I was like, excuse me? What? What are you talking about? So that was a defining point from an academic standpoint.

And we just study men because they're easier and we don't have to worry about hormone fluctuations interfering with our results. And at that point, I was like, excuse me? What? What are you talking about? So that was a defining point from an academic standpoint.