An Australian dietitian has revealed the best recovery tips for women to burn fat in the most effective way post exercise – and why they are so different to men.
The secret lies in eating within a very select timeframe after a workout, however unlike men, women have a very specific set of rules.
Overlooking the obvious biological distinctions between men and women – there’s a deeper, more physiological divide that impacts fat burning, muscle mass, and even how they recover after exercise.
‘Women need to re-fuel after exercise in 30-60 minutes, men have two to three hours,’ Leanne Ward, a Fitness Dietitian who specialises in sustainable fat loss and hormone health, said.
‘As a dietitian, I’m often asked why women seem to struggle more with fat loss compared to men.
The answer isn’t as simple as calories in versus calories out, as Ward credits hormones, muscle mass, and metabolism being huge factors too.
Women’s bodies are constantly fluctuating with hormonal changes that impact everything from mood to appetite, and crucially, fat burning and muscle building.
‘During the luteal phase [the phase after ovulation and before your period], a higher intake of protein and healthy fats can support energy and metabolism,’ Ward shared in her video.
Leanne Ward, a Fitness Dietitian who specialises in sustainable fat loss and hormone health, says the secret to burning fat lies in eating within a very select timeframe after a workout.
‘While in the follicular phase [which begins right after menstruation], an increased focus on carbs can fuel workouts more effectively.’
Women also tend to have naturally lower muscle mass than men.
This is one of the primary reasons that fat loss can feel more challenging, as well as battling against their creatine stores.
‘Women have 70–80 per cent lower creatine stores than men, which can make creatine supplementation beneficial for building and maintaining lean muscle mass, especially in females.’
While many think creatine just for bodybuilders or men, it’s essential for women too.
Adding creatine into your supplement routine can enhance your workout performance, helping you build more lean muscle and ultimately support better fat burning long term.
The richest natural sources of creatine are animal products, particularly red meat (beef and lamb), fish (herring, salmon, and tuna), and poultry (chicken and turkey).
There’s also a current trend in the fitness world around fasted workouts – training on an empty stomach.
Ward warns that training on an empty stomach can be detrimental to women. The reason? Cortisol.
While this might work for some, fasted workouts can be detrimental to women. The reason? Cortisol.
This stress hormone is naturally elevated during fasted exercise, and for women, this can wreak havoc on both hormone balance and menstrual health.
For women, it is recommended having a small meal or snack before hitting the gym to help stabilise cortisol levels and support better workout performance.
‘Women’s metabolism comes back down to baseline within 90 minutes after exercise whereas men might take three – 18 hours, depending on the exercise.’
‘For best recovery, women should aim to refuel within 30–60 minutes post-workout, with a balanced intake of 30g protein and some carbs to support muscle repair and maintain energy.’
Ultimately, if you wait too long to eat, you risk missing that critical window where your body can repair and grow muscle.
Ward has previously shared her ’30-30-30′ rule before to her large Instagram following that, she says, works better than ‘crazy’ detox trends and strict diets.
The method is simple: 30 grams of protein three to four times a day, 30 grams of fibre a day and 30 different plant foods each week.
Ward has previously shared her ’30-30-30′ rule before to her large Instagram following that, she says, works better than ‘crazy’ detox trends and strict diets.
While 90-120 grams of protein a day might seem like a lot, Leanne says most women with hormonal issues should be eating about that much to achieve fat loss.
Leanne says 30 grams of protein three to four times a day fuels the muscles, boosts metabolism and keeps you full and satisfied.
The 30 grams of daily fibre should exclusively be from whole food sources.
‘You don’t want the fibre from ultra-processed foods, you want it from whole food sources. Think legumes, beans, oats, seeds, nuts, wholegrains, veggies, and fruit,’ she said.
‘This fills you up, supports digestion, and keeps your gut happy.’
Finally, 30 different plant foods a week supports a balanced gut as ‘more plant diversity leads to better gut microdiversity’.
‘It leads to improved hormones, digestion, immunity and long-term health (and yes, even weight loss!),’ she said.