Episode #151: “Cortisol: The Misunderstood Stress Hormone” with Dr. Carla DiGirolamo

We hear so much about cortisol, the “stress hormone,” on social media these days. Cortisol has become a buzz word in the health and fitness industry—part of a cautionary tale used to warn women away from intense bouts of exercise they age.

From fear-mongering posts about how it’s ruining your health to questionable advice from “hormone coaches” selling pricey supplements and restrictive diets—it can be hard to separate fact from fiction.

That’s why we brought in the expert, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo—a Board Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Reproductive Endocrinologist, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and fitness enthusiast (not to mention a CrossFit trainer and certified nutrition coach). She’s spent her career helping active women—from puberty to menopause—optimize their mental and physical performance. Yep, she’s basically a rockstar when it comes to understanding hormones and coaching high-performing women.

This week’s episode of The Fit Bottomed Girls Podcast is all about cortisol—the misunderstood “stress hormone” everyone loves to hate. We’re cutting through the noise, debunking myths, and exploring how cortisol plays a critical role in your health, fitness, and overall resilience. Together, Dr. Carla and I tackle the conversation we all need to hear about cortisol, women’s health, and the truth behind those viral hormone claims.

Seriously, this week’s episode is one for the books. 

Here’s why we’re obsessed with this episode:

Dr. Carla’s analogy of cortisol as the trombone in a much larger orchestra will completely change the way you think about hormones, stress, and health. (Spoiler alert: it’s not all about cortisol!) She also dives into practical ways to dial down stress, recover better, and stay strong as you age.

Real Talk: Recovery Matters

Recovery isn’t just a checkbox after a workout—it’s where improvement actually happens. Whether it’s dialing in your nutrition, prioritizing sleep, or finally learning to love your cool-down routine, recovery helps you stay resilient and ready for your next challenge.

Don’t skip this one if…

✅ You’ve been freaked out by cortisol content on social media.

✅ You want to know how to be stronger (and healthier) as you age.

✅ You’re curious about how hormones impact your stress and performance.

Tune in now to hear Dr. Carla’s incredible insights and practical advice!

👉 Listen to the Full Episode Here

👉 Watch the episode on YouTube

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Cortisol isn’t the villain—it’s essential for life and fitness. It’s the hormone that helps you tackle challenges, whether that’s a tough workout or life stress. However, it’s all about returning your stress response system to baseline after activation.
• Stop worrying about “spiking your cortisol.” You need cortisol to be responsive to outside stressors in order to survive. Instead, start focusing on returning your stress response system to baseline regularly through proven down-regulation strategies like meditation, leisure walks, gentle or relaxing yoga.
• Burnout isn’t caused by cortisol—it’s caused by chronic stress. Dr. Carla shares how to address what’s triggering your elevated stress rather than blaming cortisol itself.
• Why aging changes the game. Recovery gets trickier as women age due to changes in resilience and hormonal shifts, but proper recovery strategies can keep you thriving. Strength training, nutrition, and mindful recovery are more important than ever.
• The limits of hormone testing. Single snapshots from blood tests can be misleading! Dr. Carla explains why you need to focus on the bigger picture of your health.
• Under-fueling = underperforming. Under-eating can actually be a big cause of persistent internal stress and elevated cortisol levels. Nutrition fuels your body for workouts and recovery.

About Dr. Carla DiGirolamo

Dr. Carla DiGirolamo is a double Board-Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist specializing in caring for active and high-performing women from puberty through menopause. Dr. Carla completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brown University Medical School/Women and Infants’ Hospital and Reproductive Endocrinology fellowship training at the Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Carla has 20 years of experience as a fertility specialist and more recently as a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. She is also an endocrine consultant for Wild Health and Eternal Life. She has been featured in Boston Magazine’s Top Doctors in the Boston area for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Dr. Carla has been featured in multiple podcasts and speakerships at various events discussing the physiology of the hormonal changes of menopause, hormone therapy, and optimizing physical performance in elite and avid recreational female athletes. Dr Carla is also the author of multiple courses including the “Menopause Fitness Specialist” course with MedFit Classroom, and the “Strong” and” Navigate Menopause” courses with Feisty Media.  

Dr. Carla has been in the fitness industry her entire life as a recreational athlete and for more than a decade as a fitness professional with credentials as a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and Certified Nutrition Coach.  As a pioneer in Women’s Performance Endocrinology, she specializes in optimizing mental and physical performance in women in high-performance professions and female athletes of all ages. 

Dr. Carla has a blog through Substack called “Athletic Aging”. https://www.athleticaging.blog/  and her second publication “Performance Edge” https://www.performanceedge.blog/  launched in February 2023

Follow Dr. Carla

Website: https://www.drcarlad.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carla.digirolamo.14

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_carla_d/

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-digirolamo-0109b8103/

Sponsor Shoutout

This episode was brought to you by Miles to Go Athletics. Take our app-based training community for a two-week no obligation test drive here.

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Do you think cortisol is your enemy? Think again. –Alison