Compare experts › Mary Claire Haver vs Brad Stanfield

Mary Claire Haver vs Brad Stanfield

Mary Claire Haver (physician, ob-gyn) and Brad Stanfield (general practitioner (gp)) side by side: how they train, eat, supplement and sleep, how strong the evidence is, and how to build a plan from either or both.

Build a plan from both See the protocols

Words explained (14)

Zone 2: Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
Intervals: Short hard efforts with easy recovery in between, such as 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow.
4 × 4: Four rounds of 4 minutes hard with 3 minutes easy in between. Also called Norwegian intervals.
Loaded carry: Walking while holding something heavy, like shopping bags or dumbbells.
Mobility: Moving your joints freely through their full range.
Creatine: A well-studied supplement that supports strength and muscle.
Omega-3 (EPA, DHA): Healthy fats found mostly in oily fish such as salmon, herring and sardines.
Fibre: The part of plant foods you don't digest. It feeds healthy gut bacteria and keeps you full.
Time-restricted eating: Eating all your meals within a set window of the day, for example 8am to 6pm.
ApoB: A blood test that counts the particles carrying cholesterol. Linked to heart disease risk.
Perimenopause: The years of changing hormones before periods stop for good.
Hormone therapy (HRT, MHT): Medicine that replaces hormones that fall at menopause. Only a doctor can prescribe it.
Rapamycin, metformin: Prescription drugs that some experts take hoping to slow ageing. Not proven for that, and never part of your plan.
NAD: A molecule cells use for energy. Supplements are sold to raise it, but evidence in people is limited.

At a glance

Measure	Mary Claire Haver	Brad Stanfield
Background	Physician, OB-GYN	General practitioner (GP)
Training split	55% strength · 40% aerobic · 0% intervals · 5% mobility	40% strength · 30% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility
Signature habit	Fibre 25 g+ a day	4 × 4 intervals twice a week
Protein	80–120 g a day	~1.2 g/kg ideal weight
Training style	Women 40+	Guideline-first
Overall evidence	Strong	Strong
Following	Instagram 3.6M · YouTube 688K	YouTube 364K

Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.

The key differences

Haver puts more of the week into strength: about 55% against 40%.
Haver puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 40% against 30%.
Stanfield puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 0%.
In plans in their style, Haver's hard sessions are 1-minute intervals; Stanfield's are 4-minute intervals (Norwegian 4 × 4).
We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as strong.
Supplements that go into a plan: Haver, none (food first); Stanfield, creatine monohydrate, omega-3, psyllium husk. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
Neither has a separate mobility routine; plans add 10 minutes a day of basics.

Protocols side by side

Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.

Training

Mary Claire Haver

Full-body weight training at least 2 days a week (she does 3–4), progressing gradually, ideally with a trainerStrong evidence
Walk at least 3 days a week; beginners start with 5–10 minutes a dayStrong evidence
To progress: add a weighted vest to walks, more steps, or a third lifting dayPersonal habit
No exercise types need to be avoided in menopause; strength, cardio, stretching and mind-body work all matterNote

Brad Stanfield

Cardio: 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. His template: two interval sessions and three brisk 30-minute walks.Strong evidence
Intervals: 4 rounds of 4 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy, after a 10-minute warm-up, twice a week and never on consecutive days.Strong evidence
Strength at least twice a week (4–5 if you can): 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps per exercise, stopping 1–2 reps short of failure, about 2 minutes' rest, with pushing, pulling and compound lifts.Strong evidence
Add power training as you age: heavier weights moved quickly.Some evidence
Zone 2 only if you have time beyond your vigorous minutes; he argues the evidence favours harder cardio for fitness.Note

Eating

Mary Claire Haver

Protein about 1.5 g per kg of healthy body weight a day, with about 1.8 g/kg as a stretch goalSome evidence
Fibre at least 25 g a day, building slowly towards 30–45 gStrong evidence
Eat about 30 different plant foods a week (vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, herbal teas)Some evidence
Anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean-style eating: limit added sugar and processed carbohydrate, add leafy greens, olive oil, berries, nuts and fermented foodsStrong evidence
Spread protein across meals and snacks, each paired with a healthy fat and a healthy carbohydratePersonal habit
She originally promoted 16:8 intermittent fasting but has pulled back, saying it can make enough protein hard to reachNote

Brad Stanfield

Protein about 1.2 g per kg of ideal body weight a day (check with your doctor if you have kidney disease).Some evidence
Favour plant protein over red meat and dairy.Some evidence
Salt (sodium) under 1,500 mg a day, water as the main drink, few sugary drinks including juice.Strong evidence
Two to three cups of coffee at most, early in the day.Personal habit

Supplements

Mary Claire Haver

Omega-3, vitamin D and vitamin K among the supplements she takes; she does not give general dosesPersonal habit
Fibre supplement if diet alone falls short of the daily targetPersonal habit
Check with your doctor before starting any new supplementNote
She sells her own supplement line ('Pause), so weigh her product recommendations with that in mindNote

Brad Stanfield

Creatine monohydrate 5 g a day.Strong evidence
Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) up to about 1 g a day; higher doses are linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.Some evidence
Psyllium husk fibre, building up to about 5 g a day.Some evidence
A low-dose multivitamin and mineral.Some evidence
Trimethylglycine (TMG), hyaluronic acid, GlyNAC from 45, and a low-dose melatonin formula: on his personal list, with early evidence.Personal habit

Sleep & recovery

Mary Claire Haver

Menopausal hormone therapy, chosen with a doctor; she calls it the most effective treatment for hot flushes and night sweatsDoctor only
Prefers non-oral (patch, gel, spray) oestrogen, which carries a lower clot risk than tablets; progesterone for women with a uterusDoctor only
Magnesium (L-threonate) and a sleep supplement in her own routinePersonal habit

Brad Stanfield

7–9 hours, a regular schedule and about 30 minutes of morning daylight.Some evidence
Bedroom at about 18–20 °C and dark; no hard exercise in the 2 hours before bed; alcohol stops 4–6 hours before bed, ideally altogether.Personal habit

Stress & mind

Mary Claire Haver

Journal for a few minutes every dayPersonal habit
Add meditation, using an app or free guided sessionsSome evidence
Prepare questions before midlife health check-ups and push for proper care of symptomsPersonal habit

Brad Stanfield

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Brain health

Mary Claire Haver

Points to observational data linking longer lifetime oestrogen exposure, including hormone therapy, with better cognition; not a licensed reason to start hormonesDoctor only
Creatine for possible memory and mood benefits; most of this evidence is from small or non-menopausal studiesSome evidence
Strength training, protein and fibre as part of reducing long-term risks such as dementia, heart disease and diabetesSome evidence

Brad Stanfield

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

Mary Claire Haver

Several menopause specialists, quoted in a 2024 New York Times report, said she promotes hormone use beyond official guidelines; one said patients now ask for hormones to prevent heart disease or dementia, or testosterone for general wellbeing.
Commercial ties, stated neutrally: she owns The 'Pause Life (a multimillion-dollar business selling supplements, programmes and online courses) and a cash-pay menopause clinic. The Menopause Society discourages doctors from selling their own products, and the advertising watchdog Truth in Advertising flagged some product claims; according to the New York Times, she then hired a consultant to review the claims on her website.
An independent review by ConsumerLab found some of her supplements costly for what they contain, with creatine claims that overstate the evidence and a vitamin D dose at the upper safe limit.

Brad Stanfield

He sells supplements through his own company, MicroVitamin, alongside his supplement reviews. His site says he discloses this.
Several items on his personal list (TMG, hyaluronic acid, GlyNAC, a melatonin formula) rest on small or early studies.
His cholesterol targets are stricter than general guidelines for people without heart disease, and his own page gives slightly different ApoB figures in different places.

Build a plan from Haver, Stanfield or both

Your free plan shows a week of gym sessions, cardio, a day of eating, supplements and mobility, fitted to your age, time and health.

Plan in Haver's style Plan in Stanfield's style Mix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Mary Claire Haver and Brad Stanfield?

Their training split differs most in intervals: Haver about 0%, Stanfield about 25% (our estimate from their published routines). Haver's signature habit is Fibre 25 g+ a day; Stanfield's is 4 × 4 intervals twice a week.

How much protein do Haver and Stanfield recommend?

Haver: 80–120 g a day. Stanfield: ~1.2 g/kg ideal weight.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as strong.

Do Haver and Stanfield disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: haver puts more of the week into strength: about 55% against 40%.

Can I combine Haver and Stanfield?

Yes. In Build my mix you choose one expert per area, for example one for strength and another for eating. Your free plan shows the result straight away.

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Full sources are on each profile: Mary Claire Haver · Brad Stanfield. Reviewed October 2026.