Building Muscle During Menopause: A Protein and Exercise Review

Building muscle during menopause takes a unique stimulus compared to PRE menopause and is also unique during peri and post menopause.

Of course there’s more. Are you trying to lose weight, gain muscle, prevent osteoporosis, reduce or avoid medication, do you have adrenal fatigue or long haul?

In this episode I’ll discuss the research on protein and call back to a recent episode about exercise volume for building muscle during menopause.

Questions I answer in this episode:

• How have protein recommendations changed over time (then and now)? [00:08:00]
• What are women’s protein needs during menopause? [00:17:30]
• What are the effects of protein on building muscle during menopause? [00:11:00]
• As a refresher, what is the resistance training volume for pre, peri and post menopause? [00:19:50]
• How important is recovery—and are you doing it right? [00:30:20]

Based on RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), protein consumption is 0.8g per kg (of body weight) per day. This is about 55 grams of protein for a 150-pound woman — but that’s only enough to maintain nitrogen balance and prevent deficiency in sedentary women. It is not enough to help you build muscle.

Let me explain why that is true. The reason for that recommendation is important to understand.

As you age, anabolic resistance increases, meaning you need more protein and stimulus for muscle protein synthesis. More emerging research indicates “that amount may no longer be an appropriate recommendation.” That statement was the conclusion of a  2020 systematic review and meta-analysis addressing the protein needs of people who are exercising and/or trying to lose weight.  Researchers concluded, “The RDA for protein of 0.8g of protein / kg / day may no longer be an appropriate recommendation.”

Scientific Research on Building Muscle During Menopause

An interview with Bill Philips, PhD, in May 2024, on the What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+, with his primary research focus shifting to that of midlife women, he could already say that the single simplest way to support fat loss and optimal body composition is to increase protein even if you didn’t change your caloric intake.

A 2022 meta-analysis recommends adults should consume nearly 1.5g of protein / kg / day of protein to maintain and/or augment muscle strength along with resistance training. Small-statured women with low reserves may need even more to prevent muscle loss, strength decline, reduced activity, and increased risk of falls or disease.

For active women, whether you are competing or you are intentionally exercising more than 3 times a week for a purpose of achieving fitness or reduced fatness, the 2023 International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends at least 1.5g of protein / kg / day and maybe even more. “Daily protein intake should fall within the mid-to-upper ranges of current sport nutrition guidelines (1.4–2.2 g of protein / kg / day) for women at all stages of menstrual function (pre-, peri-, post-menopausal, and contraceptive users) with protein doses evenly distributed, every 3 to 4 hours, across the day.”

One thing to note is that hitting the “ballpark” is not enough. You need to meet the threshold. Whether it’s reaching muscle fatigue, breathlessness during exercise, or consistent protein intake, falling short means missing the full benefits.

For women in perimenopause, it requires less stimulus than for postmenopausal women with the most hormone decline and most advanced age contributing to anabolic resistance. (inability to gain lean muscle).

Training and Protein:  Building Muscle During Menopause

When it’s recommended to have at least two total body resistance training sessions a week, that minimum may best serve:

• Women in perimenopause
• Those with adrenal fatigue or long haul
• Time constricted
• Others who require a longer recovery period

And within those workouts, there needs to be adequate volume achieved with a number of muscle groups, sets, and weight to muscle fatigue.

Postmenopausal women require greater stimulus to build lean muscle. You can aim for 4 HIIT sessions per week and increase resistance training volume if 2 sessions aren’t enough, provided protein, sleep, and stress are optimized.

The biggest obstacle to exercise is time. The second though is time for recovery. An aging muscle needs more stimulus overload. It needs greater recovery to repair the microtears that are innate to workout out intensely.

If you’re an active 150 lb postmenopausal woman who wants to improve lean muscle and decrease fat, to reach the upper range of protein that would be 2.2g of protein / kg body weight / day.

68 kg x 2.2 g of protein = 150 g of protein

To get this, here is a sample protein consumption per day

50 g x 3 meals

35-40 g x 4 meals

For strength training, 15-minute weight training sessions likely lack adequate volume in a session, unless focused on one muscle group. This is useful for beginners learning form or those with adrenal stress or special conditions but may not provide adequate stimulus for muscle growth. In a minimum, do 5-8 sets with some rest between puts you at a need for 15-20 minutes. That’s no warm up and cool down. Again, that’s a single muscle. Even 30-minute sessions may not allow you adequate stimulus for your muscles.

Where to Find Support for Building Muscle During Menopause

Personal trainers and fitness instructors, even with degrees or certifications, lack training on menopause and hormonal influences. They’re entering the field with the minimum viable knowledge. But eager to help solve a problem like weight loss or earn money, they may only do as well as they know.

Advice or training from a 20, or 40-something woman showing what’s working for her may not work for the goal you have and the hormone status you’ve got. Someone trained solely in nutrition on clinical recommendations may not necessarily be up to date on contemporary needs of older women and their hormonal status.

It’s coming, but until we start demanding it, here’s how to advocate for yourself:

To determine protein and exercise needs consider:

• Activity level and goals
• Current hormone status
• What you’ve been doing and how it’s working
• 2.2 g protein per kilogram for active and or postmenopausal women
• Volume of exercise – from sets of major muscle groups – increases with age
• Recovery from exercise is as important as the exercise itself

In an upcoming podcast, I’ll share how to start increasing protein, how to plan a day of protein and position it for support of muscle protein synthesis and blood sugar control. Watch for masterclasses monthly where we deep dive with our members

References:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7231581/
• https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00508-w
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10210857/

Other Episodes You May Like:

My Post Menopause Workout Week Experiment | What I’m Doing: https://www.flippingfifty.com/my-post-menopause-workout/

Protein Consumption in Menopause (Revisited): https://www.flippingfifty.com/protein-consumption-in-menopause/

Resources:

Stronger: Tone & Define https://www.flippingfifty.com/get-stronger/

Flipping 50 Membership: https://www.flippingfifty.com/cafe/