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How Women Can Build & Maintain Muscle At Any Age—From An M.D.
Editor's note:
Can you explain muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and how it changes as women age?
MPS starts to change for women after age 30 and takes a faster drop at menopause due to loss of estrogen. There are also other age-related changes that contribute to sarcopenia, including diets low in protein and lack of physical activity, like resistance training.
What are the most important aspects of supporting MPS?
- A diet higher in protein and leucine (aim for a minimum of 30g of protein with each meal and 2.5g of leucine)
- Avoidance of alcohol
- Good sleep hygiene
- Consistent resistance training to send the MPS stimulus and prevent lean tissue and bone loss
How often should we strength train each week? And is this different if we’re focused on maintaining versus building muscle?
To maintain and build, you should focus on a minimum of 2-3 sessions per week that involve moderate intensity and volume with progressive overload with time.
Do menstruating women need to be aware of their cycles and their strength training routine?
In the menstrual cycle, there is no change in strength, but you can leverage estrogen during the follicular phase for better gains and recovery. The first 2 weeks of your cycle is the time to push the weights hard. After ovulation, when estrogen lowers and progesterone rises, intensity can be lowered.
What about women in perimenopause and menopause—are there special considerations for lifting during this time?
- Women should double down on consistency
- Hire a coach to focus on form
- You may need more active recovery, 24-48 hours of rest between full-body lifting sessions
- An injury can set you back further, so be careful
- Talk to your doctor about the timing of hormone optimization
- Drop the alcohol; you’re not as resilient in processing it as you used to be
- Find your tribe! Women who hang out with other strong, positive women benefit from the camaraderie during this new chapter.
