Do Women Need More Protein During Menopause?
August 26, 2025
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No doubt last year was challenging for you. Physical activity levels and nutritional intake have been negatively affected during the pandemic, with people moving less and eating unhealthier because of lockdowns, social isolation, boredom, anxiety and stress [1-4]. Unfortunately, these complications also pose health risks, such as weight gain (obesity), muscle wasting, weakened immune system and even sub-optimal vaccination response [5, 6]. The good news is that you can do something about it – time to get up and get into shape!
To get fit you need to tap into the two main domains of health that were negatively affected during the pandemic: physical activity and nutrition. Humans are built to move and your body requires regular activity for good health and longevity [7]. A mix of aerobic (‘cardio’) and resistance (‘weights’) exercise may be the most time-saving and effective way of building muscles, losing excess fat and improving overall health [8, 9]. By incorporating your favorite forms of mixed exercise and tailoring a program to fit your situation and needs, you’ll be more likely to sustain and adapt your activity throughout your life. Remember that even the smallest improvements in your lifestyle, such as a 20-minute fast-paced walk, will benefit your health.
The second pillar of health to consider when toning your body is nutrition. Your body requires the right amount of macronutrients (i.e. protein, fat and carbs) to build muscle and remain lean. By consuming a well-balanced diet, and combining it with research-proven supplements that support muscle growth and fat loss, you will maximize your benefits. Remember that counting calories should not be the main priority, especially for beginners, and there is evidence to support positive body toning changes in individuals who train on either hypercaloric (high caloric intake) or hypocaloric (low caloric intake) diets [10]. Ultimately, the key is to develop healthy habits that you can stick to.
Maintaining a well-balanced and routine diet is important, and increasing the intake of certain macronutrients over others may further support your goals. For example, consumption of high-quality proteins has been shown to benefit the muscles during training and weight loss [11-15]. For some individuals it may even be advantageous to consume double the amount, or more, of the daily recommended intake of protein, especially for those starting a fitness program, the elderly, athletes and certain clinical populations [14, 16, 17]. The quality of protein is also important to consider and you should aspire to use premium quality sources that are of high purity (i.e. no fillers) and contain an abundance of essential amino acids. For example, milk proteins, including whey and casein, are better utilized by your body than collagen and plant proteins (i.e. soy and pea)[18, 19]. Whatever your source is, the muscles need a steady supply of high-quality proteins from your diet (or supplements) to stay healthy and keep your metabolism high.
Additionally, if you are looking for weight loss support, intake of certain phytonutrients (green coffee bean, green tea, forskolin and beetroot), antioxidants (α-lipoic acid and Coenzyme Q10) and vitamins (vitamin E) may boost fat metabolism and enhance fat loss. Many of these ingredients have research-proven benefits on weight loss and have been shown to impact the mitochondria (furnaces of the cell) [20, 21], which break down the fats and sugars in your diet into useable energy for your cells. Antioxidants, such as the polyphenols in phytonutrients (mainly chlorogenic acid and catechins), also assist with quenching free radicals and oxidative stress caused by diets that are high in fats and sugars. A combination of all may give you the edge you need for body toning.
Whatever your goals are, our vision at StayAbove Nutrition™ is to empower individuals to pursue a healthy lifestyle focused on nutrition and exercise. Our scientists developed Muscle 5 and TRIM 7 by combining clinically proven premium quality ingredients into two unique multi-ingredient supplements that promote muscle growth [22] and weight loss, respectively. Utilizing a Built and Backed By Science approach, we are developing the next generation of nutritional supplements that are extensively researched to ensure optimum results for your lifestyle.
If you are curious to learn more about Muscle 5, visit our products page.
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References:
[1] Di Renzo, L.; Gualtieri, P.; Cinelli, G.; Bigioni, G.; Soldati, L.; Attina , A.; Bianco, F. F.; Caparello, G.; Camodeca, V.; Carrano, E.; Ferraro, S.; Giannattasio, S.; Leggeri, C.; Rampello, T.; Lo Presti, L.; Tarsitano, M. G.; De Lorenzo, A. Psychological Aspects and Eating Habits during COVID-19 Home Confinement: Results of EHLC-COVID-19 Italian Online Survey. Nutrients 12:2152; 2020.
[2] Dunton, G. F.; Do, B.; Wang, S. D. Early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary behavior in children living in the U.S. BMC Public Health 20:1351; 2020.
[3] Salari, N.; Hosseinian-Far, A.; Jalali, R.; Vaisi-Raygani, A.; Rasoulpoor, S.; Mohammadi, M.; Rasoulpoor, S.; Khaledi-Paveh, B. Prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Globalization and Health 16:57; 2020.
[4] Son, C.; Hegde, S.; Smith, A.; Wang, X.; Sasangohar, F. Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study. Journal of medical Internet research 22:e21279-e21279; 2020.
[5] Huang, Y.; Lu, Y.; Huang, Y.-M.; Wang, M.; Ling, W.; Sui, Y.; Zhao, H.-L. Obesity in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Metabolism – Clinical and Experimental 113; 2020.
[6] Morley, J. E.; Kalantar-Zadeh, K.; Anker, S. D. COVID-19: a major cause of cachexia and sarcopenia? Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 11:863-865; 2020.
[7] Nilsson, M. I.; Tarnopolsky, M. A. Mitochondria and Aging: The Role of Exercise as a Countermeasure. Biology 8:40; 2019.
[8] Angela, S. A.; Denis, P.; Ronald, J. S.; Gary, S. G.; Stasia, H.; Penny, P.; Janine, M.; Jinhui, M.; Steve, D.; Rejeanne, G.; George, A. W.; Glen, P. K. Effects of aerobic training, resistance training, or both on cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness in adolescents with obesity: the HEARTY trial. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 41:255-265; 2016.
[9] Schroeder, E. C.; Franke, W. D.; Sharp, R. L.; Lee, D.-C. Comparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial. PloS one 14:e0210292-e0210292; 2019.
[10] Barakat, C.; Pearson, J.; Escalante, G.; Campbell, B.; De Souza, E. O. Body Recomposition: Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time? Strength & Conditioning Journal 42; 2020.
[11] Amy, J. H.; Stuart, M. P. Protein Recommendations for Weight Loss in Elite Athletes: A Focus on Body Composition and Performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28:170-177; 2018.
[12] Antonio, J.; Candow, D. G.; Forbes, S. C.; Ormsbee, M. J.; Saracino, P. G.; Roberts, J. Effects of Dietary Protein on Body Composition in Exercising Individuals. Nutrients 12:1890; 2020.
[13] Longland, T. M.; Oikawa, S. Y.; Mitchell, C. J.; Devries, M. C.; Phillips, S. M. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 103:738-746; 2016.
[14] Phillips, S. M. Dietary protein requirements and adaptive advantages in athletes. British Journal of Nutrition 108:S158-S167; 2012.
[15] Verreijen, A. M.; Engberink, M. l. F.; Memelink, R. G.; van der Plas, S. E.; Visser, M.; Weijs, P. J. M. Effect of a high protein diet and/or resistance exercise on the preservation of fat free mass during weight loss in overweight and obese older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal 16:10; 2017.
[16] Deutz, N. E. P.; Safar, A.; Schutzler, S.; Memelink, R.; Ferrando, A.; Spencer, H.; van Helvoort, A.; Wolfe, R. R. Muscle protein synthesis in cancer patients can be stimulated with a specially formulated medical food. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) 30:759-768; 2011.
[17] Traylor, D. A.; Gorissen, S. H. M.; Phillips, S. M. Perspective: Protein Requirements and Optimal Intakes in Aging: Are We Ready to Recommend More Than the Recommended Daily Allowance? Advances in Nutrition 9:171-182; 2018.
[18] Gorissen, S. H. M.; Crombag, J. J. R.; Senden, J. M. G.; Waterval, W. A. H.; Bierau, J.; Verdijk, L. B.; van Loon, L. J. C. Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. Amino Acids 50:1685-1695; 2018.
[19] van Vliet, S.; Burd, N. A.; van Loon, L. J. C. The Skeletal Muscle Anabolic Response to Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Consumption. The Journal of Nutrition 145:1981-1991; 2015.
[20] Sandoval, V.; Sanz-Lamora, H.; Arias, G.; Marrero, P. F.; Haro, D.; Relat, J. Metabolic Impact of Flavonoids Consumption in Obesity: From Central to Peripheral. Nutrients 12; 2020.
[21] Watanabe, M.; Risi, R.; Masi, D.; Caputi, A.; Balena, A.; Rossini, G.; Tuccinardi, D.; Mariani, S.; Basciani, S.; Manfrini, S.; Gnessi, L.; Lubrano, C. Current Evidence to Propose Different Food Supplements for Weight Loss: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients 12:2873; 2020.
[22] Nilsson, M. I.; Mikhail, A.; Lan, L.; Di Carlo, A.; Hamilton, B.; Barnard, K.; Hettinga, B. P.; Hatcher, E.; Tarnopolsky, M. G.; Nederveen, J. P.; Bujak, A. L.; May, L.; Tarnopolsky, M. A. A Five-Ingredient Nutritional Supplement and Home-Based Resistance Exercise Improve Lean Mass and Strength in Free-Living Elderly. Nutrients 12:2391; 2020.
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