Why Muscle Growth Feels Harder in Menopause (and What Actually Works)

Many women feel like in peri and post-menopause, muscle gain suddenly became an uphill battle. They're lifting, they're eating protein, they're showing up, and yet results kind of stall. This episode breaks down why that happens biologically, and more importantly, what the science says actually works to overcome it. Just why does muscle growth change in menopause? And I want to make this very, very clear. In fact, just today in my Instagram DMs, somebody commented on a response to a question roundup that I had done in regard to hormone therapy and the reason to take it and what the science says about it. And she said, that's not what they're telling us. So I want to make sure everybody's listening. Stay with me. Estrogen loss doesn't stop muscle growth. It does change the rules. There are several studies that show estrogen plays a role in how muscle repairs itself after exercise and how responsive it is to growth signals. So imagine you're in, you know, what, 5th grade, and you're going to a birthday party and you end up all sitting in a circle doing the telephone game. Right now, you know, there's gonna be a prize at the end of it, so you're really trying to get it right. But somebody starts and they whisper it in your ear, and then you have to turn and whisper it in the next person's ear. And essentially, it's a lot like this during menopause. The signaling is not coming through as clearly. So if you get a big circle, you invited all 10 of the girlfriends to the birthday party, there is a really good chance that message is going to be very, very different than when it started. And similarly, it's true during menopause. That signal that was just so sharp, so easy when you were in your 20s and 30s may have changed. So in a very widely cited paper by Collins in 2019, researchers examined in muscle protein synthesis, that is the ability of the muscle to utilize stimulus, whether it comes from resistance training or from protein building up, and muscle function in postmenopausal women. They found that while baseline muscle protein synthesis wasn't dramatically lower, muscle becomes less responsive to anabolic stimuli. Like exercise and protein. And those are really two, two of the only sources that you can use at this point after menopause. And after, we're no longer in this muscle building. So muscle peaks at about 25, and you may coast for about 5 years before we start withdrawing from that bank easier than we deposit or keep it even. But It means to you that muscle can still grow, but it needs a stronger signal. Like, you're not going to get by with 4 bars anymore. You got to have all 5. Okay. So in another review in Experimental Gerontology in 2023, looked at estrogen's role in muscle aging and found that estrogen supports mitochondrial function. Connective tissue health, and muscle regeneration. Losing it doesn't equal muscle loss, but it can slow recovery and adaptation. And also what I found in my experience personally working with people and professionally talking with colleagues about their work with midlife women, it makes women more prone to injury. So that connective tissue and can also muscle regeneration, but also the mitochondrial function going down means women experience greater fatigue, maybe greater breathlessness, even though they're more conditioned, they should deserve something greater. They don't always get it. So it can also explain why from one season of summer hiking, have you noticed this, to the next, you feel like there's a dramatic difference in your stamina or your breathlessness. Say you're, now this may be true for me, so I can take this, you know, and I'm no longer living in Boulder. I did at one point and I go back annually, you know, twice on average. 2 or 3 times to visit. And while I'm there, definitely June and September are huge. I'm gonna try to get in hikes and all the hikes I can possibly get. But I would notice when I went back, of course, having not lived there, that I'm getting a little bit more breathless hiking than when I lived there every day at 8,800 feet. And just sleeping was helping me adapt. And terrain, that's no longer true. But if you notice dramatically that from the end of summer one year to the beginning of spring the next, when you might play golf and have power or go hiking or biking, and there feels like suddenly there's a big difference, like I've never noticed this before, that may be kind of you hit a critical mass of estrogen loss contributing to all of these little pieces. Mitochondrial health, connective tissue, muscle regeneration. And so recovering may take you a little bit longer. So that day-to-day, we don't notice this loss, right? But you're more likely to notice in those things that you only do periodically. So that means if it's meaningful to you and you want to return to it year after year, you probably should be training for it regularly. Keep it top of mind. Anabolic resistance is the reduced ability of your muscle to respond to protein and to resistance training. So it's just resisting the very thing that is going to help you gain muscle. And again, it's more like Wizard of Oz, and you've got them, they're knocking on the door at the Emerald City, but that guy's not gonna let them in. You got to bring back the broom, right? So you gotta bring reinforcements. You have to have a little bit more with you in order for it to work. Reviews published in Nutrients, the Journal, and Sports Medicine explain that aging muscle, especially postmenopausal muscle, requires more stimulus to trigger the same muscle-building response seen in younger women. I've talked about this many times before in masterclasses, podcasts, and some of our coaching strategies with the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness coaches. We need potentially more volume. Depending on how we get it. Sometimes that's more frequency. Other times that's not possible because we need recovery, and it's adding another set maybe during a workout to get more volume. But this explains why weights without going to muscle fatigue, casually just training or just staying active, stops working, even though you may have always been in great shape by doing what you've always done. Therefore, a lot of women, almost all, comes a time when she says, "That's not working as well as it used to. Like, I don't know what happened. I didn't change anything." And that is actually the gold statement right there. Yes, the hormones though have changed, so you do need to change something. And it's not necessarily always more. So bottom line, menopause alone doesn't have to cause muscle loss, but understimulating muscle does, whether that is too few sets, too little frequency, too little recovery, or— and that recovery, by the way, includes protein— too little protein and/or calories overall. Insulin resistance and visceral fat interfere with muscle signaling. Let me say that again. Women in midlife often go through greater insulin resistance. We don't have— our cells are no longer as sensitive to insulin. So while insulin is trying to get blood sugar out of the bloodstream and into those cells for glycogen for storage, you have to have, again, more reinforcements. Meaning more and more insulin. And when we have that, we're actually in fat storage. And so it takes a while for that to get out. So the more frequently that happens through the day, the less easy it is for us to burn fat. So more visceral belly fat is stored and that interferes more with the muscle signaling. It's a vicious cycle. So several metabolic studies show menopause is associated with increased visceral fat, and reduced insulin sensitivity. A 2023 review in Metabolites reported that insulin resistance and fat infiltration into muscle impair glucose uptake and muscle metabolism. And that matters because insulin is not just a blood sugar hormone, it's also anti-catabolic. And supports muscle preservation. So that's a word you may not have heard. We use catabolism and anabolism. To break down is catabolism, to build up is anabolism, but anti-catabolic just means it's not actually building up, but it is preserving. So you're not going to allow breakdown to happen. So Your insulin is not just a blood sugar hormone. It also is anti-catabolic and can support muscle preservation. We just have to be careful about that one. So too much insulin and cortisol can result in more belly fat, and none of us love that. It's a new month, new year, and for me, still a new feeling location. There's nothing that says home more like a good night's sleep in an environment you love. Bedding from Cozy Earth is one of my favorite things about my new bedroom. I'm a homebody at heart. I love the luxury feel and high-quality comfort at home. If your sleep needs an upgrade, Cozy Earth is a great place to start with a 100-night sleep trial. And a 10-year warranty. They make returns hassle-free, but why would you? Head to cozyearth.com and use Flipping 50 for up to 20% off. Before we get started, at this time of year, it is really even more important that we talk about the fact that hydration is important. But hydration isn't just about drinking water. Being optimally hydrated is about optimizing your body's fluid ratios. And this fluid balance depends on so many factors, including the intake and the excretion of electrolytes. But you don't need electrolytes just if you're working out or it's hot outside or you're a heavy sweater, though you may need more if those things are true for you. LMNT is one of my favorite ways to boost electrolytes and make drinking water in winter more attractive. And by the way, I add the chocolate LMNT to warm water or unsweetened almond milk for a little guilt-free hot chocolate and take in my electrolytes that way. The current science points to consuming 4 to 6 grams of sodium, 3.5 to 5 grams of potassium, and 400 to 600 milligrams of magnesium per day from diet and supplements for optimal health outcomes. Those are really key electrolytes. All electrolytes are best consumed from whole foods, no contest. Elements can help fill in the gaps that we felt in our diet. In alignment with that, Element has a science-backed ratio of 100 milligrams sodium, 200 potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium. Now I know what you're thinking, 100 grams of sodium? I can hear it even on this side. You're wondering, isn't sodium bad for you? But here's the deal, the government recommends consuming fewer than 2.3 grams per, of sodium per day. Austin sensibly for heart health. But in 2011, a Journal of American Medical Association study found that optimal health outcomes occur at 4 to 6 grams per day. Yeah, so what happens is if we cut out salt, you're thinking that you're being virtuous by eliminating salt. Oh no, I never salt my food, because I know you, I've eaten dinner with you. By the way, that actually can cause more harm than good. Many healthy people need more sodium, not less. Symptoms of low blood sodium levels, it's called hyponatremia by the way, they include headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, and confusion. And in severe cases, not to sound alarmist, brain damage, seizures, and death. But I want you to listen to that list again: headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, confusion— in other words, brain fog. Does that sound similar to symptoms of menopause? I say yes. So it could be that you're passing off some of your symptoms for what really is just hydration. Look, everyone from U.S. Olympic athletes to health experts like me, and women just like you who want optimal energy and in balance for health are using it. You can get your own. Get a free 8-count sample pack of Element's most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at drinkelement.com/flipping50. Find your favorite Element flavor or share them with a friend. My favorites, by the way, Citrus Salt and Orange Salt. If insulin sensitivity declines, muscle has a hard time using nutrients effectively. Not good. Sleep loss directly reduces muscle protein synthesis. Sleep disruption is common in menopause. It has measurable effects on muscle. In a controlled laboratory study by, um, Lamont in 2021, healthy adults were sleep deprived for one night. Just one night. Now, if you're a woman listening in menopause and you're thinking, I would kill just to have one night of sleep deprivation as opposed to the string of a week long that I've had, then stay tuned. Researchers found muscle protein synthesis dropped by 18% and cortisol increased and anabolic hormones declined. That was after one night. So if you are chronically sleep deprived, you're waking up constantly, you feel it. You know, I, I don't love to lean into trackers, but it, I think, bears saying that if they're showing you're not getting into deep cycles of sleep, restorative sleep, that is worth noting. Just make sure you're aware how you feel really matters too. Okay. So poor sleep doesn't just affect your energy level or brain fog, it actively works against muscle growth. Dieting and underfueling slow your muscle gains. I have to tell you a story that I am, I am new to a community. Many of you know I've relocated from Phoenix to Iowa. I know people typically go the other way, but babies change zip codes. Enough said. For those of you who are first-time grandparents, you get it. Those of you who aren't, you probably will. So there's that. But I was speaking with a woman while I was, I was out running errands, ran into somebody, and we ended up talking. For some reason I was looking for something and she asked what I did, and so this came up. And so often when people hear what I do, she said, oh well, I like to do this, this, and this. And she told me that she likes to lift heavy, that she kind of likes figure competing and bodybuilding, and she's competed once. And, you know, one of the things she— she went on to say she's not doing it right now because she's going through divorce, and so she's got some other priorities, she said. So this statement though got my attention, and I'm like, said very few women ever. Good for you. But she said, so what I'm trying to do right now is just eat all my food and just stay consistent so I can hold on to muscle. And I'm like, most women would be the exact opposite under a great deal of stress, potentially going through a divorce. You know, there are all kinds of things that could go through your head. I don't mean to plant seeds, but sometimes there is— it makes you doubt who you are, maybe whether you're going to be attractive or lean into somebody. And a lot of women will undereat. When they're going through stressful times like that. And kind of diet mentality purpose, not, not just the accidental, but actually will do it, but not her, you know. And so I loved and found that refreshing, but it is because she's experienced the value that when you want to put on muscle, to get lean, to have a, you know, body like a figure competitor, petitor who stands on stage in a bikini, you have to eat the food or you won't get it. You won't get the low body fat that comes with the high muscle mass. And I, I really want to get that across to you. She was 42 years old. She was tiny. She was really like a small woman. And, you know, she wasn't competing. She was just paying attention maintaining her muscle. So I want to say this: many women attempt fat loss during menopause by eating less and trying to do more. Research summarized in Nutrients shows low energy availability reduces muscle protein synthesis, especially in women. We have less muscle, less testosterone to begin with, and even with adequate protein, chronic calorie Restriction can blunt muscle gains. We have to stop. We have to stop this diet culture. We're hiding sometimes behind intermittent fasting as a way just not to eat and/or to eat less because we have such a short window. You know, and here's the deal. I, I've been around so many people and I say this respectfully, but I also say this respectfully that I think it's my job to challenge your thoughts, isn't it? If you tune in here, not just to help agree with everything you already think, but to challenge it so that you can make a decision for yourself. You don't have to agree with me either. But I think, you know, so often I hear of, well, I do intermittent fasting because I want the longevity benefits. And I'm like, I'm gonna call BS. If you knew there were longevity benefits from something you thought would help you gain weight, you wouldn't do it. Am I right? I mean, the truth is, for any one of us, intermittent fasting is sexy because we think that, "Oh, we get autophagy and I don't have to eat, so I'll lose weight too." And we, I think we all do it because of the weight loss. We can't see the autophagy happening. We can't measure it. And, you know, so I, I would just want to call BS and say, you know, yeah, I want to live longer too. And there may be those people who are doing some intermittent fasting and are able to do it, and you look at them and they look actually younger, refreshed. They look like they have aged backward, and that's wonderful. But I would say to others, maybe it looks like they're taking it a little bit too far and/or they're not losing weight at all. And so just be honest with yourself. You don't have to admit it to anybody else, but I think it's a pretty fair, true statement. If we could get autophagy but it was gonna cause you to gain weight, I don't think anybody would do it. It's just because it carries the possibility of weight loss, because it is so relative to our diet culture. All right, so it helps explain why women often lose strength and lean mass while quote-unquote doing everything right on a diet. Protein isn't the problem, but how it's used matters. Protein research in postmenopause women is nuanced. Several randomized controlled studies show that women already eat adequate protein. Simply adding more protein doesn't automatically increase muscle mass. And I think there's maybe a window open here, just a sliver. Bill Campbell, PhD, he's been— I interviewed him, I believe, on the podcast. I think I also interviewed him for the summit in 2024, and we're due to have him back. I need to get him back here because he was just beginning research on women in menopause. Was at the time, and hopefully he's got some new content to share, which would be fantastic. But he did do some early studies showing that— and I can't tell you that these were menopausal women, they may have been young college coeds because he works at a university, they're the, they're the most abundant subjects he's got— but that just increasing the amount of protein in one's diet did help a small amount of muscle gain. But again, I don't know that that was menopausal women. So something to look at. And just eating more protein alone is not going to do it. You need to do both. The resistance training by far and above is the one thing we know rises above. If we compare resistance training versus eating, it's going to be resistance training. If we compare resistance training versus, say, we couldn't do both, hormone replacement. Resistance training wins for bone density and for muscle. Just being on age RT doesn't help you gain muscle. Might help you sleep better so you can comply with the things you need to do for muscle. So reviews consistently show that per-meal protein dose and distribution matter due to anabolic resistance. And that said, Think of it like— so when we use the word dose, hopefully that sounds to you like medication. If you think of spreading your dose of protein evenly out throughout the day, that is far more beneficial, probably to the absorption and just to overall you feeling better, than to trying to have an 80 to 100 gram one meal a day. That's almost impossible, and your body would probably find it really hard to process that. It doesn't mean you couldn't, but I'm just guessing it's probably not going to be the ideal thing for you. It's a new month, new year, and for me, still a new feeling location. There's nothing that says home more like a good night's sleep in an environment you love. Bedding from Cozy Earth is one of my favorite things about my new bedroom. I'm a homebody at heart. I love the luxury feel and high-quality comfort at home. If your sleep needs an upgrade, Cozy Earth is a great place to start. With a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty, they make returns hassle-free. But why would you? Head to cozyearth.com and use Flipping 50 for up to 20% off. Before we get started, at this time of year, it is really even more important that we talk about the fact that hydration is important, but hydration isn't just about drinking water. Being optimally hydrated is about optimizing your body's fluid ratios. And this fluid balance depends on so many factors, including the intake and the excretion of electrolytes. But you don't need electrolytes just if you're working out or it's hot outside or you're a heavy sweater, though you may need more if those things are true for you. LMNT is one of my favorite ways to boost electrolytes and make drinking water in winter more attractive. And by the way, I add the chocolate element to warm water or unsweetened almond milk for a little guilt-free hot chocolate and take in my electrolytes that way. The current science points to consuming 4 to 6 grams of sodium, 3.5 to 5 grams of potassium, and 400 to 600 milligrams of magnesium per day from diet and supplements for optimal health outcomes. Those are really key electrolytes. All electrolytes are best consumed from whole foods, no contest. Element can help fill in the gaps that we've got in our diet. In alignment with that, Element has a science-backed ratio of 100 milligrams sodium, 200 potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium. Now, I know what you're thinking. 100 grams of sodium? I can hear it even on this side. You're wondering, isn't sodium bad for you? But here's the deal. The government recommends consuming fewer than 2.3 grams per— of sodium per day, ostensibly for heart health. But in 2011, a Journal of the American Medical Association study found that optimal health outcomes occur at 4 to 6 grams per day. Yeah, so what happens is if we cut out salt, you're thinking that you're being virtuous by eliminating salt. Oh no, I never salt my food. Because I know you, I've eaten dinner with you, by the way. That actually can cause more harm than good. Many healthy people need more sodium, not less. Symptoms of low blood sodium levels, it's called hyponatremia, by the way, they include headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, and confusion. And in severe cases, not to sound alarmist, brain damage, seizures, and death. But I want you to listen to that list again: headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, confusion. In other words, brain fog. Does that sound similar to symptoms of menopause? I say yes. So it could be that you're passing off some of your symptoms for what really is just hydration. Look, everyone from U.S. Olympic athletes to health experts like me and women just like you who want optimal energy and balance for health are using it. You can get your own. Get a free 8-count sample pack of Element's most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at drinkelement.com. Flipping50. Find your favorite Element flavor or share them with a friend. My favorites, by the way, Citrus Salt and Orange Salt. So per meal protein dose and distribution throughout the day do matter due to anabolic resistance. So if you are in low energy availability and you don't have this anabolic stimulus regularly throughout the day, your ability to hold on to muscle— means spare loss or gain it— even if you're getting resistance training may be dampened a bit. Most researchers agree postmenopausal women benefit from higher meal protein doses. And let me clarify, higher than when they were younger women, and potentially higher than their male cohort. Even distribution across the day and leucine-rich protein sources. So what are those? Of all the essential amino acids— and there, that means those that we have to take daily, we need to take 9 in daily because our body can't make them— of them, leucine is the most important. Leucine is the one that is most closely tied, especially to older adults, to maintaining or gaining lean muscle mass. Leucine is abundant if you're eating animal meat, however, or animal protein sources. It's also abundant in dairy, significantly in whey protein. However, this is where we get to, uh, stop right there. A lot of midlife women no longer tolerate dairy very well, and you can see it if they remove it. Their gut improves, their energy improves, their skin improves, meaning fewer breakouts and/or clearer skin, clear eyes, less mucus, less congestion, and less achiness and joint issues. For those clients that I've worked with who have autoimmune disease, so rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia— I would not qualify as an autoimmune disease, but I'm going to put it in this category because I've also seen it support them— but Hashimoto's thyroiditis as well, who remove dairy and gluten tend to help themselves clear up muscle and joint aches and pains. Within the week, they feel better. And it's not something we encourage them to reintroduce because it does have inflammatory properties for them. And although I know there are alternatives out there that you might want to try to say, does this version work for me? Or try goat or sheep to see if that works. And I know it's a buzzkill because dairy is such a great source of protein. But even that said, coming back to whey protein is a great source of leucine. However, However, if you don't tolerate it and you're using it and you have gas or bloating, constipation or diarrhea, your skin is upset, maybe you have weight loss resistance or achy joints, I would look closely at the dairy and see, do you really tolerate it? And maybe it's something you want to eliminate, which I know makes it harder. Worth the discussion right here, just so that I know you've heard it. Hormone therapy, by the way, again, not a muscle-building shortcut. Hormone therapy often comes up in muscle conversations, but like the DM I had today with somebody, the science is mixed. So a large meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2019 found no significant increase in lean body mass with hormone therapy overall. Other studies show small improvements in strength or training response in specific contexts, particularly early postmenopause or with transdermal— that means the patch— estrogen. But here's what I would tell you other studies have said: the hormone replacement doesn't give you an edge over the muscle. Except for if you're finding it hard to comply because you're struggling with insomnia, so you can't sleep and you don't want to get up because you don't feel like exercising because you feel terrible. You can't focus, can't, can't, you know, get yourself out of bed there. You're lethargic, and maybe you're prone for injury because you have sleep deprivation. What hormone therapy can do is help you comply with the things that you will do exercise-wise on a more regular routine. Routine in order to get the results that you want. So it's important to realize which is the thing that you're really going for. So hormone therapy may support training for some women, but it's not a replacement for progressive resistance training. And the biggest support may be for those women who are struggling with motivation or with insomnia and/or frequently injured. Who having more estrogen on board may help reduce some of that. So what the science says works for muscle in menopause: progressive resistance training is the strongest lever that you're going to pull. Multiple trials and, and reviews show resistance training consistently increases strength and muscle mass in postmenopausal women. A 2022 review in Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation analyzed resistance training interventions and found improvements in muscle mass, strength, and physical function even without hormone therapy. It doesn't discriminate. Resistance training loves you all. Okay, studies show volume and intensity matter more than frequency alone. And I want to emphasize this one because I think I've said this many times, but I also think that I'm not sure where this comes from. Maybe it comes from a long-standing history of more is better, more is better. And I'm not echoing that sentiment, I'm just repeating what I've heard. And it also can be, I believe, maybe from a program that's offering that certain level of frequency and wants you to know I have found there's very insignificant difference in studies still between 2 and/or 3 frequencies per week of resistance training. It is whether or not the volume is there, the number of sets or stimulus to the muscle groups and/or bone is there. As well as the recovery. And for a lot of women, time and energy are the two biggest obstacles. So if that is you, I would almost always recommend start with two, start with two and work on building up the quality and the intensity and the effort that you put in in those two. And then keep a check, close tabs on, are you recovering in between? Now you feel good. So you did the first one on Monday and Thursday would be a great day to do the next one, 72 hours later. And if you feel good and recovered, fantastic. But if you feel good and recovered on Wednesday, sometimes we think, "Oh, we should do it again." But it might be that you didn't work as hard as you potentially could have on Monday. And we really have to stop and say, "Did I? Did I put in as much effort as I should have?" Because what we don't want is just kind of meh kind of workouts. We want like powerful. That was a powerful workout. It was great. And now my brain is firing on all cylinders because we release BDNF when we do intense workouts. And I've given myself plenty of time this week to recover, and I can still go for walks and do my yoga, fit in my Pilates if I love to do that. I could do some high-intensity interval training if I actually wanted to. 'cause I've got other days between and I'm living my life and I'm not tired. I don't have to be on the couch in between and I don't have to say, uh-oh, could you take out the garbage 'cause I lifted today? We should not be doing that. Should be the most energetic people in the room. So please pinky swear that you will promise that you feel like that or you're gonna say, I need to look for an answer. Why isn't this true for me? And that is really important. All right. Protein strategy beats protein obsession. I think we can say this right now, cuz so many people are tired of this. And yet I would say it's a delicious way to have to get yourself to muscle. It is kind of a job. I find I live alone and I am prepping meals constantly and I make I make big batches, you know, so I don't want to eat the same thing over and over, so I'll make a couple of big batches of things. But there is evidence suggesting, and this is based on the very newest recommendations from the administration, about 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram a day of protein. It really helps this, I think, to be said, it's easier If you say about a gram of protein per pound of body weight is a good aim. Now, if you're a long ways from that right now, all you want to do is start closing that gap. My guess is, and my experience is, that women start feeling more energetic after about a week of doing it, and that is all. They also stop feeling cravings. Protein leverage theory. Says that if you're not getting enough protein for your body, your body will continue to tell you, "Hey, you're hungry." But it's not going to tell you the whole message. Like, it loses the signal at about that point and it forgets to say, "You should have more protein." It just says, "If you walk into the break room, whatever's in there will look good." And so it's just going to tell you you're hungry. And that's really a dangerous message, right? Because it's like, oh, well, you know, it's hours till dinnertime, so I'm going to have some nuts. And now you've eaten a lot of calories and fat, but not necessarily satisfied the need. And your body still might tell you you're still hungry because you didn't eat protein. And yes, there's a little bit of protein in nuts, but let me tell you, don't qualify that as a high-protein food. That is a high-fat fat food friends. Let's not confuse the two, right? So think about 25 to 40, and I would even go as far as to say 25 to 50 grams of protein per meal, if you can get there, would be ideal. And that makes it easy to have 3 meals a day, no snacks between. And if you're eating that much protein, you won't be hungry. Protein's very satisfying. Spread evenly across the day. So it's not just one meal, it's not just two meals. And I know you're intermittent fasting, "I just do two meals a day." Why do you do that? Because you want to be leaner, stronger, live longer? If you do, you might try it this way if you're not quite getting the results that you want. Just a suggestion, respectfully. If you love your results, you're 100% where you want to be, then don't change it, okay? Just be willing to pivot when that's not the truth. Sleep and recovery are anabolic tools. So sleep is an easy king, queen, prince, princess of recovery. It's like the epitome of lots of repair work going on there. However, and rest in between hard workouts is also recovery time, but you want to move. So go for a walk, do yoga. The more you move, the better off you're going to be. The sleep research is pretty clear. Inadequate sleep reduces muscle protein synthesis and increases catabolic hormones. Summarizing that from earlier today, supporting your sleep is not just self-care, it's really part of your training plan. So energy balance matters more than perfection. Research shows that muscle responds best when any caloric deficit you have is very mild. And if you truly are lean already and you're trying to put on muscle, you need probably a caloric surplus high in protein. Protein is sufficient. It has to be. And resistance training intensity stays high. So if you really want to put on more muscle, These things need to be present. If there's a caloric deficit, it's very mild, protein is sufficient, and resistance training intensity stays high. You're reaching muscular fatigue, you're putting in the effort each time. This is why aggressive dieting backfires for muscle during menopause. If you're doing a lot of dieting, you're not eating, and you're just thinking, yeah, I didn't even eat until noon, I didn't think about it, Yeah, well, you're probably carrying around extra body fat because your body's under stress, doesn't feel all that safe. And a body, a midlife body, that is going to shed fat has to feel safe. So I know it's a whole new concept, it's a whole new way to think about it, but key takeaways for you today: menopause changes muscle sensitivity, not your ability to build muscle. We just have to change the message we're sending that muscle. Muscle requires stronger, smarter signals now. Progressive overload plus adequate protein and sleep are non-negotiables if you want recomposition. Hormones may support the process, but training drives the results that you're going to get. So we will put all the references, by the way, in the show notes today. So just making sure that if you're a prove-it-to-me science girl, I so get you. I see you. I am you. And we'll put them here so that if you want to chase them down and go dig in a little bit deeper, you absolutely can. I hope this has been helpful and I love to hear from you. Let me know how you like these insertions and breakdowns of actual and recent studies. And if there's a topic that you'd like to hear about, We are really narrowing our focus right now to help women in midlife get the muscle, keep the muscle, be injury-free and exhaustion-free during this and all of their coming years. What are you waiting for? Let's start Flipping 50 today.