How to Protect Your Muscle, Strength & Metabolism as You Age

The standard adult Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

But remember: an RDA is designed to prevent inadequacy. It isn’t necessarily the optimal target for preserving muscle as we age.

As we age, maintaining muscle becomes more challenging.

Our muscles can become less responsive to the same amount of dietary protein — sometimes referred to as anabolic resistance.

For women, midlife also brings changing hormones, including declining estrogen through the menopause transition.

That’s why what worked for your body at 30 may not be enough at 50, 60 or beyond.

You don’t need to punish your body.

You need to give it a stronger signal:

Protein + resistance training + adequate nutrition + recovery.

That combination matters far more to me than simply trying to eat as little as possible.

This is one of the biggest changes I want women to consider.

Instead of coffee for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and 50 grams of protein at dinner, spread your protein throughout your day.

Research in older adults suggests approximately 25–30 grams of high-quality protein per meal can be a useful target for stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

Think: breakfast 25–30g, lunch 25–30g, dinner 25–30g. Then adjust according to your individual daily requirement.

Breakfast is often where women fall short.

Not all proteins stimulate muscle protein synthesis equally.

One amino acid that’s particularly important is leucine.

Research in older adults suggests that a meal containing approximately 25–30 grams of protein and roughly 2.5–2.8 grams of leucine can provide a strong muscle-building signal.

This is one reason protein quality, not simply the number of grams, matters.

If there’s one thing I want women over 50 to understand, it’s this: your muscles need a reason to stay.

Resistance training gives them that reason. Protein provides the building blocks. Strength training provides the signal.

You do not need to become a bodybuilder. You do need to challenge your muscles consistently.

Ideally, work the major muscle groups consistently throughout the week and progressively challenge yourself as you become stronger.

If you’re new to strength training, have significant osteoporosis, injuries or medical concerns, get individualized guidance before beginning.

Here’s the piece that often gets left out of the protein conversation: you have to digest the food you eat before your body can use its amino acids.

Protein is broken down during digestion into peptides and amino acids, which are then absorbed primarily through the small intestine.

That’s why I care about the whole picture.

Protein matters. But so do digestive health, fiber, hydration, regular bowel function, a diverse diet, your gut microbiome, and your overall nutritional status.

Supporting gut health isn’t a shortcut that suddenly makes protein work. It’s part of creating an overall environment where you’re eating, digesting and consistently obtaining the nutrients your body needs.

I always want the foundation to be real food.

Supplements should supplement a healthy lifestyle — not replace it.

But there are times when convenience and targeted nutritional support can make consistency much easier.

That’s where I use products strategically.