Women and Protein!

Women and Protein! When it comes to protein many women lifters may not be taking in enough. That may not be a surprise since most articles and advertisements for protein powders tend to cater more to men. Yet protein is just as important to women. This article reveals why, so if you’re ready, let’s dive in!

Why Is Protein Important?

The importance of protein cannot be overstated, especially for anyone that works out. Protein is used by the body to build, repair and maintain muscle tissue. A major component of protein are amino acids, commonly called the “building blocks of protein” of which there are approximately 20. Of these, 9 are called essential amino acids (EAAs) because the body cannot make them, they must be supplied by your diet and supplements. 

Here’s a key point about protein: literally thousands of amino acid combinations, or chains, are continually required to perform thousands of bodily functions daily. Each one has a specific function determined by its specific amino acid combination (or chain). This is why protein and the proper timing of protein from food and supplements is so important: lack of adequate protein, and your body will break down muscle tissue to help meet this daily protein requirement.  (1)

Protein Quality

Now, I provided a brief overview of protein and its importance. To meet your protein needs, whole food sources of protein are first and foremost. These sources must come from clean, quality foods. Your choices must also provide enough essential amino acids. As a side note, the EAAs include the 3 Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) which include leucine, the most anabolic of any amino acid because it strongly stimulates protein synthesis, a direct trigger of muscle growth. This is where protein quality comes in. A high quality protein source should have a good amino acid profile and be easily digestible. (2)

Women Have Different Needs Than Men

If you aren’t taking in enough protein, your body will have a difficult time repairing training-induced muscle damage. It will also have a difficult time maintaining lean muscle tissue  or building new muscle tissue. 

At this point it should be noted that the fundamental principles of muscle biology apply to both women and men. That said, female lifters experience specific physiological situations that are very different from what male lifters experience. 

Estrogen, hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, menopause itself, and the use of hormonal contraceptives demand that women adapt different protein strategies than men. Additionally, pregnancy and breastfeeding present their own set of potential adjustments. Let’s take a look at each of these scenarios. (3)  

What Is The Relationship Between Estrogen and Protein?

During the timeframe before menopause and once you have reached menopause, your body’s natural levels of estrogen decline and age-related muscle loss tends to speed up. For women, this decline in estrogen has led to the belief that menopausal women lifters need a higher daily intake of protein. That said, the average woman lifter will retain more muscle mass and a better response to protein than those women who do not lift. That means that, obviously, the woman lifter should keep their protein intake high (we will discuss how much protein soon), and to be honest, the woman who does not train should focus on a higher protein intake than they probably ingest (and the same applies to men). (5)

Key Points

• Declining Estrogen  – As estrogen declines (menopause), all women are prone to muscle loss and reduced bone density. Estrogen acts as an anabolic hormone (in men it would be testosterone) that helps stimulate protein synthesis. Low levels of estrogen make it hard to maintain lean mass. Women who lift are less affected by this dilemma. 
• The Impact of Increased Protein – Increasing your intake of protein can help derail these losses. More protein helps preserve/build muscle mass.
• Hormonal Efficiency – Adequate protein intake is key to hormonal production and regulation. Of course this includes estrogen.

Before we go any farther, all women and women lifters of all ages need to ingest enough protein, likely more than many are currently consuming. While I expect that most women lifters get that, I do not think the average woman who does minimal exercise or no exercise at all probably does not. Of course, this then becomes a discussion of following a clean, healthy nutritional approach, which is beyond the scope of this article but might be the topic of a future article. For now, let’s continue to focus on protein.

The Menstrual Cycle – How Does It Impact Protein Needs?

Studies suggest that no meaningful differences in protein synthesis or muscle breakdown occurs across the menstrual cycle. In addition, there is no evidence that protein intake needs to be adjusted based on cycle timing (4).

What About Hormonal Contraceptives?

It’s believed that contraceptives can change endogenous hormone patterns. However, current research suggests that contraceptive use does not really impact protein synthesis or overall protein requirements. 

What About Pregnancy and Breastfeeding?

During pregnancy, your protein intake plays a key role because it promotes fetal growth, brain development, and increased blood volume. Not to mention, it also promotes the formation of tissue and amniotic fluid. This role continues while women breastfeed. (5)

How Protein Do You Need Every Day?

Ok, the big question. For women lifters, I suggest .75 to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day,and evenly spread across the day.

Key Points

• Daily Intake – .75 to 1 grams per pound of bodyweight for women hitting the gym. For those that may not be going to the gym yet are reading this article, I suggest .55 to .75 grams per pound, based on your life stage, as outlined next.
• Your Age and Life Stage – A woman’s needs increase during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and for women over 40-50 to offset age-related muscle loss, and support bone health, especially for post-menopausal women.
• For Weight Management – A higher protein intake helps keep you feeling full for a longer period of time, which in turn reduces cravings. 

How To Take It

There are several key times you should be taking in protein. Those times begin with first thing in the morning (with some simple carbs) because you have not eaten since the evening before and your body is in a catabolic state. Also in the hours surrounding your workout, and within an hour before going to bed, because during the night you typically fall into a catabolic state due to lack of food intake. 

Protein Timing

You can maintain a consistent protein intake by consuming your protein from food and supplements over 3 meals and 2 or 3 shakes. This is known as being in a positive nitrogen balance (nitrogen is one of the most important elements in protein); this really means positive protein balance. This is the anabolic (or building up) state in which muscle growth can occur, recovery can take place, and muscle preservation can happen. 

The other side of the coin is the term negative nitrogen (or, protein) balance. This is what you want to avoid because it is a catabolic (or tearing down) state that results in muscle loss, as talked about above. (6, 7)

Endurance and Resistance Training – How Do They Impact Your Protein Needs?

Resistance training promotes significant increases in protein synthesis extended over a long period of time. What about endurance training? This type of training stimulates muscle adaptation within the mitochondria, which is key to endurance training because it produces 90% of the body’s ATP energy. In fact, protein intake directly supports mitochondria because it provides amino acids. These aminos are used for essential structural, functional, and antioxidant roles.

A key reason endurance athletes should maintain the same protein intake as resistance trainers is that endurance training increases oxidation of amino acids. Of course, you’re mainly preserving muscle mass, unless you train specifically for more muscle. For endurance athletes, carbs are king because carbs are the main source of energy for the body. 

Suggested Protein Powders For Women

The first protein powder I recommend is Hi-Tech Precision Protein. One serving provides 25 grams of hydrolyzed whey protein. Plus, it features an exclusive Hi-Tech technology that allows leucine to be released in the first stages of protein synthesis. That’s a big deal for serious women lifters, since, as noted, protein synthesis is a trigger of muscle growth. 

Protein Synthesis And Women

Women generally have similar protein synthesis rates as men. That’s in spite of lower natural levels of testosterone. In addition, research suggests that  women maintain efficient muscle protein turnover throughout their lifespan. While hormones such as estrogen influence muscle metabolism, the menstrual cycle does not seem to alter post-exercise protein synthesis. 

Key Points

• Basal Rates – Studies suggest that women may have a higher resting rate of protein synthesis when compared to men. This appears to be true even as they age. This potentially acts as a protective mechanism against age-related muscle loss.
• Response to Exercise – Resistance training stimulates protein synthesis similarly in both men and women. Plus, clinical studies reveal comparable increases in post-workout protein turnover.
• Menstrual Cycle – Contrary to popular belief, the menstrual cycle—and the resulting fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone—do not appear to significantly affect protein synthesis response to exercise.
• Hormonal Influence – As noted, testosterone is a potent anabolic driver in men. However, lower levels in women mean they rely on other, more efficient, mechanisms for protein synthesis. 

Additional Protein Powder Suggestions

What if you don’t want a protein powder that is directly geared towards muscle growth? Then I suggest Panda Fuel Premium Protein. This powder provides 30 grams of protein from Non-GMO whey protein isolate, grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen, whey concentrate, and slower digesting casein protein. Plus, it contains a complete Probiotics Blend, digestive enzymes, and absorption enhancers.

Protein is important for muscle, but in itself will not build new muscle. If you’re maintaining what you have, protein helps with that. If you’re striving to add more, protein helps with that too. 

What Other Supplements Can I Take With It?

From your choice of protein powder, the next supplement every serious woman lifter should be a pre-workout. NutraBio Base is an excellent choice. It’s a “Core” pre-workout, which means it features a streamlined yet effective formula at a great price. In addition, it offers flexible dosing, meaning you can use 1 scoop (200 mg caffeine) or 2 scoops if you want more caffeine punch. 

From there, I suggest a women’s multivitamin, such as Rule 1 Women’s Multi. This is a well-dosed multi covering all of a woman’s needs. Finally serious women lifters may want to add creatine to their program. This is a time tested and proven supplement. I suggest AllMax Nutrition Creatine, which features CreaSyn® patented micronized creatine monohydrate. 

Summary

As you can see, when it comes to Women and Protein, the needs may be considerably different, but women lifters need comparable amounts as male lifters. That’s not hard to see why, protein is the most important macronutrient for anyone hitting the gym, no matter the goal. Even endurance athletes must have an adequate protein intake. All that’s left is to stop by illpumpyouup.com and stock up on all your supplement needs!

References:

1. Nutrition and Diet Therapy, Cataldo, DeBruyne and Whitney, “The Chemists View of Protein” p.80-81
2. Nutrition and Diet Therapy, Cataldo, DeBruyne and Whitney, “The Chemists View of Protein” p.90
3. Phillips, S. M., & Van Loon, L. J. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of sports sciences, 29 Suppl 1, S29–S38. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.619204
4. Colenso-Semple, L. M., McKendry, J., Lim, C., Atherton, P. J., Wilkinson, D. J., Smith, K., & Phillips, S. M. (2025). Menstrual cycle phase does not influence muscle protein synthesis or whole-body myofibrillar proteolysis in response to resistance exercise. The Journal of physiology, 603(5), 1109–1121. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP287342
5. Rasmussen, B., Ennis, M., Pencharz, P., Ball, R., Courtney-martin, G., & Elango, R. (2020). Protein Requirements of Healthy Lactating Women Are Higher Than the Current Recommendations. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(Suppl 2), 653. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa049_046
6. https://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2024/05/protein-and-womens-health#:~:text=Women%20need%20sufficient%20protein%20to,mass%20and%20prevent%20bone%20loss.
7. Exercise, protein metabolism, and muscle growth, Tipton KD, Wolfe RR.
8. Effect of an amino acid, protein, and carbohydrate mixture on net muscle protein balance after resistance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2004;14:255-71. Borsheim E, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR.
9. Colenso-Semple, L. M., McKendry, J., Lim, C., Atherton, P. J., Wilkinson, D. J., Smith, K., & Phillips, S. M. (2025). Menstrual cycle phase does not influence muscle protein synthesis or whole-body myofibrillar proteolysis in response to resistance exercise. The Journal of physiology, 603(5), 1109–1121. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP287342
10. Henderson, G. C., Dhatariya, K., Ford, G. C., Klaus, K. A., Basu, R., Rizza, R. A., Jensen, M. D., Khosla, S., O’Brien, P., & Nair, K. S. (2009). Higher muscle protein synthesis in women than men across the lifespan, and failure of androgen administration to amend age-related decrements. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 23(2), 631–641. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.08-117200