Menopause, Muscle and Nutrition: What Does The Research Show?

In this episode, we’ll examine research on muscle changes during menopause. How much muscle mass is lost? Does it affect all individuals the same way? And most importantly, what interventions—such as exercise, protein, vitamin D, and creatine—are actually effective? Let’s break down the science and highlight key takeaways for dietitians and healthcare professionals.

Check out the Women's Health Nutrition Learning Hub at whnlearninghub.com

* Correction: Most experts agree that 1-1.2 g protein/kg body weight is what most women will benefit from in perimenopause and some may benefit from higher levels of up to 1.6-2 g protein/kg body weigh. 

**Not intended as medical advice

References:

Greendale, G. A., Sternfeld, B., Huang, M.-H., Han, W., Karvonen-Gutierrez, C., Ruppert, K., Cauley, J. A., Finkelstein, J. S., Jiang, S.-F., & Karlamangla, A. S. (2019). Changes in body composition and weight during the menopause transition. JCI Insight, 4(5), e124865. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.124865&#8203

Silva, T. R., Lago, S. C., Yavorivski, A., Ferreira, L. L., Fighera, T. M., & Spritzer, P. M. (2020). Effects of high protein, low-glycemic index diet on lean body mass, strength, and physical performance in late postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial. Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, 28(3), 307–317. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000001692&#8203

Thornton, M., Sim, M., Kennedy, M. A., Blodgett, K., Joseph, R., & Pojednic, R. (2024). Nutrition interventions on muscle-related components of sarcopenia in females: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Calcified Tissue International, 114, 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-023-01157-1&#8203

Lemieux, F. C., Filion, M.-E., Barbat-Artigas, S., Karelis, A. D., & Aubertin-Leheudre, M. (2014). Relationship between different protein intake recommendations with muscle mass and muscle strength. Climacteric, 17(3), 294–300. https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2013.829440&#8203

Silva, T. R., & Spritzer, P. M. (2016). Skeletal muscle mass is associated with higher dietary protein intake and lower body fat in postmenopausal women: A cross-sectional study. Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, 24(5), 502–509. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000000793&#8203

Erdélyi, A., Pálfi, E., Tűű, L., Nas, K., Szűcs, Z., Török, M., Jakab, A., & Várbíró, S. (2024). The importance of nutrition in menopause and perimenopause—A review. Nutrients, 16(27). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16010027&#8203

Nahas, P. C., Rossato, L. T., Martins, F. M., Souza, A. P., Branco, F. M. S., Carneiro, M. A. S., Teixeira, K. R. C., Orsatti, F. L., & de Oliveira, E. P. (2019). Moderate increase in protein intake promotes a small additional improvement in functional capacity, but not in muscle strength and lean mass quality, in postmenopausal women following resistance exercise: A randomized clinical trial. Nutrients, 11(6), 1323. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061323&#8203

Seimon, R. V., Wild-Taylor, A. L., Keating, S. E., McClintock, S., Harper, C., Gibson, A. A., Johnson, N. A., Fernando, H. A., Markovic, T. P., Center, J. R., Franklin, J., Liu, P. Y., Grieve, S. M., Lagopoulos, J., Caterson, I. D., Byrne, N. M., & Sainsbury, A. (2019). Effect of weight loss via severe vs moderate energy restriction on lean mass and body composition among postmenopausal women with obesity: The TEMPO Diet randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 2(10), e1913733. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.13733&#8203

Tan, T.-W., Tan, H.-L., Hsu, M.-F., Huang, H.-L., & Chung, Y.-C. (2023). Effect of non-pharmacological interventions on the prevention of sarcopenia in menopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of ra