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Many women worry that low oestrogen means poorer returns from strength training. A new controlled trial gives some reassuring news in that the immediate muscle-building response switched on by lifting and protein still happens when oestrogen is low. As a personal trainer, this has an impact on day-to-day programming and the way we talk to clients in midlife who want strength, function and confidence from training.
In this article we outline what a recent study asked, how it was done, what it found, and then move into concrete coaching steps for peri- and post-menopausal clients. If you’re looking at a personal trainer course and wondering how to explain hormones without the drama, this is a Tidy Evidence Base To Lean On.
In a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers asked a focused question: do natural shifts in oestrogen across the menstrual cycle change how quickly myofibrillar muscle proteins get built after resistance exercise and an amino acid drink? Seventeen healthy, naturally menstruating women completed a randomised cross-over design. Each participant visited the lab twice. Once in the early follicular phase when estradiol was low and once in the late follicular phase when estradiol was high. On each visit they did a lower-body resistance session, drank essential amino acids and had their myofibrillar protein synthesis measured over four hours using stable isotope tracer methods. The team also measured forearm amino-acid uptake and release to reflect synthesis and breakdown, blood flow, insulin and muscle gene expression related to growth, breakdown, remodelling and inflammation.
This design separated the oestrogen question from other hormonal noise. Progesterone was kept low in both phases, which matters because it can complicate interpretation in typical follicular-versus-luteal comparisons. The approach gives us a clean look at the effect of low-versus-high estradiol in the hours after training and feeding.
The short-term, practical outcome is clear. Myofibrillar protein synthesis rose in the first two hours after lifting and amino acids in both low- and high-oestrogen conditions. There was no meaningful difference between phases. The forearm balance data told the same story, that amino acids moved into muscle and release fell in the expected way after feeding and exercise, with no phase effect.
There were some interesting side notes. Insulin and resting limb blood flow sat a bit higher in the high-oestrogen visit, but this did not translate into a bigger early synthesis bump. Testosterone, even at the low concentrations typical in women, showed a modest positive correlation with the four-hour synthesis response. Estradiol did not track with synthesis in that window. Inside the muscle, gene expression during the high-oestrogen visit leaned towards an anabolic state with a higher expression of mTOR-pathway and amino-acid transport genes, and lower expression of myostatin and key ubiquitin-proteasome markers. That shift did not appear as a bigger synthesis rate in the same hours, which hints that transcriptional tone and measured synthesis in a four-hour window do not always move in lockstep.
Taken together with earlier work that also found no cycle-phase effect on exercise-stimulated synthesis, the message remains that training-plus-protein signal still fires when oestrogen is low.
Menopause is different from a menstrual phase, but the mechanism matters. The study shows that the core stimulus, that is mechanical tension from lifting plus amino acids, drives the early build signal without needing high estradiol. That gives you solid ground for simple, confident messaging.
Keep resistance training central. Programme two to four sessions each week built around squat, hinge, push, pull, lunge and carry patterns. Track one progression lever at a time, as in load, reps or sets, so clients can see progression. The goal is a reliable training rhythm that keeps quality high and makes strength gains feel tangible. Pair that with protein timing and distribution that clients can live with. A practical target is about 0.3–0.4 g/kg protein per meal, three to four times across the day, with a 25–40 g hit in the first couple of hours after training. If appetite is low after sessions, an 8–12 g essential amino acid drink can cover the leucine trigger without heaviness.
The study also shows that recovery needs attention. Use simple metrics such as session RPE, “zip” in the warm-up, joint niggles, sleep and mood. When those flags are off, trim a little volume and keep intensity where form and bar speed look good. Once a client moves well under load, add a touch of power for function and bone health. Think low-impact jumps, medicine-ball throws, or fast concentrics for short sets while speed is sharp. Stop before form slows.
Creatine monohydrate earns a place for many women. Three to five grams daily supports strength and lean mass and helps training quality. It pairs well with a protein distribution strategy and is easy to stick with. On the lifestyle side, design sessions with comfort in mind, in cooler rooms, fans, breathable kit, hydration and electrolytes. A hot flush in a gym with poor airflow can derail a good plan. Paying attention to the setting keeps quality up. If a client is on HRT or discussing it with a GP, keep training and nutrition in focus. Medical decisions live with the client and clinician; your job is to anchor habits that work in any scenario.
A three-day plan works for many busy clients. Start with a squat-dominant day, then a hinge-dominant day, then a push-pull day. Use three to four work sets on the main lift at a steady RPE, then two to three accessories that target the same pattern. Set a simple progression rule and stick to it for four to six weeks. A four-day option can sit as an upper/lower split with a short power primer at the start of two sessions. Keep conditioning short and honest, such as eight to twelve minutes of intervals or a steep walk on days that feel good.
Clients are always looking for quick wins. Give them a cheat-sheet of 25–40g options that fit breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Whey or a blend in a shake. Skyr or thick Greek yoghurt with fruit and nuts. Eggs on sourdough with smoked salmon. Chicken or tofu-tempeh bowls with grains and veg. A day for a 70 kg client could look like four meals of 22–28 g, or three meals of 30–35 g with a post-session shake filling the gap. The distribution matters because each feeding gives the muscle a clear synthesis signal. That rhythm helps when recovery demands rise.
Clients want to know that their effort still counts. Try this: “Your training plus protein turns on the muscle-building switch even when oestrogen is low. We’ll keep nudging your lifts up and you’ll feel the difference in daily life.” When sleep is off or symptoms spike, tell them, “We’ll trim a set or two and keep the key lifts in. Consistency does the heavy lifting over time.” Keep the tone steady and practical. Confidence grows when the plan feels doable and progress shows up in the log.
The study was based on an acute four-hour window. That tells us about the early response, not months of hypertrophy. The participants were healthy, naturally cycling women, and it’s important to remember menopausal physiology differs. Even with those caveats, the mechanism points in a helpful direction for midlife coaching. The combination of a reliable resistance stimulus and planned protein still makes biological sense, and the broader literature in women supports keeping these anchors in place.
Hormones shift. Good programming does not need to. Lifting and protein give a dependable signal that supports muscle in women, including clients in midlife. Build the week around that idea, track simple progression, keep recovery honest and design the training environment so clients want to show up again next week.
Ready to specialise in women’s health with real-world evidence at your fingertips? Our Women’s Health & Exercise Specialist and Master Diplomas™ turn cutting-edge research into programming you can use with clients across the lifespan. In the trial we’ve been discussing, 17 healthy women (mean age 28 ± 7 y, BMI 24 ± 3) completed a randomised cross-over design, with one session in early follicular (day 4 ± 1) and one in late follicular (day 15 ± 3). Myofibrillar protein synthesis rose in the first 0–2 hours after lifting plus amino acids, with no extra rise at 2–4 hours and no phase differences in the forearm amino-acid balance that reflects synthesis and breakdown. That signal gives you a clear coaching spine for midlife clients with two to four strength sessions per week around the fundamental movement patterns, plan protein so each meal hits a workable threshold, and add smart recovery checks that keep training quality high. On the Diplomas you’ll build confident session design, symptom-aware progressions and client-friendly nutrition frameworks, so your women’s health practice stands on firm science and feels doable for every client.
Women’s Health & Exercise Specialist/Master™ – Distance Study, In-Person & Live-Virtual
Ready to coach menopause with confidence? Our Exercise & Nutrition for Menopause course turns solid research into gym-floor know-how. In a controlled trial, myofibrillar protein synthesis jumped to ~0.11% per hour in the first two hours after lifting and amino acids, both when estradiol was low (~183 pmol/L, early follicular) and when it was high (~855 pmol/L, late follicular), with no phase difference. Meanwhile, testosterone showed a modest positive link with the 0–4 h synthesis response. That tells a clear story: training plus smart protein feeding still flips the muscle-building switch. On the course you’ll learn how to use this signal with peri- and post-menopausal clients: practical protein targets and timing, creatine protocols, symptom-aware session design and progression you can track from week to week. If you work with women in midlife, this is the toolkit that helps your programming land and stick.
Exercise & Nutrition for Menopause Course – Distance Study
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