Are You eating enough Protein? (especially if you’re training)

Following on from last week’s conversation about muscle…Let’s talk about something that quietly matters just as much. Protein.

Because here’s what I see often:

Women are training.
Women are walking more as the weather improves.
Women are trying to “eat clean.”

But protein intake? Often far lower than what research suggests is optimal.

Current evidence indicates that active women may benefit from around 1.6–2.2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day to support muscle retention and growth (Morton et al., 2018).

That’s higher than the basic RDA. Why does this matter? Because muscle doesn’t maintain itself.

It requires:

• Mechanical tension (strength training)

• Adequate protein

• Sufficient total energy

And this becomes even more important during:

• Fat loss phases

• Perimenopause

• Increased training volume

• Recovery from illness or stress

Research also shows that higher protein intakes during weight loss help preserve lean mass (Helms et al., 2014).

Which brings us back to last week.

If muscle is protective, metabolically and hormonally then under-eating protein while increasing activity isn’t supporting the outcome most women actually want.

Spring often brings a subtle shift toward “lighter eating.” But lighter isn’t always better. Stronger is better. Being stronger requires fuel.

If this is helpful, I can break down:

• How to calculate your own protein target

• What this looks like in real meals

• Or how to increase intake without over complicating things

Just reply below and tell me which would be most useful.