Hormone Support for Women: Training Through Every Stage

Maybe you've just started lifting and wonder whether you should plan sessions around your cycle. Maybe you're in your 40s and training feels different than it used to. Or you don't train yet but want to feel stronger and more energetic as you get older. All good reasons to be here, and no silly questions.

This guide covers how your hormones affect training at each stage, the foundations that matter most, where Elysium fits, and the products we'd reach for.

Your hormones and training through each stage

Estrogen and progesterone rise and fall across your cycle, then estrogen falls through perimenopause and keeps falling after menopause. [4] The research is reassuring on your cycle: your muscles respond to training just as well in any phase, so keep training and adjust a flat day to how you feel, not the calendar. [1] [2] Later, muscle starts to slip, which is why the foundations below matter more with each stage. [5] [6] See protein and creatine during menopause.

Stage by stage

Your hormones and muscle

Estrogen

1. Stage 1

   Through your monthly cycle

   Lean mass 0%

   Muscle-building response to resistance training the same in the follicular phase (peak estrogen) and luteal phase (peak progesterone) [1]. In 28 trained women over two training blocks, cycle phase had a minimal effect on lifting; motivation mattered more than phase [2]. In elite athletes, no significant difference in aerobic fitness between phases, a small non-significant dip during your period [3].

2. Stage 2

   Perimenopause

   Lean mass About 2.5% lower

   Usually starts mid to late 40s; some women notice changes in their late 30s. Lasts about 4 years on average, up to 10. Estrogen falls [4]. Lean mass about 2.5% lower than premenopausal women [5].

3. Stage 3

   Menopause and beyond

   Lean mass About 5.7% lower

   Periods stopped for 12 months in a row, on average around age 52. Estrogen keeps falling [4]. Lean mass about 5.7% lower than premenopausal women, and response to training and protein may be a little blunted [5]. Less muscle mass and strength than premenopausal women [6].

The foundations that matter most

At every stage, the same five habits do most of the work: strength training, protein, creatine, collagen and sleep. Resistance training is the main signal to build and keep muscle, and consistency matters more than timing. [1] [2] [8] Our protein guide, creatine for women, collagen for women and sleep guide go deeper on each.

Build from the base

Your foundation stack

1. 1Strength trainingThe main signal

   Main signal to build and keep muscle at every stage [1] [8]. No need to plan around your cycle [2].

2. 2Protein1.4 to 2.0 g per kg

   A day if you exercise regularly, about 95 to 135 g for a 68 kg woman; 20 to 40 g per meal [9].

3. 3Creatine5 g or more a day

   Supports strength, exercise performance and body composition in women, especially with resistance training [7]. After menopause, 7 trials, 608 women: about 0.37 kg more lean mass and 7.5 kg more on the leg press than placebo, at 5 g or more a day with resistance training [8].

4. 4Collagen15 g a day

   Premenopausal women, 15 g collagen peptides a day with 12 weeks of resistance training: more fat-free mass and grip strength than training alone [10]. Postmenopausal women with low bone density, 5 g a day for a year supported spine and hip bone mineral density vs placebo [11].

5. 5SleepEvery night

   Supports recovery from every session and next-day energy.

6. +ElysiumOptional cap

   Add on top for training and recovery support (see below).

Where Elysium fits

Elysium is an Inception Labs formula suitable for men and women. It contains three ingredients:

• D-aspartic acid, an amino acid commonly used in sports nutrition formulas.
• Bulbine natalensis, a botanical traditionally used in wellness formulas.
• Luteolin, a plant flavonoid with antioxidant properties.

The ingredients in Elysium have been studied for their role in supporting daily vitality and wellbeing, exercise performance, energy production and recovery from training.

What the research covers

Most of the published human research on these three ingredients has been done in men. D-aspartic acid has been studied mainly for its role in men's hormone health, with mixed results. [12] Bulbine natalensis has a short-term safety trial in healthy men, where it matched placebo on 27 of 29 health markers. [13] Luteolin is found in many plants and has antioxidant activity, but human trials are at an early stage. [14] We'd love to see more trials in women, and we'll update this guide as they're published.

If you like the idea of an all-round formula to support your training and recovery, Elysium is the one in our range designed for women as well as men. Use it alongside the foundations above, not instead of them.

Using Elysium with other formulas

Transcend, Elysium and Ascension share several botanical ingredients, so use one at a time. Ascension and Transcend are men's formulas, so for women, Elysium is the one to choose. If body composition is your focus, Elysium pairs with Ichor in the Ichor & Elysium Stack. Ichor has been studied for its role in supporting healthy metabolism, energy and exercise performance, and a feeling of fullness as part of a balanced eating plan. Ichor is not recommended for under 18s.

Who it suits

• Women new to training who want a simple, well-researched foundation: creatine and protein first.
• Women who already lift and want extra support for performance and recovery: add Elysium.
• Women in perimenopause or after menopause who want to protect muscle and strength: strength training, enough protein and creatine. The clearest results so far are after menopause, at 5 g a day with training. [7] [8]
• Women who don't train yet: start with protein and some strength exercise. Creatine and Elysium give you the most alongside training.

Check first

Who should check first

If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, taking the pill or any hormone therapy (including menopausal hormone therapy), taking any other medication or managing a health condition, check with your GP before starting Elysium or any hormone support formula. Lab research suggests Bulbine natalensis may affect how the body processes some medicines. [15] If you're having blood tests, tell whoever orders them that you take creatine.

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