Protein, Creatine and Collagen Through Menopause

Maybe you've noticed the weights feel heavier than they used to, or your shape is changing even though you're eating the same. Maybe you've trained for years and want to keep your strength through this stage, or you've never lifted a weight and are wondering where to start. Either way, you're in the right place, and there are no silly questions.

This guide covers what happens to your muscle through perimenopause and menopause, how much protein you need, what creatine and collagen support, how to put it all together and our picks.

What happens to muscle in perimenopause and menopause?

In New Zealand, the average age of menopause is 51, usually somewhere between 45 and 55. The changes leading up to it, called perimenopause, can start in your late 30s or early 40s and last two to ten years, five on average. [1]

As estrogen and progesterone fall, muscle becomes harder to hold on to:

• Muscle drops through the transition. Across studies, lean or muscle mass was about 2.5% lower in perimenopausal women and 5.7% lower in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. [2]
• Muscle responds less to food and training. In older women, the muscle-building response to protein and to resistance exercise may be blunted. Estrogen also appears to help limit muscle breakdown, which may change after menopause. [2]

The good news is that muscle still responds to the right signals at any age. You just need to send them more clearly: lift something heavy-ish a few times a week, eat enough protein at each meal, and give your training a hand with creatine.

How much protein do you need through menopause?

More than the official minimum. The NZ and Australian recommended intake for women is 0.75 g per kg a day up to age 70, rising to 0.94 g per kg over 70. [3] That's the floor that stops nearly everyone falling short, not a target for holding on to muscle.

International experts in protein and ageing recommend at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg a day for healthy older adults, and 1.2 g per kg or more if you're exercising or otherwise active. [4]

From the floor to a muscle-friendly target

Protein targets by age and stage

Your weight

70 kg

• NZ minimum, women 19 to 70 floor, not a target [3]

  0.75 g/kg · 53 g

• NZ minimum, women over 70 floor, not a target [3]

  0.94 g/kg · 66 g

• Healthy, mid-life and older [4]

  1.0 to 1.2 g/kg · 70 to 84 g

• Active or strength training [4]

  1.2 g/kg or more · 84 g or more

• Training regularly, building muscle [5]

  1.4 to 2.0 g/kg · 98 to 140 g

Worked example: 70 kg, aged 54, lifting twice a week: 70 × 1.2 = 84 g a day as a minimum; aim higher if training hard [4].

Spread it across your meals

Because muscle responds less to protein after menopause, how much you eat at each meal matters. Aim for 20 to 40 g of protein per meal, roughly every 3 to 4 hours. [5] Many women eat a light breakfast and a big dinner, which leaves breakfast and lunch well short. A shake or a scoop stirred into yoghurt or porridge is the easiest way to fix the morning.

Where a protein powder helps

• Supports lean mass in women. Across 13 trials in women, whey protein supported a gain of about 0.37 kg of lean mass without changing fat mass. When combined with a reduced-calorie diet, the gain rose to about 0.9 kg. [6] That matters if you're trying to lose a little weight without losing muscle.
• Supports strength in older adults. In a review of 25 trials in adults aged 64 to 84, whey supported lower-body strength. Paired with resistance training, it also supported gains in lean mass. [7]

For the full picture on protein, including NZ foods and worked examples, read how much protein do you actually need?

Creatine through menopause

Your muscles use creatine as a fast energy reserve for short, hard efforts like a heavy set. Topping it up helps you do a bit more quality work each session, and that adds up.

What the research shows

• Supports lean mass and strength after menopause. A 2026 review of seven trials in 608 postmenopausal women found creatine with resistance training added about 0.37 kg of lean mass and 7.5 kg to leg-press strength compared with placebo. Results were clearest at 5 g a day or more with resistance training. Side effects were mild and similar to placebo, and kidney measures didn't change. [8]
• Supports strength through perimenopause too. In a small 14-week study, 15 women in perimenopause and postmenopause took creatine while doing two strength sessions a week. They made significant gains in lower-body strength, and the perimenopausal women reported better sleep quality. [9]

How to take it

5 g a day, every day, including rest days. That's the dose where the research in postmenopausal women looks best. [8] Timing doesn't matter much, so take it when you'll remember: in your morning coffee, your shake or after training.

Creatine works with training, not instead of it. In the trials, the benefits showed up when creatine was paired with resistance training. [8]

Some women notice a small rise on the scale early on. Our creatine for women guide explains why, and why it isn't fat.

For creatine across every stage of life, including the myths and the brain research, read creatine for women. For the full science, see our complete creatine guide.

Where collagen fits

Collagen is a specialist protein for connective tissue: your skin, tendons, ligaments and bones. It also counts towards your daily protein. Skin collagen loss is closely linked to falling estrogen, so this is the stage where it speeds up. [12]

• Skin changes fast. As much as 30% of skin collagen (types I and III) is lost in the first five years after menopause. [12]
• Supports bone density. In postmenopausal women with lower bone density, 5 g of collagen peptides a day for 12 months supported significant gains in bone density at the spine and hip, compared with placebo. Markers of bone building rose too. [10]
• Supports skin and hair. In menopausal women, 5 g of collagen a day for six months supported a 12% improvement in skin elasticity. With calcium and vitamin D added, skin hydration rose by 23%. Collagen also supported less hair shedding than placebo. [11]

Here's the neat part: a whey and collagen blend gives you both in one scoop. Whey brings the full set of essential amino acids for muscle, and collagen supports bone, skin and connective tissue. Read more in collagen for women.

Putting it together

A simple day: a collagen whey shake with 5 g of creatine stirred in at breakfast, a palm-sized serve of protein at lunch and dinner, and two or three strength sessions a week.

Who this suits

• Perimenopausal women

  noticing slower recovery, changing shape or strength slipping.

• Postmenopausal women

  who want to stay strong for the things that matter: carrying the shopping, the grandkids, the garden, the tramp.

• Women who already train

  and want to hold on to what they've built.

• Women who don't train yet

  Start with protein and collagen, then add creatine when you add strength work, because that's where it does its best work. [8]

Wondering about hormone-specific supplements too? Our guide to hormone support for women covers what's available and how it fits.

Check first

If you have kidney disease, take medication or are managing a health condition, check with your GP before starting creatine or changing your protein intake. See your GP about any new or severe symptoms, including bleeding after your periods have stopped.

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