The Angry Typist

NUTRITION:

The week started out with a flat tire which not only resulted in me missing Monday night class, but I sat at a gas station parking lot for hours. The rest of the week I just felt off, and I opted for some comfort food choices over nutrition-rich ones. The best part is I did it guilt-free because overall, my caloric intake for the week was still on par.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES:

A very big week for venturing in ‘lifting heavy.’ I PR (personal record) in my back squat from 139.5 lbs. to 160 lbs. on Tues then on Wed PR in deadlift from 125 lbs. to 170 lbs. Nothing is more empowering then being able to lift more than one’s body weight but never in my wildest dreams did I think I can deadlift more than my body weight. It was AH-MAZING and it is not something I could have achieved without properly fueling my body.

SLEEP:

Sleep is still a challenge. This was the first week I started to track sleep of a minimum of 7 hours. I managed to reach that goal only 3 of 7 nights and on the days that I had about 4-5 hours (which use to be my norm) I was noticeably fatigued. I guess my body was getting use to getting a full 7-hours and when I miss that my body is punishing me. LOL

Q&A WITH NUTRTION COACH

QUESTION: When we are talking about ‘increasing muscles, what are we really referring to? Are we talking about an increase in the quantity of muscles in ratio to body fat? OR increase in the size of muscles?

ANSWER: In menopause, when we are ‘increasing muscles’, we are referring to increasing the size of existing muscle fibers—also called muscle hypertrophy. We are making the ones you have bigger and stronger. Increasing muscle fibers also means improving lean mass to fat mass ratio aka body composition.

QUESTION: I know that the average muscle loss (sarcopenia) is about 3-8% per 10 years starting in the 30s and that percentage only increases as we get older. So, when we are talking about ‘increasing muscles’ or ‘losing muscles’ are we talking about the actual amount/size of muscles or decreased strength?

ANSWER: So, it can be both. Sarcopenia refers to loss in muscle mass AND function. You can lose muscle tissue but still retain some strength. You can maintain size but lose strength if you’re not training consistently or recovering well. In menopause, hormonal shifts (especially with decreasing estrogen) do accelerate both loss in muscle mass and strength unless mitigated through resistance training and adequate protein. Resistance Training AND Protein are two most common starting point for women in menopause.

QUESTION: What is the ideal amount of muscles for the average menopausal woman to have? Maintain? Or am I simply mitigating muscle loss at this life stage and can’t really expect to increase enough muscles / strength to make a long-term difference?

ANSWER: There’s no universal ideal muscle mass number, especially for women in menopause. The goals should be:

• Preserve as much lean mass as possible via resistance training
• Improve or maintain strength via resistance training
• Support metabolic health, bone density, balance, and longevity via resistance training
• Muscle building and gaining strength in menopause is more difficult and slower than in our 20s or 30s, but it’s possible to make meaningful changes with the right training and nutrition. Therefore, it’s not only “mitigating loss” with resistance training and eating adequate protein, but progress can also be made even if it’s at a slower pace. 

QUESTION: Is there a specific way to fuel the body and train to ensure both strength and definition?

ANSWER: Absolutely!!!!

• Protein: 0.8–1g per pound of body weight (or goal weight).
• Total Calories: Consume enough to support muscle repair/growth.  NOT remain in a chronic deficit, undereating. Eating at maintenance most of the time with possible phases of bulking – eating over maintenance…but not always necessary.
• Carbs: Complex carb fueled training—especially strength and higher intensity days.
• Strength Training: 3–4x/week using progressive overload (compound lifts + accessory).
• Optional Metcon/HIIT: 1–2x/week (if desired) for metabolic health and body composition. 
• Toning: The toning comes from building muscle and lowering body fat.

QUESTION: Is it more important to be strong or have more muscles?

ANSWER: In real-life function and aging well, strength is the bigger priority. Muscles support metabolic health and aesthetics, but strength is what keeps you independent, resilient, and injury resistant. That said—they usually go hand in hand. If you focus on getting stronger in key lifts, you’ll build and maintain muscle and support better body composition.