Answered in 8 episodes
How much protein do women over 40 need?
Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated
The short answer
Most guidance on The WarriorBabe Show lands at about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day for women over 40, based on goal weight if you have a lot to lose. Nikkiey says strength-training women may need 1.2 or even 1.3. Some episodes and guests cite 0.7 grams as the floor.
Hear it from the show
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Nikkiey on why strength-training women over 40 need 1 to 1.3 grams per pound
Plays from 2:47 · Ep. 404: 5 Protein Mistakes Holding Women Over 40 Back
Dr. Stacy Sims on why one gram per pound becomes the floor after your mid-40s
Plays from 28:43 · Ep. 250: Why a 1200-Calorie Diet Fails Women Over 40
Nikkiey works through real gram targets by body weight, including using goal weight
Plays from 15:47 · Ep. 364: How Much Protein Do Women Over 40 Really Need?
Nikkiey on starting at 100 grams a day and building toward your body weight
Plays from 27:54 · Ep. 174: Why Women Over 40 Need More Protein for Muscle and Fat Loss
JJ Virgin on eating protein first and her 0.7 grams per pound benchmark
Plays from 17:48 · Ep. 371: Why Building Muscle Is Key to Aging Well After 40
The full answer
The reason the number climbs after 40 is anabolic resistance. Nikkiey explains on Ep. 404 that your body gets less efficient at turning the protein you eat into muscle, so you need more to get the same muscle-preserving response you got ten years ago. On Ep. 250, Dr. Stacy Sims says this kicks in around your mid-40s. The episodes agree on the direction but give slightly different numbers:
- Ep. 404: 1 to 1.2 grams per pound, sometimes 1.3, if you strength train and care about body composition. Nikkiey says her older 0.8 to 1 range fits beginners not lifting yet and women on GLP-1 medications. If that is you, work out your target with your doctor.
- Ep. 250: Dr. Sims calls 1 gram per pound the low end after your mid-40s, rising to 1.1 to 1.2 during heavy training, high stress or heavy travel.
- Ep. 364: Nikkiey cites 0.7 to 1 gram per pound and says women over 35 or 40 should lean toward the top. For a 150-pound woman, that is roughly 105 to 150 grams.
- Ep. 371: JJ Virgin sets 0.7 grams per pound of target body weight as a benchmark, saying higher is better and lower is not.
If you weigh a lot more than your goal, both Ep. 174 and Ep. 364 say to base your number on a realistic goal weight. Someone at 250 pounds would not eat 250 grams. And if you are eating 60 grams now, do not jump straight to 150. Nikkiey suggests aiming for 100 grams a day first and holding there for 7 to 14 days before moving up.
How you eat it matters too. Nikkiey says the muscle-building response tops out around 30 to 40 grams per meal for most women, so 120 grams spread across four meals works better than 90 at dinner. JJ Virgin adds one simple habit: eat your protein first, so you are not too full for it later.
From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
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Watch the full episodes
More episodes →
1 hr 3 minWhy a 1200-Calorie Diet Fails Women Over 40
With Dr. Stacy Sims
34 minHow Much Protein Do Women Over 40 Really Need?
Episode 364 · May 25, 2026
1 hr 1 minWhy Building Muscle Is Key to Aging Well After 40
With JJ Virgin