Build Smarter. Recover Better. Ride Stronger.
For years, many of us believed that staying active, eating well, and maintaining a healthy weight would be enough to carry us through midlife. But as female mountain bikers in the Masters and Grand Masters categories know all too well, menopause changes the rules — and with it, the way we train, recover, and perform.
What worked in our 30s no longer delivers the same results. Creeping fatigue, joint pain, muscle loss, stubborn weight gain, brain fog, and poor sleep are not signs of weakness. They’re signals — and when you understand them, you can train smarter, not just harder.
Here’s your new foundation — built from science, clinical experience, and the real-world application of what works for athletic women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.
1. Optimize Hormones to Handle Training Load
Estrogen and progesterone are not just reproductive hormones — they impact muscle recovery, bone density, metabolic function, cardiovascular health, and even mood stability. As they decline, you may notice:
- Slower recovery
- More soft tissue niggles and joint pain
- Less muscle tone despite training
- Higher perceived effort on workouts
- Increased abdominal fat
If these symptoms are holding you back from absorbing training or progressing in your performance, it’s worth speaking to a qualified clinician about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).
When introduced around menopause, MHT has been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease — all of which affect your ability to sustain long-term endurance training. With the right approach, it can also improve sleep, reduce inflammation, and support muscle mass retention, creating the conditions needed to tolerate and recover from increased training stress.
2. Strength Training is Non-Negotiable
As a mountain biker, your strength is your engine — and after 40, you lose 1–2% of muscle mass per year unless you actively train against it. Strength training is no longer optional; it’s a foundation that supports every aspect of your riding.
What to do:
- 2–3 sessions per week of resistance training
- Focus on compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, push-ups, rows, lunges
- Lift heavy enough to challenge you in 5–8 reps
- Train with progressive overload — gradually increase weights or reps
- Include power-focused work like box jumps or kettlebell swings once per week
Not only does this improve climbing strength, cornering control, and injury prevention, but it also boosts metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and confidence on the bike.
3. Fuel Like an Athlete — Because You Are One
The old “eat less, move more” mantra fails women in midlife. Under-fueling leads to muscle breakdown, poor recovery, stalled fat loss, and hormone dysfunction.
Guidelines for Masters riders:
- Prioritize protein: Aim for 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day
- prioritize protein pre post exercise: 30g protein pre shake, 30g protien especially post-ride and post-strength sessions (add creatine for an extra boost).
- Activity Levels:
- Moderate activity (e.g., recreational athletes): Aim for 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day. This supports muscle repair and maintenance, especially as muscle mass can decline during menopause.
- High-intensity or strength-focused athletes: Target 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day to support muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and potential muscle gain. Resistance training athletes may lean toward the higher end.
- Considerations for menopause: Estrogen decline can reduce muscle protein synthesis efficiency, so slightly higher protein intake (closer to 1.6–2.0 g/kg/day) may be beneficial, even for moderate athletes, to preserve lean mass. Spreading protein intake evenly across meals (20–30 g per meal) enhances absorption and utilization.
- Don’t skip carbs: Whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables support energy, hormone production, and recovery.
- Time your nutrition: Eat a protein-rich meal or shake within 30 minutes after hard training.
- Consider supplementation with:
- Omega-3s for inflammation and joint support
- Vitamin D + K2 for bone health
- Creatine for power and muscle mass retention
- Magnesium L-threonate for sleep and recovery
- Probiotics and fiber for gut health and immune function
- Collagen peptides for tendon and joint support (prior to train add Vit C for absorbtion)
Fuel is not just energy. It’s a tool to train harder, absorb more load, and avoid burnout.
4. Sleep: Your Most Underrated Recovery Tool
If you’re not sleeping well, no amount of smart training will make you stronger. Sleep influences muscle repair, fat metabolism, hormone balance, and cognitive function — and during menopause, it often takes a hit.
Strategies to improve sleep:
- Create a cool, dark, and screen-free bedroom
- Avoid stimulants late in the day
- Build a consistent wind-down routine
- Track your sleep and adjust as needed
- Consider magnesium or adaptogenic support if you’re struggling
Without consistent, restorative sleep, training stress accumulates, cortisol rises, and overtraining is just around the corner. Protect your sleep like you protect your saddle time.
5. Manage Stress to Prevent Overtraining
Training is stress. Life is stress. Menopause adds another layer. If you’re not managing stress, you’re not recovering — and cortisol (your main stress hormone) can directly impact your fat storage, energy levels, mood, and immune health.
Incorporate daily habits to reduce stress load:
- Walk outdoors after meals
- Practice 5–10 minutes of deep breathing or guided meditation
- Ride without metrics once a week — just for fun
- Say “no” more often to protect your energy for what matters
Reducing stress isn’t soft. It’s a performance tactic.
6. Periodize Your Training for Your Physiology
Gone are the days of “always on” training. At this life stage, your body benefits more from smart training cycles that include intentional recovery, heavier training blocks, and weeks of lower volume.
Build your season around:
- 2–3 key focus blocks per year (e.g., strength, VO2 max, endurance)
- Recovery weeks every 3–4 weeks to consolidate gains
- Sleep and HRV tracking to monitor training readiness
- Post-race or post-event downtime to reset
By respecting your recovery needs, you can train harder in the long run — and see stronger gains with fewer setbacks.
7. Reframe Menopause as a Performance Phase
Menopause isn’t the end of performance — it’s the beginning of intentional performance. The changes in your body force you to be more strategic, more attentive, and more in tune with your training.
And that’s an advantage.
You now have the knowledge, resources, and motivation to train on your terms, aligned with your physiology. That’s a recipe for long-term athletic success.
In Summary: Your 7-Point Foundation
- Optimize hormones with medical support if needed — they affect every training outcome.
- Strength train regularly — it’s the most powerful tool against muscle loss and metabolic decline.
- Fuel smartly, with enough protein, carbs, and strategic supplements.
- Prioritize sleep like your results depend on it — because they do.
- Reduce stress daily to support better adaptation and mood stability.
- Train in cycles, not on autopilot — use blocks, recovery weeks, and tracking tools.
- Embrace this phase as an opportunity to rebuild stronger, wiser, and more powerful than ever.
You’re not done. You’re just getting started.
With a strong foundation rooted in science and recovery, you can ride longer, climb harder, and train smarter — not despite menopause, but because you’ve adapted to it. Build from this base, and everything else — from FTP to technical skill — becomes more accessible.
