Muscles & Bones After 45: Prevent Sarcopenia, Protect Your Strength, and Reduce Cravings

After 45, strength training and protein aren’t trends — they’re protection. Learn how to prevent sarcopenia, support bone health, and why low protein can drive sugar cravings.

PAIN-FREE LIVING

12/21/20252 min read

Muscles & Bones After 45: Prevent Sarcopenia, Protect Your Strength, and Reduce Cravings

If there’s one thing I want every woman to understand after 45, it’s this:

Strength is not cosmetic. Strength is safety.

As we age, the body naturally tends to lose muscle mass and strength if we don’t actively maintain it. This is often discussed under the term sarcopenia — age-related loss of muscle mass and function.

And the consequences go far beyond aesthetics:

  • lower stability and balance

  • higher risk of falls

  • higher risk of injury

  • feeling “soft” even if weight doesn’t change

  • lower energy and confidence in your body

Why muscles and bones are connected

Muscles support movement mechanics, posture, and balance. When muscle function declines, falls become more likely. And if bones are also weaker (which can happen after menopause), falls become more dangerous.

That’s why the “muscle + bone” conversation is one of the highest-ROI health topics after 45.

The best anti-sarcopenia strategy: load your muscles

You don’t need intense workouts. You need regular resistance.

A practical “minimum effective dose” approach:

  • 2–3 strength sessions per week

  • 20–40 minutes each

  • simple movements you can progress over time

The simplest strength plan (home-friendly)

Pick 5–6 movements and repeat weekly:

  • Squat to a chair / sit-to-stand

  • Hip hinge (deadlift pattern with dumbbells or band)

  • Row / pull (band row)

  • Push (wall push-ups or incline push-ups)

  • Glute bridge / hip thrust

  • Core stability (dead bug, plank variation)

The goal is not punishment. The goal is a “signal” to your body:
Keep this muscle. It’s needed.

Protein + fats: the nutrition that supports strength

Protein (the building material)

Muscle is built and maintained with a combination of training stimulus and adequate protein intake. If protein is low, your recovery is slower, and your body has less “material” to maintain muscle.

A simple starting point many experts discuss for healthy older adults:

  • ~1.0–1.2 g protein/kg/day (individual needs vary)

And it’s easier when you spread it across meals rather than trying to “fix it” at night.

Dietary fat (don’t forget it)

After 45, extremely low-fat diets often backfire because:

  • satiety is lower

  • cravings rise

  • you feel “hungry and anxious” about food

  • adherence collapses

Healthy fats support satiety and overall nutrition quality. Moderate and consistent usually beats extreme.

Why low protein can make you crave sweets

Here’s the practical truth:

If your meals are too low in protein (and often too low in total nourishment), your body and brain start looking for quick energy — and the fastest “reward” is usually sugar.

This doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your structure is missing.

What to do (simple fixes)

  • Add protein earlier (especially breakfast and lunch).

  • Keep one “default protein snack” ready:

    • Greek yogurt/skyr

    • cottage cheese

    • eggs

    • tofu snack

  • Build meals that feel complete: protein + fiber + some fat.

Many women are shocked by how much cravings calm down when the day starts with a solid protein breakfast.

14-day strength + protein starter plan

If you want something realistic:

  1. Choose two strength days this week.

  2. Build protein into two meals per day (minimum).

  3. Walk daily (even 20–30 minutes).

  4. Track: energy, appetite, sleep, “tightness” in the waistline, and how you feel moving.

This is how you protect your future body — and you’ll usually notice aesthetic improvements as a side effect.

Further reading (PubMed):