Building Muscle in Menopause: Protein, Creatine and Strength Training with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, board-certified family physician, founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine, and bestselling author of Forever Strong — this time with the practical roadmap for building muscle in your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. Dr. Lyon explains why your first meal of the day matters most and why 30–50 grams of protein at that meal can change your body composition on its own. She breaks down anabolic resistance — why the diet and training that worked at 20 stops working at 58 — and the research showing it's reversible: women over 60 got no muscle response from 15 grams of protein, but at 30 grams responded just like 20-year-olds.

They get specific: what a 50-gram breakfast looks like, why two eggs won't stimulate aging muscle, how essential amino acids and creatine fill the gap, why the protein RDA is a floor rather than a target, the truth about red meat and saturated fat, the honest state of the evidence on hormones and muscle, and Dr. Lyon's warning about GLP-1 medications and accelerated sarcopenia. Plus: why progressive overload should really be progressive stimulus, where a woman who has never lifted should start, and why getting bulky isn't the risk — becoming frail is.

Guest links:
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Website) https://drgabriellelyon.com/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/drgabriellelyon

Books:
"Forever Strong," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4VSDWQ2
"The Forever Strong PLAYBOOK," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL32CJ81
"The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
"The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

For full show notes, please visit: [BIT.LY LINK]
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