By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award-winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training and optimising recovery.
Walk into any health food store or browse online, and it’s like stepping into a carnival of promises. You’re bombarded with brightly coloured bottles and flashy labels, each one screaming about its ability to help you build muscle, burn fat, and turn back the clock. Pre-workouts, post-workouts, fat burners, testosterone boosters—the list is endless. It’s a confusing, overwhelming, and, frankly, a pretty dishonest place. As a personal trainer, I see the fallout from this every day. My female clients over 40 come to me with bags full of expensive supplements, wondering why they aren’t seeing results. They ask, “Will, which of these do I actually need? Which ones work, and which ones are just expensive dust?”
This is a problem I am incredibly passionate about solving, because the supplement industry can be especially misleading for women in midlife. Your body has unique physiological needs, and you are often targeted with marketing hype that preys on your desire to feel strong and vital. It is so easy to waste hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on pills and powders that do absolutely nothing for you. It frustrates me to see my clients’ hard-earned money and hope go down the drain.
So, I’m going to cut through all of that clutter for you. Right here, right now. After more than a decade in this industry and countless hours spent reading the actual scientific research, I can tell you with confidence that there are only three supplements that are consistently backed by science and worth your money for building muscle and improving recovery after 40. Just three. Everything else is secondary at best, and a complete waste of money at worst. My philosophy has always been “food first, supplements second.” Supplements are there to fill in the gaps, not to replace a solid nutrition and training plan. Let’s talk about the three that actually work.
The Foundation: A Good Quality Protein Powder
If you’ve read my previous article on protein needs for women over 40, you’ll know how strongly I feel about getting enough of this crucial macronutrient. I won’t rehash all the details here, but the key takeaway is that due to “anabolic resistance,” your body requires more protein as you age to stimulate muscle growth. My recommendation for active women is a daily intake of 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Hitting this number consistently through whole foods alone can sometimes be challenging, especially on busy days. This is where a protein powder comes in. It is the first and most important supplement I recommend.
I want you to think of protein powder not as a magic muscle-building bullet, but as a simple, incredibly convenient tool. Its only job is to help you hit your daily protein target, a target that is vital for getting the results you want from your strength training. That’s it. It’s not better than the protein you get from chicken, fish, eggs, or lentils; it’s just faster and easier in certain situations. The reason it works so well is that it provides a concentrated, easily digestible source of protein. This makes it absolutely ideal for that post-workout window when your muscles are tired, broken down, and primed for repair. A quick protein shake can deliver the necessary amino acids to your muscles much faster than a solid meal could, kicking off the recovery process immediately.
My actionable advice here is simple. For most of my clients, I recommend a high-quality whey protein isolate. Whey is a milk-derived protein that is rich in all the essential amino acids, particularly leucine, which is the primary trigger for muscle protein synthesis. If you are dairy-free or follow a plant-based diet, a high-quality plant-based blend (often made from pea, rice, and hemp protein) is an excellent alternative. Look for one that contains a complete amino acid profile. How should you use it? The simplest way is to have one scoop, which typically provides around 25 grams of protein, mixed with water or milk within an hour or so of finishing your strength training session. You can also use it to boost the protein content of other meals. Add a scoop to your morning smoothie, stir it into a bowl of oatmeal, or mix it into Greek yogurt. It’s all about convenience and consistency. It’s the tool that ensures you never miss your protein goal, no matter how hectic your day gets.
The Powerhouse: Creatine Monohydrate
Now we come to the second supplement on my very short list, and it is, without a doubt, the single most effective and well-researched sports supplement on the planet: creatine monohydrate. I know that for many women, the word “creatine” can sound intimidating. It’s often associated with massive male bodybuilders, and there are a lot of myths and misinformation floating around. So let me start by busting those myths right now. No, creatine is not a steroid. No, it will not make you look bulky and bloated overnight. And yes, it is one of the safest and most beneficial supplements a woman over 40 can take to improve her strength and body composition.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), one of the most respected bodies in our field, has published a position stand confirming the overwhelming evidence of creatine’s safety and efficacy. [2] So, what does it actually do? I’ll give you the simple, one-sentence science: Creatine helps your muscles produce energy more quickly during short, intense efforts (like lifting weights), allowing you to get an extra rep or two on your sets. That’s the magic. Those extra one or two reps, performed consistently over weeks and months, are what lead to greater strength and more muscle growth. It allows you to work just a little bit harder in the gym, and that little bit of extra work compounds over time into significant results. It gives you a real, measurable performance benefit in your workouts.
My advice on how to take it is just as simple as my advice on protein powder. You only need the most basic, proven, and inexpensive form: creatine monohydrate. Don’t be fooled by fancy, expensive variations like creatine HCL or buffered creatine; the monohydrate form has been studied the most and has been proven to work time and time again. The dosage is also simple. I recommend a daily dose of 3-5 grams per day. You don’t need to do any complicated “loading phases” where you take large amounts for the first week. Just a small, consistent daily dose is all you need. The easiest way to take it is to simply mix it into your daily protein shake, a glass of water, or even your morning coffee. It’s tasteless and dissolves easily. The key, like with all things in fitness, is consistency. Taking it every day allows it to build up in your muscles and do its job. It is a safe, cheap, and incredibly effective tool for enhancing the results of your hard work.
The Unsung Hero: Vitamin D
The final supplement on my essential list is one that often gets overlooked in conversations about muscle building, but it is critically important for the overall system, especially for women in midlife. That supplement is Vitamin D. I call it the “unsung hero” because while it doesn’t directly build muscle in the same way that protein does, it plays a crucial supporting role in the entire process. It is essential for optimal muscle function, robust bone health, and the regulation of various hormones—all of which are absolutely vital for a woman over 40 who wants to be strong and healthy.
Why is it so important for this age group? Firstly, a huge portion of the population is deficient in Vitamin D, especially those of us who live in less sunny climates or spend a lot of time indoors. Your skin produces Vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight, and for many of us, that exposure is limited. This is a problem because research has clearly linked low Vitamin D levels to reduced muscle strength and an increased risk of falls in older adults. [3] Your muscles actually have Vitamin D receptors, and the vitamin plays a direct role in the life cycle of muscle cells. Secondly, Vitamin D is absolutely essential for calcium absorption and bone health. As women enter perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen levels can accelerate bone loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Strength training is the best thing you can do for your bones, but ensuring you have adequate Vitamin D levels is a critical part of that equation.
My actionable advice here is a little different from the first two supplements. Because it’s possible to have too much Vitamin D, my first recommendation is always to get your levels checked by your doctor. It’s a simple blood test that will tell you exactly where you stand. This is a responsible, health-first approach. If your levels are low, which is very common, then supplementation is almost always necessary. The amount you need will depend on your individual level of deficiency, and your doctor can give you a precise recommendation. By ensuring your Vitamin D levels are optimal, you are creating the right internal environment for your body to respond to exercise. You are ensuring your muscles can contract powerfully and your bones are strong enough to support your training. This is where a good tracking app can also be helpful.
Conclusion
So there you have it. We’ve walked through the noisy, confusing supplement aisle and come out the other side with a very short, very clear list. My “big three” for women over 40 who are serious about building muscle are:
- Protein Powder: A convenient tool to help you consistently hit your higher daily protein needs.
- Creatine Monohydrate: A powerhouse for improving your performance and getting those crucial extra reps in the gym.
- Vitamin D: The unsung hero that supports your entire system, from muscle function to bone health.
That’s it. That’s the list. I want to leave you with my core philosophy one more time: food first, supplements second. These three supplements are not magic. They are simply smart, evidence-based tools to support the hard work you are already doing with your nutrition and your training. Don’t fall for the marketing hype and the promises in a bottle. Instead, focus on what’s been proven to work. Make smart, informed choices that will support your health and your goals for the long haul.
Ready to build a smart supplement strategy to support your goals? You have the knowledge. Now it’s time to put it into practice. I encourage you to download the 12reps app, where you can track your nutrition, your workouts, and even your supplement routine, all in one place. Start your free trial today and take the guesswork out of getting strong.
References
- [1] Jäger, R., Kerksick, C. M., Campbell, B. I., Cribb, P. J., Wells, S. D., Ormsbee, M. J., … & Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 20. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
- [2] Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., … & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- [3] Beaudart, C., Buckinx, F., Rabenda, V., Gillain, S., Cavalier, E., Slomian, J., … & Reginster, J. Y. (2014). The effects of vitamin D on skeletal muscle strength, muscle mass, and muscle power: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 99(11), 4336-4345. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/99/11/4336/2836764
