Lately, I’ve received numerous questions about the protein supplements I take, so I felt it deserved a post. If you’ve been seeing all things protein in your Instagram and TikTok feed, congratulations! You may be a middle-aged woman. FYI, I’m not on TikTok, but even my emails seem to hone in on me hitting my protein goals.

We are marketed protein products like they’re spiritual salvation:

Aminos! BCAAs! Collagen! Whey! Paleo! Grass-Fed! Hydrolyzed! Peptides!

And meanwhile, you’re just trying to get through a Tuesday without wanting to nap under your desk.

So let’s break this down clearly: what each one actually does, when it matters, and when you can skip it entirely.

I confess that I do track my protein and obsess a bit about hitting my daily target, and I have seen success in doing so. It’s not just marketing/green-washing BS; it’s science; however, as I always say, let’s not major in the minors!

First: A Quick Primer on Protein

Real Food Protein Sources

Protein is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks for:

• Muscle maintenance and growth
• Hormone production
• Metabolism and blood sugar stability
• Skin, hair, and connective tissue repair

As women in perimenopause + menopause, our need for protein goes up, not down. Kids, teens, and twenty-somethings can get away with a couple of bites of a burger and will be fine. A 54-year-old woman, not so much.

This is because estrogen decline makes it harder to maintain muscle, build muscle (Muscle Protein Synthesis), and regulate blood sugar.

We are not fragile. We are just biochemically efficient until we’re not.

Protein helps keep the efficiency going. If you’d like to read more on this topic, I have an old blog post here where I share my thoughts on the protein topic.

1. Amino Acids Supplements (EAAs-essential amino acids)

What they are:

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein. Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) are those that your body cannot produce and must obtain from food or supplements.

Who benefits most:

• Women who struggle to hit protein goals consistently
• Women recovering from illness, injury, or surgery
• Women doing fasted morning workouts but wanting to protect muscle
• Vegan or mostly plant-based eaters

When to use:

During or around workouts, or when you know your protein intake will be low that day.

If you already get enough daily protein (100–120g/day on average): You likely don’t need EAA supplements. Food is doing the job. Especially if you are an omnivore who eats a variety of different animal- and fish-sourced proteins.  Hence, I don’t add any additional amino acid supplementation to my diet as I feel my food is doing its job and I already take enough shit to fill my cupboards. This is a skip for me at this time in my life.

2. BCAAs

What they are:

A specific subset of amino acids: leucine (most critical for MPS), isoleucine, and valine.

These are often marketed as “muscle recovery magic.”

Spoiler: They only work well when total protein intake is already adequate.

Who might consider them:

• Women training fasted first thing in the morning
• Women who get nauseous eating before workouts (this is me)
• Ultra-endurance or long-duration workout people (think: long cycle classes, runs, etc.)

Who does not need them:

Anyone already getting enough protein or taking EAAs. They’re essentially incomplete EAAs with great branding. I have taken these in the past, but I haven’t taken them for several years, as I feel I’ve covered those three aminos in my diet. My whey protein contains about 2.5 g leucine, which should be enough, combined with everything else I put in there, to trigger MPS.

3. Protein Powders

What they do:

Help you get enough protein easily, quickly, and without cooking chicken at 7 AM like a CrossFit influencer. I just can’t.

Great for:

• Breakfast smoothies (especially to replace carb-only smoothie culture)
• Busy days where meals aren’t ideal
• Women who don’t want to overthink protein distribution in each meal

Choosing between Whey vs. Paleo/Beef vs. Plant:

• Whey: Best for muscle synthesis. Easiest for the body to use.
• Paleo/Beef or Collagen-Boosted Blends: Good for digestion and joint support, gentler for sensitive guts, and if you can’t tolerate any form of dairy.
• Plant-Based: Effective, but often requires combining to achieve a complete amino profile. I also have concerns about heavy metals. I switched from plant-based proteins a couple of years ago because I wasn’t digesting them well and had a problem with heavy metals. Recently, these powders have received considerable negative press due to their high lead content. This makes sense as plants are grown from the ground and protein powders make this more concentrated. That said, spinach, strawberries, potatoes, and other foods grown in the ground also contain organic lead, just not in focused forms.

4. Collagen

Important truth: Collagen is not a complete protein.

It does not build muscle. But before you throw your tub away…

Collagen does support:

• Skin elasticity
• Joint and ligament health
• Gut lining integrity
• Hair + nails

It’s a beauty + repair protein, not a muscle protein.

Ideal use:

• In morning coffee (yes, keep doing this)
• Added to smoothies for gut + skin support
• During recovery from injury, surgery, or joint discomfort

It is a supportive protein, not your primary source of protein. I add it to my coffee every single morning. It does require a little vitamin C for optimal absorption, so if your collagen supplement does not include this, you may want to consider adding one.

So… Do You Need All Of These?

No.

You need → adequate daily protein first. Prioritize food always.

Aim for:

• 30–40g of protein per meal (I say .7-1 g per lean body mass)
• 100–120g+ per day, depending on muscle + activity level

Then layer supplements only where needed.

A Recap of My Personal Regimen (and Why):

• Collagen in coffee daily → gut + skin + connective tissue support
• 3 meals, a minimum of 30 grams of protein →morning smoothie, lunch scramble, and a small serving of yogurt, paleo-focused dinner
• Whey or paleo protein in a smoothie daily → anchors morning protein intake, and I have a hard time even eating eggs early in the morning. Typically, I can not eat real food until after 10 or 11. I aim to drink my smoothie within an hour of my workout.
• I don’t currently use amino acids or BCAAs because I meet my protein target through meals and take enough stuff (reminder, I call myself a supplement slut).

If a day comes when I’m traveling more, training harder, skipping meals, or doing more fasted workouts, I’ll add EAAs.

This is how it should work: flexible + responsive, not rigid + overwhelming.

Bottom Line

You do not need all the powders.

You need protein consistently.

Start with:

• Collagen if you want gut + skin support
• A clean protein powder to hit your daily target ( I am currently using this Whey protein and this paleo protein)

Consider EAAs or BCAAs only if:

• You are training fasted
• Struggling to meet protein goals
• Recovering from stress, illness, or increased training load

Your body is wise.

You get to respond, rather than obsess. Major in the majors, not the minors, unless you’re training for a competition. I am simply living to be a strong + lean 54-year-old business owner, mom of three, and wife. That’s enough.

Cheers to Your Health! XDeeDee