When overweight women after menopause lose a moderate amount of weight, their muscles start making more protein—even if they don’t lift weights—because their body is trying to use food more efficiently after eating less.

Muscle protein synthesis remains elevated for several hours post-exercise without requiring frequent meals to maintain muscle mass.

When young, active people eat more protein after working out, their bodies don’t just steadily build more muscle — instead, the way their body handles protein changes in a more complicated, up-and-down way involving both making and breaking down protein.

When overweight women after menopause eat fewer calories but don’t lose weight too fast, the weight they lose from their muscle and non-fat tissue is mostly just water going out, not actual muscle or minerals—no matter if they exercise or not.

After losing weight, eating more protein helps you keep it off because it keeps you full, burns more calories during digestion, and helps you keep muscle instead of losing it.

Even if female athletes eat enough protein, not eating enough total calories can still stop their muscles from getting stronger or recovering properly during training.