The Truth About Protein for Female Athletes: What I Wish I Knew Sooner

Three years ago, I went all-in on a plant-based diet—and I loved it.

I leaned out, my body composition changed, and I could handle big mileage. I felt like I recovered fast and had boundless energy. At the time, I chalked this up to ditching meat, dairy, and eggs. But in hindsight? That wasn’t the full picture.

Looking back now—especially during my current stress fracture recovery—it’s clear that what made the biggest difference wasn’t just what I cut out, but what I stopped eating: ultraprocessed foods. I was suddenly filling my plate with colourful veg, antioxidant-rich meals, and whole ingredients. I was fuelling with intention. And yes, there are loads of benefits to that.

But while I was thriving in some ways, I was under-fuelling protein. Especially the type of protein that supports bone health, muscle retention, and hormonal function in women. The kind of protein that includes an amino acid called leucine, which I hadn’t even heard of at the time.

This post is for any active woman—especially plant-based or peri-menopausal—who wants to get real about protein. I’m not here to tell you that you can’t get enough on a vegan diet (you absolutely can), but I am here to tell you that it takes more awareness, more volume, and more strategy.

Why Protein Matters So Much for Women

Protein isn’t just for gym bros or strength athletes. For runners—especially female runners—it supports:

• Bone density and integrity

• Muscle repair, maintenance and growth

• Hormonal health

• Immune function

• Energy balance and blood sugar stability

And crucially, female physiology isn’t just male physiology in smaller jeans. We need more protein, more often, due to monthly hormone fluctuations, lower muscle protein synthesis rates, and life stages like peri- and post-menopause.

What Dr. Stacy Sims Gets So Right in ROAR

Reading ROAR by Dr. Stacy Sims was a game-changer. She lays it out clearly: women need more protein, especially:

• During the luteal phase (second half of your cycle), when inflammation, catabolism, and stress hormones are higher

• As we age, when oestrogen drops and muscle and bone loss speed up

• During high training loads, when recovery needs are elevated

• In injury recovery, when tissue repair ramps up and we need 2.0–2.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily

Sims recommends 3–4 protein-rich meals per day, each with at least 30g of protein and 2.5–3g of leucine, to maximise muscle protein synthesis. Not just total protein—but leucine-triggered activation.

Leucine: The Unsung Hero of Recovery

Leucine is an essential amino acid, and the key driver of muscle protein synthesis. Without enough, your body doesn’t get the “go” signal to rebuild and recover, no matter how much total protein you eat.

Animal-based sources—like eggs, fish, whey—are naturally high in leucine. Most plant-based proteins? Much lower. That’s why you need to eat more volume and combine sources smartly on a vegan or vegetarian diet.

But Didn’t Plant-Based Work for Me?

Yes, in many ways it did. I felt light, energised, and strong. My recovery felt quick. But here’s what I suspect was actually happening:

1. I cut out ultraprocessed foods, which improved my gut health, inflammation, and energy. (Side note: I’ll share more in an upcoming post about the book Ultra-Processed People and why I now check every ingredient using the Yuka app.)

2. I boosted my antioxidant intake—fruits, veg, pulses, spices—which helped manage inflammation and recovery.

3. I got more conscious about my food in general—more whole foods, more cooking, fewer grab-and-go snacks.

   
   

The downside? I overlooked protein and leucine intake. And over time, it caught up with me—especially during high-mileage blocks, hormone shifts, and ultimately, injury.

Getting Enough Protein on a Plant-Based Diet: The Truth

Let’s bust the myth: you can get enough protein on a plant-based diet—but it takes planning.

You’ll need higher total protein and you’ll need to focus on leucine. That might mean:

• Eating larger portions of plant-based proteins (like 150g+ cooked lentils, tempeh, or tofu per meal)

• Combining proteins (e.g. lentils + brown rice, or hummus + wholegrain pita)

• Using pea, soy, or rice protein powders

• Considering a leucine supplement if needed

But beware: many plant-based protein powders are ultra-processed, with artificial sweeteners like sucralose or acesulfame-K that can cause GI distress. If you're supplementing, choose clean brands—unsweetened or naturally flavoured, without gums or fillers. My favourite is Sevenhills for organic pea protein isolate.

My Current Approach (Post-Injury & Still Evolving)

I’m still mostly plant-based. But I now include:

• Eggs and fish: They’ve helped simplify eating out, boosted my leucine intake, and improved satiety.

• Pea protein smoothies: Usually post-run or strength session, paired with oats, banana, flax, and cinnamon. I often make this chocolate milk protein shake and add 1 tbsp of peanut butter—easy extra calories, protein, and flavour.

• Pre-bed protein: Think boiled eggs, high-protein yoghurt alternative, or protein oats.

• Snack prep: Roasted chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, or protein-rich energy bites.

• Labelling awareness: No artificial sweeteners. No hidden emulsifiers. Just food.

I’m more intentional now. And I feel stronger for it.

Your Quick Guide to Protein Timing & Sources

When to Eat Protein

• Breakfast: Start strong with 25–35g of protein.

• Post-training: Refuel within 30–60 mins.

• Luteal phase: Eat more protein-rich meals and snacks.

• Before bed: Add a protein top-up to support overnight recovery.

Great Plant-Based Protein Sources

Food	Protein per 100g (approx)	Leucine content (approx)
Tempeh	19g	0.7g
Tofu	10g	0.5g
Lentils (cooked)	9g	0.65g
Chickpeas (cooked)	7g	0.6g
Pea protein powder	20–25g per scoop	1.5–2.5g
Nutritional yeast	8g	0.5g

Tip: aim for 2.5–3g leucine per meal. You may need to combine several sources.

Final Thoughts: Fuel With Truth, Not Trends

Protein isn’t just about hitting a number. It’s about tuning into what your body needs, respecting your physiology, and fuelling with enough quality, quantity, and consistency—especially through your cycle, your training blocks, or menopause.

Whatever your eating style, ditching ultraprocessed foods and eating more plants can be transformative. But don’t make the mistake I did and assume plant-based automatically means optimal. We still need to think, learn, adjust, and individualise.

I’m still learning. Still refining. Still experimenting with what works best for me. And I encourage you to do the same.

Read next:

👉 Strength Training for Women: Build Power Without Bulking

👉 Female Athlete Nutrition: Eating for Your Cycle (Coming soon)

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