This 47-Year-Old Took 10g of Creatine Daily and Added Essential Aminos. The Result? She Looks More Cut Than Ever

The wellness industry is drowning in noise.

Scroll through any social media feed and you’ll find conflicting advice about protein, supplements, and hormones—all delivered with polished confidence and perfect lighting.

But what does the actual science say?

Former Women’s Health Editor-in-Chief Liz Plosser, who reached 44 million women during her tenure, sat down to separate fact from fiction on some of today’s most misunderstood wellness topics.

The Protein Debate: How Much Do You Really Need?

There’s a massive divide right now between scientists, doctors, and wellness influencers when it comes to protein requirements. Some camps insist we need over 100 grams daily for muscle growth, while others argue it’s all about the stimulus.

Plosser falls firmly in the high-protein camp, aiming for at least 100 grams daily—roughly one gram per pound of ideal body weight.

I am a 47-year-old woman, so I know I’m not as efficient as digesting protein and getting the amino acids from it, the building blocks that I need to do all those wonderful things in my body.

Her reasoning? She’s a mother of three who lifts five times weekly and faces daily cognitive demands. Context matters when determining protein needs—your activity level, age, and hormonal status all play crucial roles.

What You’re Actually Eating When You Eat Protein

Here’s something most people miss: when experts recommend high protein intake, they’re really talking about amino acids—specifically the nine essential amino acids your body can’t produce on its own.

These building blocks do far more than just build muscle. They support brain health, boost immune function, strengthen your heart and lungs, and even contribute to shiny hair and strong nails.

It’s a funny thing to think about, to think of eating a macronutrient for its building blocks, but that’s what you’re really doing.

The challenge? As we age, particularly women going through hormonal changes, our bodies become less efficient at extracting these amino acids from whole food sources.

Essential Amino Acids vs. BCAAs: Understanding the Difference

Walk into any supplement store and you’ll see rows of BCAA products. But there’s a critical distinction most people don’t understand.

BCAAs—branched-chain amino acids—contain only three of the nine essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Leucine is particularly powerful for triggering muscle protein synthesis.

The problem? You need all nine essential amino acids working together to maximize protein synthesis throughout your body.

It’s like showing up at a construction site and you only brought the bricks. You didn’t bring the mortar or the shovels or the other tools you needed to do the construction work.

Plosser predicts BCAAs will eventually fade from the spotlight as more people discover essential amino acid supplements, which provide the complete profile your body needs.

The Game-Changing Benefits of EAA Supplements

Essential amino acid supplements offer a unique advantage: immediate bioavailability.

When you eat a chicken breast with butter and sweet potatoes, your body has to work hard to digest the combination of macronutrients and extract the amino acids. This process becomes even less efficient with age and hormonal fluctuations.

An EAA supplement, on the other hand, delivers pure amino acids that hit your system instantly—no digestive work required.

The studies suggest that it’s six times as powerful at impact at sparking protein synthesis in your body than when you get amino acids from eating a protein source of food.

For Plosser, adding EAAs to her supplement stack created visible changes in her physique.

When I added an essential amino acid supplement, bam. Like I just looked so much more cut.

The Recovery Factor

EAAs don’t just build muscle—they dramatically improve recovery. Better recovery means deeper sleep, less soreness, and the ability to lift heavier in your next workout because your body bounced back more efficiently.

Perhaps most surprisingly, research shows EAAs preserve lean muscle mass even on days you don’t exercise. Studies on injured populations and elderly individuals demonstrate that daily EAA supplementation protects muscle compared to control groups that experience loss during inactive periods.

The Overlooked Power of Creatine

If you think creatine is just for bodybuilders, you’re missing the bigger picture.

Plosser recently doubled her creatine intake from 5 grams to 10 grams daily after reviewing emerging research on cognitive benefits and sleep deprivation.

Studies show that after a poor night’s sleep, an extra dose of creatine can offset fatigue and maintain mental sharpness. Other research demonstrates improvements in Alzheimer’s patients taking higher doses—enhanced memory, executive function, processing speed, and even increased motivation to exercise.

I started to feel over time like every day is cognitive challenge for me. I’m pushing my brain to the max every day.

Living in a cognitively demanding environment—whether you’re in a high-pressure job, navigating a busy city, or managing multiple responsibilities—may warrant a higher creatine dose than the standard 5 grams.

Why Your Brain Needs Creatine

Your brain consumes 20% of your body’s energy despite being only 2% of your body weight. Creatine supports cellular energy metabolism in the brain, which explains its benefits for mood regulation and depression.

Multiple studies have examined creatine as an alternative to SSRIs, with patients showing comparable improvements. The mechanism? Low mood correlates with low brain cell energy—and creatine directly addresses this deficit.

A Critical Warning About Supplement Quality

Here’s something that should terrify every supplement user: A recent study analyzed the top six creatine gummies sold on Amazon.

Four of the six contained zero creatine.

There was a study that looked at the top six creatine gummies on Amazon. Four of the top six had zero creatine in them, which is crazy.

The takeaway? Always choose supplements that are third-party tested. Don’t fall for trendy delivery methods like gummies or pre-mixed canned beverages—they often contain inadequate doses, excessive sugar, or questionable manufacturing processes that degrade the active ingredients.

Pure creatine monohydrate powder is tasteless, dissolves quickly, and works. Simple is better.

The Menopause Conversation Nobody Was Having

When Plosser started at Women’s Health in 2018, menopause content existed but generated minimal engagement. By the time she left in late 2022, demand had exploded.

This shift represents progress, but it also creates vulnerability. Less than 10% of doctors receive menopause training in medical school, despite every woman experiencing it—creating a dangerous knowledge gap that marketers eagerly exploit.

I worry that this is a vulnerable demographic.

Women typically reach menopause during their highest-earning decades and often control household budgets. This makes them prime targets for products that promise relief but lack scientific backing.

The 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study that terrified women about hormone replacement therapy was badly misinterpreted—headlines suggested estrogen drastically increased breast cancer risk when the actual research told a more nuanced story. A comprehensive 2018 New York Times investigation finally set the record straight, but damage had been done.

The Evolution of Women’s Fitness Messaging

Plosser’s 23-year career in health media spans a dramatic cultural shift. Early 2000s magazine covers promised “bikini bodies in two weeks” and equated minutes on the treadmill with M&M’s consumed.

It preyed on vulnerabilities of women. And it’s honestly hard for me to think back on that because I didn’t even think for a minute like, why are we doing this?

Today’s messaging focuses on taking up space and getting stronger. Weightlifting has moved from background activity to centerpiece, with women increasingly understanding its importance for longevity, metabolic health, and functional fitness.

The protein conversation exploded alongside this shift. When Women’s Health published “The Protein Playbook” four years ago, it crushed performance metrics—proof that audiences were hungry for science-backed nutrition information.

Navigating the Misinformation Storm

Social media has democratized health information, but it’s also created what Plosser calls “the wild wild west” of wellness advice.

Influencers with good lighting, teleprompters, and confidence deliver content that looks authoritative but may lack scientific rigor. The perfect storm for misinformation.

My job is like putting the lens out and spotlighting the important stuff cuz there’s so much misinformation.

Early in her career, Plosser had to dig for good stories. Now she spends energy filtering out the noise to highlight what actually matters.

Practical Supplementation Strategies

Plosser’s daily supplement stack is intentionally minimal but strategic:

• 10 grams of creatine (split into doses throughout the day)
• Essential amino acids (multiple servings, including first thing in the morning)
• Fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids
• Whey protein to help meet daily protein targets

Her morning routine starts with water, followed by creatine and EAAs while her coffee brews. She brings another serving of EAAs to the gym, and sometimes adds a third serving during the afternoon energy dip.

It’s not like a surge of energy like you get from coffee, but I find it keeps me even and balanced.

Crucially, EAAs don’t break a fast because they don’t trigger an insulin spike—making them perfect for intermittent fasting protocols while protecting lean muscle mass.

What About Collagen?

Despite collagen’s popularity for skin health, Plosser doesn’t supplement with it. Her reasoning? Essential amino acids already provide the building blocks for skin cell turnover, nail strength, and hair health.

She watches the collagen conversation from the sidelines but hasn’t seen research convincing enough to add another supplement when EAAs already cover those bases.

The Power of Morning Routines

Plosser literally wrote the book on morning protocols—Own Your Morning—based on her conviction that how you start your day determines how you live it.

Her current routine has evolved since publication. She now wakes at 5 a.m. to write when her brain is sharpest, reserving her most cognitively demanding work for those early hours before her children wake.

The key insight? Your morning routine should be uniquely yours. What works for one person may not work for another, and your protocol can evolve as your life circumstances change.

The Bottom Line

In an era of overwhelming wellness noise, the fundamentals remain unchanged: lift heavy, prioritize protein, understand your hormones, and choose supplements backed by rigorous research.

Essential amino acids and creatine represent two of the most well-studied, effective supplements available—provided you choose quality products that are third-party tested.

As Plosser notes, you may need to hear information multiple ways before it clicks. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re still figuring it out. The science is clear, but implementing it takes time.

Start with one change. See how your body responds. Build from there.