Sports Performance / Post-workout Protocol

For women who lift, run, or train regularly. Recovery starts with the basics: enough total protein across the day, creatine, sleep, and water. On top of that sit a post-workout shake, collagen with vitamin C before training for connective tissue, vitamin D3/K2 for bone, and light everyday electrolytes. Iron is test-first only.

How this connects

Recovery happens between sessions, mostly overnight, so Sleep + Stress comes first. Creatine and protein also sit on Energy / Focus and Weight / Metabolic, where muscle supports healthy glucose metabolism, and Mitopure links this page to Longevity / Mitochondrial and cellular energy in muscle. If you take creatine or Mitopure for one protocol, you don’t need a second tub for another. Read the full protocol story.

Also see Beauty: collagen with vitamin C also turns up in the Beauty section, so one collagen product can cover both.

Free foundations first

Habits that make this protocol work

These cost nothing and do the heavy lifting. Supplements are meant to sit on top of them, not replace them.

Resistance training, timed well2–4 strength sessions a week. Finish hard sessions a few hours (roughly 3+) before bed so they don’t crowd your wind-down.
Enough protein, every dayA rough target for women who train is 1.4–2.0 g per kg of body weight a day, spread over 3–4 meals. The daily total matters more than exact timing.
Walk after mealsA 10–15 minute easy walk after eating supports digestion and a healthy post-meal glucose response. After dinner is the easiest one to make a habit.
Protect a 7–9 hour sleep windowMost adults need at least 7 hours. Give yourself the time in bed to actually get it, consistently.
Water through the dayKeep a glass or bottle in sight and drink steadily through the day, a little more on hot or training days. Pale-yellow urine is a simple guide.

The stack

9 products · Brand options are listed for each; choose one that fits your preferences and budget.

Cycle-syncing, honestly. Research on timing training or supplements to cycle phase is limited. A 2020 meta-analysis found performance may be only trivially lower in the early follicular phase, with low-quality evidence, and a 2023 review found no clear effect of cycle phase on strength or resistance-training gains. If you notice your own patterns, adjust by feel; otherwise focus on the basics: enough food and protein, creatine, sleep, and knowing your iron status. In peri- or post-menopause these questions don’t apply, and protein, creatine, strength training, calcium and vitamin D matter even more.

Momentous Recovery

Brands: Momentous Recovery (grass-fed whey isolate + carbohydrates)
Typical dose: 1 serving after training, per label

One post-workout shake: grass-fed whey protein isolate with fast-acting carbohydrates, amino acids and electrolytes. Protein after resistance training supports muscle protein synthesis and recovery, and it’s an easy way to get protein in when appetite is low after a session.*

Contains milk (whey). The carbohydrate dose is modest, so for most people glycogen refills with normal meals; it matters most if you train again within a day. NSF Certified for Sport per the brand.

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Whey Protein Isolate

Brands: Momentous Whey Protein Isolate · Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Isolate · Momentous 100% Plant Protein (dairy-free)
Typical dose: 1 scoop (~20–28 g protein) when meals fall short of your daily total

Many women under-eat protein, and needs rise with age and training. A complete protein that supports muscle maintenance and recovery and helps you reach a daily total of roughly 1.4–2.0 g per kg of body weight.*

Food first: use it to fill gaps, not to replace meals. Contains milk unless you choose the plant option.

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Also in: Energy / Focus, Weight / Metabolic

Creatine Monohydrate (Ultrafine Micronized)

Brands: Momentous Creatine (ultrafine micronized creatine monohydrate) · Thorne Creatine via iHerb or Amazon
Typical dose: 3–5 g daily, timing flexible

The most-studied sports ingredient. Creatine supports strength and power output during training and supports lean muscle alongside resistance training, with a long safety record in women and men.*

Unflavored; mixes into water, coffee or a shake. Hydrate well. Daily consistency matters more than timing.

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Collagen Peptides + Vitamin C

Brands: Momentous Collagen Peptides (with FORTIGEL and vitamin C)
Typical dose: 1 serving 30–60 min before training, per label

Collagen with vitamin C taken before activity supports collagen synthesis in tendons, ligaments and connective tissue, and in premenopausal women collagen plus resistance training supported strength and lean mass.*

Bovine-derived. Collagen is not a complete protein, so it doesn’t count toward your daily protein total.

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Vitamin D3 + K2

Brands: Performance Lab D3 + K2 (liposomal D3 + MK-7)
Typical dose: 1 capsule daily with a meal containing fat (1,000 IU D3 + 50 mcg K2)

Vitamin D supports calcium absorption and normal bone and muscle function, and K2 supports calcium use in bone. Bone support matters for active women heading into and through menopause.*

Check your multivitamin and other D sources so you don’t double up. Talk to your clinician first if you take blood-thinning medication (vitamin K).

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Daily Hydration (Electrolytes)

Brands: Momentous Daily Hydration · Transparent Labs Hydrate (higher sodium, hot or long sessions) · Momentous Fuel (sessions over ~60–90 min)
Typical dose: 1 stick in water during the day or around shorter sessions

A light electrolyte mix (sodium, potassium) that supports everyday hydration and fluid balance around short and moderate sessions.*

Heavy sweaters and long sessions need more sodium than this light formula. Check with your clinician if you’ve been asked to limit sodium.

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Test first

Iron+ (Test First)

Brands: Momentous Iron+ (iron bisglycinate + vitamin C + B complex)
Typical dose: Only as advised after a blood test

Consider only if a blood test shows you need it; talk to your clinician. Iron supports normal oxygen transport and energy metabolism, and menstruating women who train are more likely to run low.*

Don’t take iron without a known need: too much iron isn’t harmless. Ask your clinician about ferritin and a full iron panel, and keep iron away from children.

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Also in: Longevity / MitochondrialAdvanced

Mitopure (Urolithin A) Powder

Brands: Timeline Mitopure powder
Typical dose: 500–1,000 mg daily, per label

Urolithin A supports mitophagy and cellular energy in muscle. In a 4-month trial in adults aged 40–65, it supported muscle strength and some endurance measures.*

Same ingredient as on the Longevity page, so there’s no need to buy it twice. A single trial so far; optional.

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Also in: Energy / Focus, Weight / MetabolicOptional add-on

Essential Amino Acids (Optional Add-on)

Brands: BodyHealth Perfect Aminos · or similar EAA blend
Typical dose: 5–10 g, ~15–30 min before a workout, per label

An optional extra, not a core item: a powder or tablet containing all nine essential amino acids with very few calories, which some people take before training, including in a fasted window.*

Does not replace complete protein from meals or a whole-protein shake; your daily protein total still comes first. Same product as on Energy / Focus, so one container covers both.

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What the research says

Protein: about 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day supports training adaptations, and total daily intake matters more than exact timing. ISSN position stand, 2017
Creatine is one of the most-studied sports ingredients, with benefits reviewed in women across the lifespan. A 2-year trial in postmenopausal women found no bone-density effect, so we list it for muscle and strength only. Smith-Ryan et al., 2021
Vitamin C-enriched gelatin taken about an hour before activity increased markers of collagen synthesis. Shaw et al., 2017
Collagen peptides plus resistance training supported fat-free mass and strength in premenopausal women. Jendricke et al., 2019
Iron, vitamin D and calcium are common shortfalls in active women; test iron before supplementing. ISSN female athlete position stand, 2023
Urolithin A (500–1,000 mg/day for 4 months) supported muscle strength and some endurance measures in adults aged 40–65. Single trial. Singh et al., 2022

Two ways in

Beginner vs More Advanced

Start simple. The 2-minute quiz suggests one of these for you based on your experience and how simple you want to keep things.

Beginner

1–2 core items + the free habits

Free habits first: resistance training 2–4 times a week, finishing hard sessions ~3+ hours before bed; a 10–15 minute walk after meals; a 7–9 hour sleep window; and enough protein, spread across meals.
Reach your daily protein total (roughly 1.4–2.0 g per kg of body weight) from food first, with whey protein isolate or the Recovery shake to fill gaps.
Add creatine monohydrate, 3–5 g daily. That’s the whole beginner stack.
Ask your clinician about an iron panel if you’re menstruating and train often, before considering Iron+.

More Advanced

A fuller stack, by goal

Post-workout shake on hard days, protein and creatine every day.

Joints & bone

Collagen Peptides + Vitamin C
Vitamin D3 + K2

Collagen with vitamin C 30–60 min before training, D3 + K2 with a meal.

Hydration & extras

Daily Hydration
Mitopure
Essential Amino Acids

Electrolytes around sessions; Mitopure and EAAs are optional extras.

Talk to your healthcare provider first. Supplements affect everyone differently and can interact with medications. Start with one product at a time at the low end of the dose range, and check with your clinician before starting, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking prescription medication, or managing a health condition. Doses shown are typical label ranges, not personal recommendations.