Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Baum, Jamie I.

Committee Member

Alverson, Andrew

Second Committee Member

Walker, Kate

Third Committee Member

Lessner, Faith

Abstract

Menopause is often accompanied by changes in sleep, mood, and overall well-being, partly due to hormonal shifts and loss of muscle mass. Protein intake, especially from nutrient-rich sources like beef, may help address these changes, but research in postmenopausal women remains limited. This study explored how daily beef consumption, as part of a higher-protein diet, affected sleep quality, mood, and well-being over eight weeks. Ten active postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a control group (meeting standard protein recommendations) or a treatment group consuming twice that amount, including one serving of lean beef per day. Sleep was measured using both the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and wrist actigraphy, while mood and well-being were assessed through the POMS and SF-36 questionnaires. The beef group reported significantly better subjective sleep quality by the end of the study (p = 0.040), though no meaningful changes were observed in objective sleep data, mood, or quality of life scores. These early findings suggest that higher protein intake from beef may help improve how postmenopausal women perceive their sleep, though more research is needed to understand the broader effects.

Keywords

Protein; Menopause; Sleep; Mood; Higher-Protein Diet; Lean Beef

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