topsverseIf you are a woman in your 40s reading this while fighting to keep your eyes open despite downing your third cup of coffee today, you are definitely not alone. That bone-deep exhaustion you have been experiencing lately? The kind that makes you feel like you are dragging yourself through molasses most days? It is not just in your head, and it is not simply because you are getting older.
Sure, we all initially blame our packed schedules, demanding careers, or the endless juggling act of family responsibilities. But here is what many women do not realize: that persistent fatigue hitting you like a freight train might actually be your body responding to some pretty significant hormonal changes happening during perimenopause.
This transitional phase, which can start sneaking up on you in your early 40s and stick around for years, brings hormonal fluctuations that can turn your energy levels upside down. Think of your hormones as a thermostat that has gone completely haywire, messing with everything from how well you sleep to how efficiently your body burns fuel.
The good news? You do not have to just grit your teeth and power through this. While these changes are completely natural, feeling like you are running on empty all the time definitely does not have to be your new normal.
What I am going to share with you today is a comprehensive guide to ten supplements that research shows can genuinely help restore your energy levels. These are not miracle cures or quick fixes, but rather strategic tools that work with your body to address the root causes of that energy drain you have been experiencing.
10 Best Supplements for Energy in Women Over 40
1. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is like the spark plug in your body’s energy engine. This powerhouse vitamin is essential for creating red blood cells, which carry oxygen from your lungs to every tissue in your body. Without enough oxygen reaching your cells, everything has to work harder, leaving you feeling wiped out.
B12 is also crucial for keeping your nervous system healthy and your brain functioning at its best. The problem is, as we age, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing B12 from food. Your stomach produces less acid and fewer enzymes needed to extract this vitamin from what you eat.
If you follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet, you are at even higher risk since B12 is primarily found in animal products. Long-term use of acid-reducing medications can also interfere with absorption.
Watch out for these warning signs of B12 deficiency: persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest, brain fog that makes you feel like you are thinking through cotton, and that weird pins-and-needles sensation in your hands or feet.
The recommended daily amount for women over 19 is 2.4 micrograms, but many healthcare providers suggest higher doses for older adults to overcome absorption challenges. Look for methylcobalamin, which is the active form your body can use immediately, rather than having to convert it first.
You can find B12 in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and fortified foods like cereals and plant-based milks.
2. Iron
Iron is the workhorse mineral that helps your blood carry oxygen throughout your body. When iron levels drop, your heart has to pump harder to deliver less oxygen, leaving you feeling weak, breathless, and exhausted.
Women are much more prone to iron deficiency than men, primarily because of menstruation. The recommended daily amount for women aged 19 to 50 is 18 milligrams per day, compared to just 8 milligrams for women over 50 and men of all ages. If you are still having heavy periods in your late 40s or early 50s, your risk remains high.
Iron deficiency often shows up as fatigue and weakness, but you might also notice hair thinning, brittle nails, restless legs, or that foggy thinking that makes it hard to concentrate.
Here is something crucial: do not start taking iron supplements without getting tested first. Too much iron can actually be harmful, causing stomach pain, constipation, and other problems. A simple blood test can determine if you actually need supplementation and help your healthcare provider recommend the right dose.
Your body absorbs iron from animal sources (called heme iron) much better than iron from plants (non-heme iron). To boost absorption of plant-based iron, pair it with vitamin C-rich foods like citrus, berries, or bell peppers. Avoid drinking coffee or tea with iron-rich meals since these can block absorption.
3. Magnesium
If your body were a smartphone, magnesium would be the operating system running everything in the background. This mineral is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions in your body, with its most important job being helping your cells produce ATP, which is essentially your body’s energy currency.
Magnesium offers special benefits for women in midlife. It has a naturally calming effect on your nervous system, helping ease anxiety and promote better sleep quality, which is exactly what you need if perimenopause is messing with your rest. It also helps relax muscles, reducing cramps and spasms.
The recommended daily amount for women over 31 is 320 milligrams. Different forms of magnesium offer different benefits. Magnesium glycinate is highly absorbable and particularly good for sleep and anxiety. Magnesium malate pairs well with energy production. Magnesium citrate is often used for digestive support.
Unfortunately, many modern diets fall short on magnesium. You can boost your intake by eating more leafy greens like spinach, along with nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is actually more of a hormone than a vitamin, and it plays crucial roles in mood regulation, immune function, and proper muscle function. When you are deficient, your muscles and immune system cannot work efficiently, leading to that all-over feeling of weakness and low energy.
Women over 40 face a triple threat when it comes to vitamin D deficiency. First, aging skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight. Second, declining estrogen levels during perimenopause interfere with how well your body produces and absorbs this vitamin. Third, vitamin D gets stored in body fat, so if your body composition has changed, less of it might be available for your body to actually use.
The symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can easily be mistaken for normal perimenopause symptoms: chronic tiredness, muscle weakness, bone pain, and mood changes.
Many experts recommend vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements because this is the same form your body makes from sun exposure and tends to be better absorbed. The most reliable way to know if you need supplementation is through a blood test.
Beyond supplements, try to get some safe sun exposure when possible, eat fatty fish like salmon or sardines, and choose fortified foods when available.
5. Coenzyme Q10
Think of CoQ10 as premium fuel for your cellular powerhouses. This antioxidant plays a starring role in how your mitochondria (the energy factories inside your cells) produce ATP. Your body naturally makes CoQ10, but production peaks in your 20s and steadily declines with age, which directly correlates with decreased energy levels.
For women over 40, CoQ10 supplementation can help counteract this age-related decline in cellular energy production. It also offers cardiovascular protection, which becomes increasingly important after menopause when estrogen’s protective effects diminish. If you take statin medications for cholesterol, CoQ10 is particularly important since these drugs can deplete your natural levels.
CoQ10 comes in two forms: ubiquinone (which your body has to convert to the active form) and ubiquinol (the ready-to-use active form). For women over 40, especially those with digestive issues, ubiquinol is often the better choice since it does not require conversion.
A typical dose ranges from 100 to 200 milligrams per day for general energy support and age-related decline.
While CoQ10 is found in meat, fish, and nuts, the amounts are too small to significantly impact blood levels, making supplementation the most practical approach.
6. Creatine
When most people hear “creatine,” they think of bodybuilders and athletes, but this naturally occurring compound offers unique benefits for women in midlife that go far beyond sports performance.
Creatine gets stored in your muscles and brain as phosphocreatine, serving as a rapid energy reserve. It works by helping regenerate ATP quickly, which boosts cellular energy efficiency throughout your body.
Here is where it gets interesting for women over 40: as estrogen declines, you naturally start losing muscle mass in a process called sarcopenia. Research shows that creatine, especially when combined with resistance training, can help women in midlife preserve and even build lean muscle mass. This is crucial for maintaining strength, keeping your metabolism humming, and maintaining independence as you age.
Creatine also supports bone health indirectly by helping you maintain the muscle strength needed to stimulate bone density. Stronger muscles literally help build stronger bones.
Perhaps most surprisingly, creatine can help fight the brain fog and memory lapses common during perimenopause and beyond by supporting brain energy metabolism.
The recommended daily dose for women is 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate. The timing does not matter much, so you can take it whenever it fits into your routine.
7. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is what herbalists call an adaptogen, meaning it helps your body adapt to and cope with stress. Its primary anti-fatigue superpower lies in its ability to regulate your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is essentially mission control for your body’s stress response.
By helping to balance cortisol levels, ashwagandha helps your body maintain a more even keel, conserving energy that would otherwise be wasted on dealing with chronic stress.
For women navigating midlife, this is particularly valuable. Perimenopause often coincides with peak stress periods in our lives, and the hormonal shifts can amplify anxiety, mood swings, and sleep disruptions. Ashwagandha’s stress-regulating effects can help ease these symptoms while also supporting better sleep quality.
Clinical studies have found that adults experiencing high stress and fatigue who took ashwagandha supplements showed statistically significant reductions in fatigue symptoms compared to those taking a placebo.
Common dosages range from 150 to 600 milligrams daily, often split into one or two doses. While generally safe for short-term use, ashwagandha is not recommended during pregnancy and should be avoided if you have hyperthyroidism, as it can increase thyroid hormone levels.
Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting ashwagandha, especially if you take medications for sleep, thyroid conditions, or immune suppression, as interactions are possible.
8. Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola rosea is another adaptogenic herb that excels at enhancing your resistance to stress and improving overall resilience. It works by modulating your HPA axis while also influencing key brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. This dual action helps reduce both mental and physical fatigue, particularly during challenging periods.
The brain fog and concentration difficulties that plague many women in midlife can be particularly frustrating. Rhodiola’s ability to improve alertness, focus, and cognitive function makes it an excellent tool for combating these symptoms. Studies suggest its effects can be relatively quick, with some people noticing improvements in stress-related symptoms within just three days.
In controlled trials, people with stress-related fatigue who took 576 milligrams of rhodiola extract daily showed a 30% reduction in fatigue symptoms after four weeks. Other research has noted significant improvements in fatigue, stress, and impaired thinking in people dealing with prolonged exhaustion.
An effective daily dose typically ranges from 200 to 600 milligrams of standardized extract. Look for supplements that contain at least 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside, which are considered the primary active compounds.
9. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, fight fatigue indirectly by tackling one of its root causes: chronic inflammation. Low-grade inflammation throughout your body is strongly linked to fatigue and can drain your energy reserves.
As we age, the risk of joint pain, muscle aches, and general inflammation increases. Omega-3s help by modulating your body’s inflammatory response, potentially providing relief from these energy-draining issues.
Beyond inflammation, omega-3s support mood and brain health, offering potential benefits for the anxiety, depression, and brain fog that can accompany hormonal changes during perimenopause.
Since your body cannot produce omega-3s on its own, you need to get them through diet or supplements. The best food sources are oily fish like salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. However, it can be challenging to eat enough fish to reach therapeutic levels, which is why supplementation is often recommended.
A typical supplement provides 1 to 3.5 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day.
10. L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is a compound your body makes from two amino acids, lysine and methionine. Its primary job is acting like a shuttle service, transporting long-chain fatty acids into your mitochondria where they can be burned for energy.
While your body can produce adequate amounts of L-Carnitine under normal circumstances, certain lifestyle factors or health conditions can impact levels. For women in midlife, L-Carnitine may help with exercise performance and recovery by reducing muscle damage and improving oxygen delivery to muscles during and after workouts.
Some preliminary research also suggests L-Carnitine might support weight management by enhancing fat metabolism and helping regulate blood sugar levels, which are common concerns for women over 40.
L-Carnitine comes in several forms with different primary purposes. Acetyl-L-carnitine is often used for brain health support, with doses typically ranging from 500 to 3,000 milligrams per day. L-carnitine L-tartrate is the form most studied for exercise performance and recovery, with doses ranging from 1,000 to 4,500 milligrams per day.
Why Your Energy Tank Feels Constantly Empty
Let me paint you a picture of what is actually happening inside your body during this midlife transition. During perimenopause, your ovaries start producing less estrogen and progesterone, and these hormones begin fluctuating in ways that can make you feel like you are on an emotional and physical roller coaster.
The first casualty? Your sleep. These hormonal shifts mess with your brain’s ability to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, throwing off important chemicals like serotonin and melatonin. Research tells us that nearly half of women in midlife struggle with disrupted sleep thanks to night sweats, hot flashes, or just general restlessness. Even if you are not dealing with hot flashes, you might notice your sleep just is not as deep or restorative as it used to be.
When you are not sleeping well, your body goes into stress mode. Cortisol, your primary stress hormone, starts acting up, spiking at times when it should be winding down. This creates a vicious cycle where poor sleep leads to more stress, which leads to even worse sleep, and so on.
But the problems do not stop there. These same hormonal changes can leave you dealing with brain fog, memory lapses, and difficulty concentrating. Estrogen plays a crucial role in brain energy metabolism, so when levels drop, your brain literally has less fuel to work with. Add in the mood swings, anxiety, and occasional bouts of depression that can come with hormonal changes, and you have got a perfect storm of energy depletion.
How You Can Build Your Energy Foundation
While strategic supplementation can be incredibly helpful for restoring energy, it works best when you have got solid lifestyle foundations in place. Think of supplements as the cherry on top of a healthy lifestyle sundae, not the sundae itself.
Sleep has to be your number one priority. Since hormonal fluctuations can wreak havoc on your sleep patterns, creating a consistent bedtime routine becomes even more important. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and comfortable. Try to avoid screens for at least an hour and a half before bed since the blue light can suppress melatonin production and make it harder to fall asleep.
Your diet plays a huge role in sustained energy levels. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates that help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day. Energy-boosting foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and oats can make a real difference in how you feel. Do not forget about hydration either – even mild dehydration can cause a noticeable drop in energy.
Movement matters, even when you feel exhausted. Research consistently shows that regular, moderate exercise actually increases energy levels over time. You do not need to become a fitness fanatic – even brisk walks, swimming, gentle yoga, or dancing can boost circulation and support both mental and physical well-being.
Finally, managing stress is absolutely crucial. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which wreaks havoc on your hormonal balance and energy levels. Whether it is meditation, deep breathing exercises, journaling, or whatever helps you unwind, find stress management techniques that work for you and use them regularly.
When you combine thoughtful supplementation with these lifestyle foundations, you create a powerful approach to restoring vitality that can serve you well for years to come.
Conclusion
Energy decline during midlife is incredibly common, but it does not have to be your permanent reality. By understanding how hormonal shifts contribute to fatigue, you can take intentional steps to reclaim your vitality and feel more like yourself again.
The ten supplements covered in this guide offer research-backed support for energy production, stress management, and addressing common nutritional gaps that affect women over 40. From the cellular foundation provided by magnesium and CoQ10 to the stress-fighting power of ashwagandha and rhodiola, these tools can play a meaningful role in your overall wellness strategy.
Remember, true vitality comes from combining these supplements with lifestyle choices that support your body’s natural energy systems. This is your opportunity to redefine what health looks like for you and step into this next chapter of life with renewed energy and purpose.
Have you tried any of these supplements? What has worked for you in managing midlife fatigue? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.
Important Medical Information
This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. The content here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.
Before starting any new supplement regimen or making changes to your current routine, please consult with a qualified healthcare provider or registered dietitian. This is especially important if you have existing health conditions, take medications, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Do not ignore professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information you have read here. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the statements about these supplements. Individual results may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another.