Collagen is one of the most widely marketed supplements. And it’s especially marketed to women of our age, because of its potential applications to anti-ageing, hair loss, bone density and menopause.
Many people use it because of the claims that it can improve skin, hair, joint, bone, and gut health. Other common beliefs are that it’s the “cleanest” and “most absorbable” protein source.
The idea of popping a pill or mixing a powder that reverses the signs of aging is attractive to many.
But is it worth the hype? And what should you buy? How much should you spend – a quick google suggests prices from £6 to £60 but are they worth it?
Settle in for a deep dive…
First, what is collagen?
Collagen is a protein. It is effectively a building block, found in skin hair muscles tendons and ligaments. It is composed mainly of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
It plays important roles in cellular processes, including
• tissue repair: hair, skin, ligaments and tendons, muscles
• immune response
• cellular communication
• cellular migration
Your body produces collagen naturally and you can get it from food, especially meat, fish, eggs and other proteins. Because, lemme say it again, collagen is a protein.
It’s an incomplete protein in that it doesn’t contain all the 9 essential amino assets (EAAs) that your body needs. And typically it has much lower levels of EAA than a whey protein supplement.
As we age, we produce less of it. Estimates suggest we produce about 1% less every year after the age of 40. Your lifestyle and nutrition are also important determinants of how much collagen your body produces. [No shit sherlock alert: eat well, and sleep well to support your body’s natural ability to produce collagen.]
Types of Collagen
There are 3 types of collagen:
Type 2 is mostly associated with joints cartilage. Type 1 and 3 are associated with
skin, tendons, ligaments.
There are also different forms of supplements:
- Native – refers to the full collagen molecule. However this molecule is too large to absorb in the gut
- Peptides – (also know as hydrolyzed collagen) are smaller broken down fragments of the native collagen making it easier to absorb.
It stands to reason therefore that if you want to supplement to improve say skin elasticity you should choose the relevant type.
So, does supplementation work?
Well… Let’s see what the science says…
[RANT ALERT]
Many of the scientific studies on collagen are funded by – can you guess? – collagen producers.
So although there is a reasonable amount of literature that supports its use, there’s not a lot of it that’s unbiased.
Sigh.
The other problem is that many of these studies don’t account for lifestyle factors: like smoking, drinking, sleeping or even – wait for it – protein intake among participants. Which is pretty damn fundamental. Because since collagen is a protein then it stands to reason that differing protein levels amongst participants would have different outcomes.
This is the main problem: a person who has a good intake of protein through their diet will have very different collagen producing capabilities compared to someone who does not.
Here’s an example: a 2022 research review reported that collagen peptide supplementation may help promote connective tissue recovery, decrease pain, and improve strength and body composition when paired with resistance training.
In other words, the review found that strength training and collagen improves strength, helps lose fat and gets joints working better (compared to strength training and a placebo.) Great no?
BUT BUT BUT. Collagen is a protein. It’s obvious that pairing strength training with a protein will have better outcomes. I have banged on about this HUUUUNDREDS of times… The evidence for this is 100% robust.
So a more useful study would have been one that shows the effect of collagen vs standardised protein dietary intake vs protein supplementation. Because we know that on average people’s levels of protein intake are way below what they should be. So if you supplement with a protein like collagen then you’re bound to see an improvement. Because it is a protein!
What about Vegetarians and Vegans?
Vegetarians and vegans will almost certainly benefit from supplements to boost their protein levels. But, the most effective form of supplementation would be a whey protein or a vegetarian option because these are complete proteins that include all 9 EAAs.
And about Vegan Collagen…
Deep deep sigh.
There is no such thing as Vegan Collagen. Anything that purports to be vegan collagen is actually a collection of vitamins and minerals that supposedly boost your body’s natural ability to produce collagen. The science behind these supplements is even more sketchy and even more biased than those of regular collagen.
Avoid.
So does collagen work?
Despite my ranting, the answer is maybe. Particularly if your dietary intake is low in proteins generally or low in the amino acids that make up collagen specifically.
I’ll say it again. Collagen is a protein. But an incomplete one. A whey protein supplement will contain all 9 essential amino acids that are required in the body. Collagen doesn’t include all 9 and is generally a much lower % content than a whey protein.
So if you want to achieve the same benefits for a fraction of the cost you are better off:
- Ensuring sufficient protein in your diet. And surely you’ve heard me talk about why this is necessary plenty of times before. (Here’s a video on this) Remember a good guide for this is 1.2 – 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight. And also remember that 1 gram of chicken breast does not equal a gram of protein!
- And / or supplement this with a good quality (but much cheaper) whey protein powder.
A final word
As ever with supplements please, please remember that there is no regulation covering the use of words such as “proven” “effective” “exceptional results” “advanced bioavailability”. They are simply marketing expressions, like “radiance” “vitality” “luscious”.
Don’t fall for the marketing BS.
