30 Seconds Summary
Collagen Supplementation: Considerations and Caveats

  • Collagen supplementation is popular but has specific applications and limitations. It's not ideal for muscle development due to its inferior essential amino acid profile compared to high-quality proteins like whey.
  • Research suggests potential benefits of collagen for skin health, showing improvements in elasticity and reductions in wrinkle depth among older demographics.
  • Collagen's impact on joint health appears positive in studies with arthritic populations, indicating potential for reducing joint pain and stiffness.
  • Concerns about collagen's digestibility exist, but hydrolyzed collagen may allow peptides like Pro-Hyp to enter the bloodstream and possibly benefit skin and joint repair.
  • Lifestyle factors like managing sun exposure and maintaining a healthy weight play a significant role in skin and joint health, potentially more so than collagen supplementation.
  • While some evidence supports collagen's benefits, comprehensive lifestyle approaches and other supplements (e.g., Omega-3 fats) might offer more reliable health improvements.

Track & Plan Workouts
with Ease

  • Unlimited workout logs
  • Automatic volume tracking
  • Personalized programs
  • RPE support, rest timer, and more!
WorkoutWise Screenshot

Read Next

Doping, Collagen, Goals, and Hyperplasia (Episode 33)

We’re back from our winter break with an excellent episode to kick off Season 2. This episode features an important update from the Game Changers cinematic universe, and some incredible feats of strength involving athletes with unbelievable longevity in a variety of physically demanding sports. Greg…

Stronger By Science

The Stronger By Science Team

Research Spotlight: Collagen protein isn’t great for promoting muscle hypertrophy

The study reviewed is “Whey Protein Supplementation Is Superior to Leucine-Matched Collagen Peptides to Increase Muscle Thickness During a 10-Week Resistance Training Program in Untrained Young Adults.”

Stronger By Science

Eric Trexler

Squatting with Patellar Tendinopathy

Squatting with patellar tendinopathy can be tricky. You don’t want to lose too much strength, but you want to the problem to go away. This is what to do.

Stronger By Science

Jason Eure