Should athletes supplement with collagen?

What are the claims?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of collagen and its potential superpowers. Manufacturers claim that taking collagen can help with skin elasticity, build muscle, manage joint pain and turn you into a unicorn….. Ok that last one I made up, but sometimes it seems like all these claims are trying to say just that.

So are any of these claims true? Let’s look at some of the evidence, and if you want to put in some extra research I’ll cite some papers below to get you started.

What exactly is collagen?

Collagen is found in various parts of the body including skin, hair, muscles and tendons, and acts as a scaffolding that supports structure. Because collagen is a major component of connective tissues and a structural protein, this has led many to believe that supplementing can help with joint pain, tendon recovery and improve lean body mass.

Collagen can be extracted from bovine hide, fish skins, certain cuts of meats and bone broth. It’s mostly sold as Hydrolyzed collagen which is basically a process it goes through to break down longer chains of protein into shorter chains and therefore (in theory) becomes easier for the body to absorb.



You may have also heard of gelatin, the stuff that goes into your kids’ gummy bears and jell-O’s, well it turns out that gelatin is actually the most researched form of collagen and the cheapest and basically the same thing.

Does collagen help with joint pain?

Of all of the claims about collagen supplements and their benefits, joint support is probably the most studied and credible.

During one 24-week study, 147 college age athletes with no joint injury or disease were randomly assigned either a placebo or 10g of collagen hydrolasate.

The researchers concluded that suplementing with collagen can “reduce parameters [...] that have a negative impact on athletic performance” (Clarke et al 2008). So while it doesn’t cure joint disease or reduce pain, it may negate the consequences of high volume activity.

In another study researchers found that when supplemented with strength training and a rehabilitation program, joint pain was reduced (Khatri et al 2021). There is also strong evidence that when taken with Vitamin C, collagen synthesis can increase.

Is collagen a good source of protein?

Perhaps one of the biggest claims made by companies is that collagen can help improve body composition, build muscle and therefore aid in fat loss. 

First let’s look at whether its claim as an “effective” protein supplement is true.

Collagen isn’t a “complete” protein, meaning that it doesn’t contain all of the essential amino acids since it’s missing tryptophan. Now just because something isn’t a complete protein doesn’t necessarily make it ineffective, however in this instance, it’s a pretty big claim since collagen doesn’t exactly contain near enough amino acids as whey.

*Image credit: Precision Nutrition

Here’s a look at amino acids in collagen vs whey. If you’re looking to increase recovery and build muscle, the guy you’re looking for is leucine and collagen just doesn’t have enough to support this.

Does collagen help with skin elasticity?

While there is evidence that collagen can help with skin elasticity, hydration and skin collagen density, it can’t actually reduce the enzymes that ultimately cause our skin to deteriorate as a result of ageing. 

It also appears as though most of the research that supports this claim are funded by pharmaceutical companies that sell collagen themselves.

Here’s another interesting thing to remember, while you may prioritise having clear skin and no wrinkles there is no guarantee that your body feels the same way about it. In other words, just because you supplement amino acids in the form of collagen, it doesn’t necessarily mean your body will use it for that purpose rather than for something it sees as more important like building enzymes or neurotransmitters.

Can supplementing with collagen improve gut health?

Perhaps you’ve heard that daily collagen peptide supplements can reduce bloating and improve mild digestive symptoms due to the presents of glutamine and glycine. The claims are that those amino acids can help to rebuild and strengthen the intestinal walls.

While there are some studies that do suggest this is true, more research is still needed to evidence this.

For more information on how to improve gut health check out this blog Can a healthier gut help you lose weight.

Should athletes take collagen?

Deciding whether to supplement with

collagen or not is a personal choice and depends on your goals and priorities.

As a performance nutrition coach my recommendation would always be for you to use evidence-based research which includes both peer-reviewed research and your own personal experience because ultimately you are the expert on you.

If you love taking collagen for your skin and joints and have experienced great results then there is no reason why you need to stop, but if you’re still on the fence and considering taking it, opt for the most researched form, which believe it or not is gelatin as it’s used in food rather than supplements and since supplements are less regulated than food products in most countries, it’s your safest bet.

Takeaways

Research supports collagen supplementation for joint function when taken with Vitamin C and done together with rehabilitation.

Collagen may increase skin hydration but cannot reduce enzymes that cause skin deterioration. Most of the studies on collagen supplementation for skin elasticity are funded by skincare product companies.

When it comes to using collagen as a protein supplement, it simply does not contain enough essential amino acids to facilitate protein synthesis and isn’t as effective as whey. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly supplement that is a complete protein, opt for whey.

Another money-saving strategy you can use is homemade bone broth made from leftover bone scraps from your roast dinners. It’s easy to make, saves money, and is probably more nutritionally dense than collagen tablets.

Finally, if you’re interested in doing your own research I’ve listed a few resources below, some of these papers are funded by collagen manufacturers, so you may need to bear that in mind.

Resources

Kristine L. Clark, Wayne Sebastianelli, Klaus R. Flechsenhar, Douglas F. Aukermann, Felix Meza, Roberta L. Millard, John R. Deitch, Paul S. Sherbondy & Ann Albert (2008) 24-Week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain, Current Medical Research and Opinion, 24:5, 1485-1496, DOI: 10.1185/030079908X291967

Khatri M, Naughton RJ, Clifford T, Harper LD, Corr L. The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review. Amino Acids. 2021 Oct;53(10):1493-1506. doi: 10.1007/s00726-021-03072-x. Epub 2021 Sep 7. PMID: 34491424; PMCID: PMC8521576.

Oikawa SY, Kamal MJ, Webb EK, McGlory C, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Whey protein but not collagen peptides stimulate acute and longer-term muscle protein synthesis with and without resistance exercise in healthy older women: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Mar 1;111(3):708-718. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz332. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Dec 10;112(6):1656. PMID: 31919527; PMCID: PMC7049534.