EndurElite Chief Endurance Officer Matt Mosman discusses what collagen is, what it does, and if collagen supplements work or are a waste of money.
Full Video Transcription:
What Do Collagen Supplements Do?
Ever wonder if collagen supplements are beneficial or just a bunch of bunk? That is what we are going to discuss today.
So collagen supplements seem to be all the rage lately. And they're making some pretty hefty claims like being superior muscle builder or being able to improve your skin, hair, and joint health.
Now, does the science support their use?
Role Of Collagen In The Body
But first, let's discuss what collagen is and its role in the body.
So, collagen is a protein in the body that helps bind tissues together. It is found in high abundance in your muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, hair, and nails.
Collagen Breaks Down Faster As We Age
Now, as we age, the rate of collagen breakdown increases. This is why you see, like, wrinkly skin. So in theory, supplementation may be able to slow down this process.
So, now that we know what collagen is and what it does in the body, let's talk about supplemental collagen.
How Are Collagen Supplements Made?
So, when you take collagen in supplemental form, it is coming from the bone, skin, and/or cartilage from animals. Sounds appetizing, doesn't it?
So it is definitely not vegan-friendly.
Now, do these supplements actually work or do these collagen supplements actually work? Let's look at two prime examples of the two most popular collagen supplements.
Collagen Protein Powder
First, collagen protein powders have made the claims that they are superior to something like whey protein for building muscle.
Well, I hate to break the news, but collagen protein powders get the big thumbs down from me.
And this is why.
Collagen protein is a very, very poor source of the branched-chain amino acids, especially leucine, which are all required to optimally stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
So, again, collagen protein powders, because they have a low BCAA profile, get a big thumbs down from me and I would never ever waste your money on a collagen protein powder.
Collagen Supplements For Joints, Skin, and Nails
Now, let's look at another example. Collagen supplements that promise to improve hair, skin, and joint health.
Now, these actually get a big thumbs up from me because the research actually supports their use for this.
And what collagen lacks in a BCAA profile, they have higher amounts of other amino acids, more specifically glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which are all amino acids that form collagen in the body.
So, again, collagen supplements that promise to improve hair, skin, and joint health get a thumbs up from me.
How To Take Collagen Supplements
Now, what if you wanna try a collagen supplement? Well, which one should you try?
Well, there are a lot of forms of collagen out there, but the best two seem to be hydrolyzed collagen and type II undenatured collagen.
If you do the hydrolyzed collagen, you wanna take 10 grams daily. If you do the type II undenatured collagen, you wanna do 40 milligrams once daily.
So, that is all I have on collagen and collagen supplements.
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And until next time, my endurance friends, stay fueled, stay focused, stay fast, and stay informed.
