You've probably heard about all the cool stuff collagen can do.
Supposedly, it's great for your skin, joints, bones, menopause, hair and also for ageing well & recovery after exercise. That's quite a list! But what does the evidence say and is it worth it?
Here's the spoiler: I am a big collagen supporter & have been taking a collagen supplement for more than two years now. My interest lies with the benefits it has for joint & bone health, but before I decided whether to invest in a regular supplement, I did a fair amount of reading & research. In this blog, I'll share my main findings with you, along with signposting to further reading (and a handy discount code!), should you also choose to go down the collagen supplement route.
What is collagen?
Firstly, lets explain what collagen is. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making up around 30-35% of the body’s total protein content.
There are 28 known types of collagen with around 90% of the collagen in our body being types I, II and III. Up to 10% of our muscle mass is made of collagen and it is a vital component of our connective tissue, found most abundantly in our ligaments, tendons, joints and cartilage, as well as bones, skin, gut lining, blood vessels, hair & nails.
Why is it important?
The strength and durability of our bones & soft tissues is largely down to the collagen content in the body & it is therefore important in the role of joint health, muscle repair, bone strength and tendon & ligament support. Collagen also provides essential amino acids that aid muscle recovery and growth.
The word collagen is derived from the Greek word ‘kolla’, meaning glue which is a helpful descriptor of the way in which collagen holds the body together!
Am I producing enough collagen?
From the age of around 30 onwards the body’s ability to produce collagen decreases, which can lead to stiffer ligaments and tendons and increase the risk of injuries, aches & pain.
You can help your body make and maintain healthy collagen levels by simply including enough high-quality protein, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin C and zinc in your diet, but many people (myself included) try to combat the effects of collagen depletion by taking collagen supplements.
Should I take a collagen supplement?
My reason for taking a supplement of collagen was to try to assist with one of the most common, but lesser known, symptoms of perimenopause - joint pain.
Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the more common symptoms in women going through menopause, with perimenopause being the stage at which women are particularly predisposed to developing MSP. One study suggests a whopping 71% of perimenopausal women experience some form of joint discomfort. Degrees of pain were reported to range from moderate to severe. (1)
Without wishing to sound too dramatic, I used to get out of bed in the morning feeling like my ankles had been broken (ok, that is an exaggeration but believe me they were STIFF!) I can't recall how long after I started taking a collagen supplement that the ankles started to feel better, but it was certainly within a month.
Added to my ankle issue was a chronic hamstring tendinopathy injury, which would normally take between 9-12 months to fully heal. My recovery time was closer to 6 months and I am of the view that my collagen intake assisted with my tendon repair and healing.
Of course, I have no evidence that the collagen supplement assisted with either of these things, but it was the only thing I added to my diet, training & rehab regime and there is data to support the view that collagen supplementation is of benefit in injury recovery, sports performance & joint health.
The evidence
Studies show that supplemental collagen:
may be effective in treating both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which can be caused by deterioration of both collagen and bone mass as we age (2)
can strengthen and improve muscle-joint interaction when combined with training, which is ideal for athletes or active people looking to prevent injury (3)
has reduced knee pain in athletes (3)
can help slow or reduce the age-related loss of muscle (4).
Choosing a supplement
I tried a few before settling on Ancient+Brave. Some of this was personal preference in that I did not like the taste or texture of some of the brands I tried, but also I was looking for a collagen that was Type 1 (the most abundant of the collagen types in the body) and hydrolysed, which means it can be easily absorbed. I also wanted a collagen sourced from grass fed bovine. There are marine and plant sourced versions but fewer studies have been conducted on the efficacy of these; and finally, I wanted a powered version that was odourless, tasteless and could be dissolved in my morning coffee. So in stepped True Collagen by Ancient + Brave which ticked all of these boxes.
To summarise, evidence of the benefits for joint, bone & connective tissue health is NOT conclusive, but it looks promising and definitely worth a try for those that work out a lot, have joint pain, injury and/or osteoarthritis.
If you are wanting to find out if it might help you, why not have a read of some of the articles below and maybe just give it a go for a month or two to see if it helps. The kind folk at Ancient+Brave have given me my own discount code to share, which gives you £10 off your first purchase, should you wish to try this particular brand: https://ancientbrave.mention-me.com/m/ol/ok1vx-kirsten-lawton
References & Further Reading
(1) Musculoskeletal Pain during the Menopausal Transition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PMC (nih.gov)
The Ultimate Beginners Guide on how to take Collagen Powder | Ancient +Brave (ancientandbrave.earth)