Collagen Supplementation - Part 2

Benefits of collagen, who should consider it, and anecdotal claims of its use

First and foremost, I’d like to extend my sincere apology for leaving you hanging after last week’s initial post on collagen.

However, as a blog reader (or should I say skimmer) myself, I know the challenge of reading anything much longer than 5 minutes.

And with good news on the horizon, I didn’t want that part to be rushed over… or skipped altogether.

Head back and read Part 1 posted last week if you haven’t already because today will build upon the foundation put into place there.

Below is a quick overview for those who would rather have the TLDR version:

Collagen is an integral component of ligaments, tendons, hair, skin, nails, and beyond. Supplementing with collagen has anecdotally been claimed to assist in connective tissue protein synthesis (think building up tendons/ligaments) following exercise but a recent analysis demonstrated this doesn’t hold true. What else is collagen not good for? Muscle protein synthesis… thus, opt for a whey or whole-food protein source following exercise to fuel your post-workout recovery.

This summary may give the impression that collagen is useless and not worth your money but let’s look at the studies and see if we can find anything beneficial.

Research Review

While the current literature doesn’t support collagen following exercise specifically for increasing the recovery of tendons/ligaments, how about pain relief?

Multiple studies have examined this and there’s positive news.