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Hello and welcome to 3 Scoops of Broscience #2, the information based on 30 years of expertise, and a little (a lot) of scientific studies.
Today, we're talking about collagen.
Tell me its story
You must have heard about collagen lately! It even made it onto TF1! It's THE most popular supplement right now. To give you an idea, there are collagen cafes and bars popping up.
But the trend isn't new!
How far back does the use of collagen go?
It seems that 10 centuries ago, an abbess physician used animal tissues to relieve joint pain. Big shout-out to Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
But let's go back to the last century. Initially, gelatin was used in the food industry. It wasn't until the 1950s that gelatin hydrolysis appeared, giving rise to the famous collagen you know.
🤓 To put it simply, hydrolysis is the chemical breakdown of a substance by water. And all of this was still for industrial needs, more specifically for meat.
Pompelup! In the 1970s, liquid collagen was all the rage for… wait for it… losing weight!!! I hope at least it tasted good… This trend ended a bit tragically, but that might be a story for another time.
And as always, trends always come back. It's not so bad after all, collagen is the future (just to flex, we didn't wait for the trend to sell it, it's been more than 10 years now)!
But what exactly is it?
Collagen is a structural protein in the body. And for your information, it's not THE most abundant protein found: albumin holds the top spot. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most important!
It makes up, for example, our joints, tendons, ligaments, hair, skin, and many more. Indeed, there are pleeeeenty of types of collagen. Today, almost 30 are identified! But only the first few are particularly interesting to us.
Collagen is composed of amino acids, like all proteins. However, it's important to understand that collagen is not a protein for muscles.
Indeed, its amino acids are mainly composed of glycine, hydroxyproline, and hydroxylysine. They are poor in BCAAs, which are what make muscles grow. This explains that 😏.
Collagen as a dietary supplement
If there's one supplement that diet hardly provides anymore, it's collagen. I see you removing that little piece of fat from your chicken 🍗.
In truth, our ancestors consumed a lot of it! Cro-Magnon men feasted on it: they left almost nothing of the carcass.
And no need to go back that far in time, our grandparents and great-grandparents enjoyed tripe and offal. Gone are also grandpa and grandma's bone broths in the evening before bed. Although that's not so bad, bones can release toxins that are not good for the body.
So to remedy this, I advise you, it's just advice, to supplement with collagen. Especially since we know that from the age of 15 (yes, that's early), collagen synthesis in our body begins to decrease, and it accelerates as we age. If you're also an athlete, you meet all the criteria. If you're old and an athlete, I won't even tell you 🧟…
Anyway, I'm rambling on to the next section.
What does it do?
Concretely, what does it do?
As you've probably gathered, as a structural protein that makes up joints, tendons, and ligaments, collagen strengthens them. It even plays a role in cartilage regeneration.
What about injuries?
To think that collagen 100% cures tendinitis or osteoarthritis is false. However, it can alleviate certain joint and tendon pains, especially osteoarthritis.
The ideal, of course, is to act preventively before the problem arises, and therefore to supplement before an injury (and warm up properly). (and stop ego lifting). (and stop rounded back). So, collagen won't re-cross your cruciate ligaments and restart your sports career, but it is very useful for prevention and to relieve certain pains.
What about skin?
Collagen improves your skin quality and reduces imperfections. It helps make it radiant and firm while maintaining its suppleness.
"Apparently," I say "apparently," 👶 Benjamin Button regularly supplemented with collagen.
It also strengthens nails and makes them more solid.
What about hair?
It promotes hair growth and makes it stronger. Your hair will be beautiful!
"Apparently," I say "apparently," Rapunzel… never mind.
🤔 Which one to choose?
There are different sources of collagen. The most well-known are bovine and marine, both with distinct objectives. Bovine is better suited for people who want to act on their joints, tendons, and ligaments. While marine is better suited for people who want to act on their skin, nails, and hair.
If you're hesitating between all types and origins, we've created a comparator especially for you, so you have no more excuses! It's right here!
Daltons also need to be considered!
What's a dalton? Should I really make the joke or not?
No, more seriously, it's not just a nasty comic book character. It's also a unit of measurement. What you need to remember is that the lower they are, the more effective your body's absorption of collagen will be.
And what about quality in all this? It obviously plays an important role in choosing your collagen. Rousselot is a French manufacturer of gelatin and collagen, which produces Peptan® labeled collagen in Angoulême. It guarantees unrivaled purity and makes it one of the best collagens on the market.
💧 How to take it?
For prevention, 5 to 10 grams per day will suffice. If you have pathologies or certain injuries, the dose will increase accordingly.
Let's be honest, it can have a peculiar taste. It depends on each person's perception, but also on the batch you get (and yes, some cattle or fish smell more than others, it's the same with animals)! And at the same time, it's hydrolyzed collagen, so pre-digested, so "pre-chewed," so you get the idea.
My little tip is to put it in your protein shaker; usually, it goes down easily.
At a push, but really at a push, if it still doesn't go down, you can put it in your coffee or tea. Personally, I don't recommend it too much, as heat can degrade the amino acids in collagen.
Some people also complain about the smells; for that, I don't really have any solutions…
🔂 What other supplement can I take it with?
Want a bodybuilder collagen 💪? Add glycine, proline, and lysine. These are the three most important amino acids in collagen. They will strengthen its actions.
You know BCAAs? No? Too bad, but basically it's kind of the same principle.
Want Optimized collagen 🍒? Take it with OptiMSM; it will reduce inflammation and counteract pain. It's like the cherry on top.
Want spicy collagen 🌶️? Add a little curcumin; with its anti-inflammatory properties, it could reduce pain related to osteoarthritis.
Want sublimated collagen ✨? Mixing it with keratin is a good idea. Your skin, nails, and hair will thank you.
Other supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin also have beneficial effects for joints.
The little secret touch is to add vitamin C. It improves collagen synthesis, all beneficial!
⌛ When to take it?
Preferably during a meal and spread throughout the day.
If you take collagen in the morning, it's important to take it with a protein source because when you wake up, a good portion of the protein consumed, whether it's collagen or whey, will go to nourish your digestive system (it's hungry too). So it's preferable to use collagen wisely and not give everything to the digestive system.
🎯 Can I take it?
It's almost essential if you're an athlete (and getting older)!
Whether you want to prevent potential injuries, improve your recovery, have beautiful skin, beautiful hair, reduce joint and tendon pain (yes, some people want all that), then collagen is for you!
Studies that revolutionized collagen
More and more people are highlighting the ineffectiveness of collagen, claiming that no studies prove its effects. Obviously, the more a supplement is exposed, the more detractors it will have.
The argument put forward is that once it passes the intestinal barrier, collagen is used like any other protein. But what should we make of this?
💬 We just have to ask Fabricio:
“Collagen peptide is impeccable for anyone with pain. It's not a miracle product, but it relieves.”
💬 Or Anonymous:
“After 2 months of daily intake, I gained joint comfort and mobility flexibility.”
💬 And even Cédric:
“On a colleague's advice, I've been taking it for about 3 weeks for elbow pain and it has improved significantly. Hopefully, it lasts.”
So studies are good, but facts are better! I didn't have to look far in the customer reviews, you can check (well, except for the last one).
But you want studies? There are very recent ones demonstrating its effectiveness.
A 2023 study demonstrates that collagen significantly reduced knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. (1)
Another 2023 study demonstrates that collagen improves skin hydration and elasticity. (2)
What better than customer testimonials and studies to demonstrate the effects of collagen?
!
Bibliography
- Hye Jun Lee, Do un Kim, Choon Ok Kim, The efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight collagen peptides for joint pain in patients with osteoarthritis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 109, 2023, 105792, ISSN 1756-4646,
- Pu SY, Huang YL, Pu CM, Kang YN, Hoang KD, Chen KH, Chen C. Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 26;15(9):2080. doi: 10.3390/nu15092080. PMID: 37432180; PMCID: PMC10180699.
Other interesting scientific studies:
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.
Kumar S, Sugihara F, Suzuki K, Inoue N, Venkateswarathirukumara S. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, clinical study on the effectiveness of collagen peptide on osteoarthritis. J Sci Food Agric. 2015 Mar 15;95(4):702-7. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6752. Epub 2014 Jun 24. PMID: 24852756.
Schunck M, Oesser S. Specific collagen peptides benefit the biosynthesis of matrix molecules of tendons and ligaments. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Dec 6;10(Suppl 1):P23. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-S1-P23. PMCID: PMC4045593.
Jerger S, Centner C, Lauber B, Seynnes O, Friedrich T, Lolli D, Gollhofer A, König D. Specific collagen peptides increase adaptions of patellar tendon morphology following 14-weeks of high-load resistance training: A randomized-controlled trial. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Dec;23(12):2329-2339. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2023.2232758. Epub 2023 Aug 4. PMID: 37424319.
Bianchi FM, Angelinetta C, Rizzi G, Praticò A, Villa R. Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Hydrolyzed Collagen Supplement for Improving Skin Moisturization, Smoothness, and Wrinkles. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2022 Mar;15(3):48-52. PMID: 35342502; PMCID: PMC8944283.
Wauquier F, Boutin-Wittrant L, Bouvret E, Le Faouder J, Roux V, Macian N, Pickering G, Wittrant Y. Benefits of Circulating Human Metabolites from Fish Cartilage Hydrolysate on Primary Human Dermal Fibroblasts, an Ex Vivo Clinical Investigation for Skin Health Applications. Nutrients. 2022 Nov 25;14(23):5027. doi: 10.3390/nu14235027. PMID: 36501057; PMCID: PMC9737122.
