Sports Medicine Expert Answers Your Frequently Asked Questions About Collagen Supplements
Collagen supplements have become increasingly popular for everything from healthier skin to stronger joints, but do they actually live up to the hype? For athletes and active individuals dealing with tendon pain, ligament injuries or joint discomfort, collagen may play a supportive role when combined with the right rehabilitation program.
Hoag Orthopedic Institute non-operative sports medicine physician Adam Rivadeneyra, MD, explains when he recommends collagen supplements, how they differ from traditional protein powders, what to look for when choosing a product and why they should be viewed as one piece of a comprehensive recovery plan, not a quick fix.
Q: As a sports medicine physician, how often do you recommend patients take collagen supplements?
A: I recommend them as a daily supplement for patients with soft tissue pain like tendinitis, ligament sprains or joint pain. I often recommend them for pain relief and tissue elasticity.
Q: How can collagen support sports medicine patients?
A: Some of the better human trials on collagen peptides show improved collagen synthesis and reported pain reduction in patients with chronic tendon problems. It's always best to treat tendon pain with proper loading exercises (like specific isometric or eccentric-loading protocols, depending on symptoms). If I recommend collagen peptides, it's almost always alongside a rehab program, activity modification and with a long-term plan for treatment progression.
Q: How do collagen supplements compare to protein supplements? To what extent can they be used interchangeably?
A: Collagen is an incomplete protein. It's not particularly efficient for building or repairing skeletal muscle compared to whey, casein or soy protein, which have a more complete amino acid profile. Where collagen has an edge is connective tissue: tendons, ligaments, skin and cartilage. If your goal is to support tendons, ligaments or skin, collagen has a more specific role. Most patients should consider both as part of a plan to build strength and reduce injury.
Q: Without getting too scientific, how does collagen work in the body to support skin, bones, muscles and ligaments?
A: Collagen is one of many "connective tissues" in the body, and there are many types of collagens. It serves largely like a supportive scaffold that helps to connect joints, muscles and bones together.
Soft tissue pain is typically an "improper use" problem rather than a true "overuse" problem that leads to pain and injury. Joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments feel and function the best when they are used frequently and properly, while allowing for proper recovery. As we age, or when we don't move properly and get injured, our body's natural collagen production slows down and doesn't function properly. Supplementing with collagen peptides might help.
When you consume collagen, your gut breaks it into small fragments, some of which get absorbed into your bloodstream. Once there, some research suggests these peptides send signals to your cells telling them to "make more collagen." Combine that with exercise (which also signals those same cells in a much more dramatic way) and vitamin C (which is required to build new collagen), and you might get a modest boost to your body's natural repair process. It's not instant and it's not dramatic, it's a "gradual reinforcement" rather than "quick fix."
Q: Are there any risks to taking collagen supplements?
A: The risks are mostly in terms of bad information or wrong expectations. Supplements are very poorly regulated and monitored. Always look for NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, USP Verified labels or seals on the packaging, which verifies the product actually contains what is on the label.
Q: What ingredients should people look for on a collagen supplement? What should they avoid?
A: Look for "hydrolyzed collagen" or "collagen peptides" which means it's absorbable.
The label should tell you the collagen type (Type I/III = skin, tendon, ligament; Type II = cartilage/joints). If a label won't even say what type it is, that's a red flag.
Look for a specific gram amount of collagen. Most benefit-showing studies use somewhere between 2.5–15 grams a day.
Check for a description of the source. Typical sources include beef, chicken and seafood.
Q: What about whole food sources of collagen?
A: Your body can make its own collagen with the right food choices. Animal connective tissues, such as pork skin, chicken skin and gelatin or bone broth contain the highest natural concentrations of collagen. Other good sources include organ meat, along with fish bones, ligaments and scales. It is important, however, to note that many of these foods are also high in saturated fat, so, like anything, moderation is key. Adding a supplement can be more practical than preparing many of these ingredients.
About the Author:
Adam Rivadeneyra, MD is a non-operative sports medicine doctor affiliated with Hoag orthopedic institute. Visit his bio for more information.
