Everything You Need to Know About Collagen
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In the past few years, collagen has become a go-to supplement. In this article, we’ll explore what it is, why you can benefit from taking it, and how to use it optimally to support performance and recovery.
Collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body, providing structural integrity for ligaments, tendons, and cartilage through its strength and resistance to stretching. It’s also abundant in bones, muscles, and skin. Collagen is a key component of the extracellular matrix, a structural and biochemical support network for surrounding cells. While there are 28 kinds of collagen, these three comprise 80 to 90% of collagen in the body:
- Type I: Skin, tendons, bones, ligaments, teeth, and interstitial tissues
- Type II: Cartilage, vitreous humor (part of the eyes)
- Type III: Skin, muscles, blood vessels
Momentous Collagen combines bovine collagen, vitamin C, and FORTIGEL® to deliver 16.8 grams of collagen peptides that support type I, II, and III collagen synthesis in the body.
Sourcing Collagen from Diet and Supplements
Collagen comes from three main dietary sources: bovine, marine, and poultry. Bovine collagen from beef bone broth elevates the availability of collagen types I and III, which can reduce age-related bone loss, improve the tissue quality of tendons and ligaments, and relieve arthritis, according to collagen researcher Sylvie Ricard-Blum . Poultry and marine collagen elevate the availability of type II collagen, which is used to treat pain resulting from surgery, chronic neck and back complaints, and post-injury soreness related to cartilage damage.
Sometimes you can’t get adequate collagen from your diet and the sources listed above don’t supply all three types, which is where supplementation comes in. Your body’s collagen production peaks when you’re young, but then starts to slowly decline between your mid-20s and early 30s. A study published in The British Journal of Dermatology found that you can lose up to one percent of your collagen each year after this point. As the quality and amount of collagen decreases, your joint cartilage begins to break down, your bones become more brittle, and muscle performance decreases, affecting mobility and strength.
Supplementation mitigates these effects. Taking a serving of premium collagen daily can prompt your body to synthesize new collagen fibers, improving tissue health and function. Created from clinical research-backed ingredients, Momentous Collagen Peptides combines the highest quality bovine collagen and vitamin C with FORTIGEL®, which contains a hydrolyzed form of collagen broken down into smaller peptides. These are more readily absorbed by your body to stimulate collagen synthesis. And as Momentous Collagen Peptides meets the rigorous, third-party standards of Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport® testing, you have peace of mind that you’re taking a pure, safe, and efficacious collagen supplement free of contaminants and banned substances.
Timing Collagen Intake and Combining It with Vitamin C
The authors of a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated whether taking gelatin and vitamin C before exercise could increase collagen production. They concluded that participants’ collagen synthesis peaked 60 minutes after they took the supplement. So on training days, the best time to take collagen is an hour before your session.
When formulating Momentous Collagen Peptides, we added vitamin C because it is a cofactor required for the creation of all three main collagen types. A review released via the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine found that vitamin C helped stabilize collagen proteins and increase their availability, prompting the synthesis of more collagen. This study also stated that vitamin C helps bone fractures heal and reduces oxidative stress. Each serving of Momentous Collagen contains a clinically effective dose of 50 milligrams of vitamin C.
The Truth About Collagen and Caffeine
Collagen coffee has become a trend, perhaps because some people believe that dissolving collagen peptides in warm liquid might make them more readily absorbable. However, premium supplements like Momentous Collagen are already easy for your body to utilize. Plus, research suggests that caffeinated drinks negatively impact collagen production. A team of Polish researchers found that caffeine reduces collagen synthesis in human cultured skin, an International Wound Journal study showed it impairs wound healing, and a Journal of Anatomy paper discovered it interferes with cartilage growth.
The takeaway? Don’t put collagen in coffee or tea. And on training and rest days, it’s ideal to wait two or three hours after consuming caffeine to take your Momentous Collagen supplement. That being said, you can still choose what temperature of liquid to mix collagen into, as warm drinks are not hot enough to destroy collagen peptides. Just avoid stirring them into caffeinated beverages.
Collagen Supplementation for Athletes
About 40% of sports injuries involve damage to musculoskeletal tissues, and half of these require time off that impacts training and competition. In explosive sports, 45% of elite athletes experience patellar tendon pain at some point, while Achilles tendon issues affect 55% of runners. Power and endurance sports take a toll on athletes, and research shows that supplementing with collagen to support muscle and connective tissue can improve performance and recovery.
Combining supplementation with movement delivers collagen where it’s needed in the body by increasing blood flow to joints and connective tissues. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition trial mentioned earlier concluded that taking 15 grams of vitamin C-enriched gelatin an hour before training doubled the amount of collagen peptides in the blood. Some of the same researchers discovered that collagen supplementation improved the rate of force production in the squat and countermovement jump alongside heavy strength training. Another study found collagen increased body mass, fat-free mass, and muscle strength after 12 weeks of resistance training.
Clearly, collagen is an essential supplement, particularly for the aging athlete. It can strengthen your connective tissues, reduce the risk of injury, and help you bounce back faster if you get hurt. Consistent collagen supplementation also aids in muscle recovery, improves joint health and mobility, and supports soft tissue development.
To discover the Momentous Collagen difference, click here .
Phil White
Phil White is an Emmy-nominated writer and the author of The Leader's Mind with Jim Afremow, Unplugged with Andy Galpin and Brian Mackenzie, Waterman 2.0 with Kelly Starrett, and Game Changer with Fergus Connolly. He also co-hosts The Basketball Strong Podcast with former Lakers strength coach Tim DiFrancesco and is a frequent contributor to TrainingPeaks.
