As the body’s most abundant protein, collagen plays a major role in your body, from supporting skin and hair, to repairing connective tissue, to promoting better sleep. However, due to collagen production naturally declining with age, it’s essential for your body to continue supplementing collagen throughout foods and external sources to maintain youthful skin, peak performance, and effective recovery.
In this blog, we’ll break down what collagen is, how it works in the body, and the benefits that have caused it to become such a popular supplement to daily wellness stacks. From performance, to skin and hair, to sleep support, we explore how collagen can positively affect your body, and recommend which top collagen supplements you should start with.
What is collagen and what is its role in the body?
Collagen is a protein that acts as a key structural component in your body’s connective tissues, supporting strength and elasticity in your skin, bones, ligaments, and even organs. From aiding wound healing to strengthening blood vessels, it has an integral part to play in keeping your body healthy, despite production declining with age. Making up 30% of your body’s protein content, collagen is the most abundant protein type in your body.
What are the benefits of collagen?
Scientific studies show collagen supplementation delivers diverse benefits, from enhancing performance and cognitive function to supporting skin, hair, nails, and sleep quality. Notably, it reduces nighttime awakenings and boosts next-day cognition, particularly in physically active people. This makes it a great supplement with many potential benefits for your general health and wellbeing.
Performance benefits
Collagen can aid performance through supporting connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones to reduce the risk of injury and improve recovery between training sessions. By delivering amino acids such as glycine and proline to your body, collagen supplements help stimulate collagen synthesis in your body during exercise, thereby leading to improved tissue repair and adaptation. Not only can it be used pre-workout, it can also be taken post-workout as a recovery boost.
Skin, hair, and nail benefits
Collagen has many anti-aging benefits, including improving skin hydration and elasticity, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, promoting hair growth, and strengthening nails. It can also help counteract the effects of sun exposure by supporting your skin’s extracellular matrix and fibroblast activity.
Moreover, according to a 2023 research study from the US National Library of Medicine, the long-term use of collagen yields more favourable effects on skin hydration and elasticity than the short-term use of collagen, encouraging daily and consistent collagen supplementation.
Collagen also provides amino acids for keratin production, which may help strengthen hair, reduce breakage, and slow down thinning. According to a 56-day clinical trial published on the Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology Journal in 2024, collagen supplementation reduces hair fall and improves texture.
Sleep benefits
Collagen is believed to assist with sleep and recovery, particularly due to its high concentration of the amino acid glycine. Glycine helps lower core body temperature, reduce nighttime awakenings, and increase serotonin production, which aids in producing melatonin and promotes deeper and restful sleep.
A 2024 study from the US National Library of Medicine found that collagen supplementation may help reduce sleep fragmentation and improve cognitive function in physically active individuals. While not cited to improve actual sleep quality, reducing the number of interruptions can promote better rest and still have positive effects on wellness.
Cognitive benefits
Collagen may also deliver cognitive benefits mainly as a result of improved sleep. The high glycine content in collagen has a calming effect on the brain and may help aid focus, memory, improve mental clarity, and reduce brain fog. You may feel these effects best after uninterrupted sleep.
Integrating collagen into your wellness routine
To reap the potential health benefits of collagen, you first need to make sure you’re consistent with taking supplements. This means taking it daily, at the same time, and matching the correct timing to your health goals (e.g. general health vs. sleep recovery). Below’s more detail on how to integrate collagen into your everyday wellness routine.
When to use collagen
For general wellbeing, it’s recommended to take collagen at any time daily. For better sleep and recovery, taking collagen 30 to 60 minutes before bed may help decrease wake-up interruptions. Having a simple yet effective routine is crucial to ensuring you stay consistent with your collagen supplementation so you can feel the potential benefits long-term.
How to use collagen
You can use collagen in a variety of different ways depending on the type of supplement you choose. How much you take will also vary, for example, 2.5g to 5g is usually recommended as a scoop in powder supplements, while one capsule or gummy can be taken as a daily dose instead. All supplements will have a ‘directions of use’ on the packaging so make sure you follow the instructions set out on your specific collagen supplement!
Other simple ways to use collagen include:
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Mixing collagen powder in coffees, smoothies, or any breakfast drink for an easy habit
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Taking with water 30 to 60 minutes before bed for potential sleep-related recovery benefits
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Supplementing before a workout to support joint and tendon health and prevent injuries
Top collagen supplements
Ready to start adding collagen to your daily supplements stack! Here’s a few of our top-selling collagen supplements that we’d recommend you start with. Whether you’re looking for a premium collagen powder, a HASTA-approved formula, or a convenient collagen capsule, we’ve got you covered.
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Emrald Labs Collagen+ |
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BSC Collagen Regenerate |
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R1 Collagen Peptide |
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GHK Collagen Peptide + Copper |
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Emrald Labs Collagen Protein Water |
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Collagen FAQs
Below we answer some of the most frequently asked questions on collagen supplements.
Does collagen help you sleep?
Yes, collagen in the form of hydrolysed collagen peptides may help improve sleep quality by reducing disruptions and calming the nervous system before bed. Due to being rich in the amino acid glycine, collagen supplements can help you sleep soundly while also feeling rested the next day.
What foods are high in collagen?
You can find collagen naturally in foods such as bone broth, chicken skin, salmon, egg whites, and gelatin. However, if you’re not ingesting these foods frequently and would still like a collagen boost, collagen supplements are the easy and convenient way to go.
Is there a downside to taking collagen?
All supplements may come with side effects and although uncommon, some collagen supplements may cause bloating and digestive issues like heartburn. Depending on the supplement, some may also leave a lingering aftertaste in the mouth.
Can you take collagen everyday?
Yes you can, however the duration and dosage may depend on your goals. Most people can safely absorb 1 to 1.5g of collagen daily, although supplementation for health benefits such as skin and sleep may require more. Always consult with a doctor before taking supplementation as part of your daily routine.
