This Is How Long It Takes To Improve Muscle Mass When Taking Collagen

2 weeks ago

mbg Assistant Beauty Editor

By Hannah Frye

mbg Assistant Beauty Editor

Hannah Frye is nan Assistant Beauty Editor astatine mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. successful publicity and a insignificant successful women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written crossed manner sections including health, wellness, sustainability, individual development, and more.

Image by Jacob Lund / iStock

May 23, 2023

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When discussing collagen supplements, overmuch of nan attraction is geared toward their beauty benefits—you know, skin elasticity and smoothness1, strong hair and nails2, and enhanced hydration3.* While these are astonishing benefits of collagen, they're not nan only advantages to starting a regular collagen routine. Let's not forget: Collagen is not only a beauty supplement but besides a awesome workout aid.*

You're astir apt thinking, How successful nan world does collagen thief amended musculus mass?* Quickly followed by, How agelong does it return to work? (That 2nd mobility is beautiful communal erstwhile you commencement taking a caller supplement of immoderate kind.) But don't worry; we person you covered. Let's get into it.

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How agelong does it return to spot musculus growth?

Let's first talk really collagen affects your muscles. Collagen is technically not a complete macromolecule because it's missing tryptophan, 1 of nan 9 basal amino acids. Still, it delivers adjacent to 20 unsocial amino acids and tin support musculus mass, peculiarly erstwhile mixed pinch exercise.* (Collagen makes up 1 to 10% of muscles, successful fact!)

In 1 mini objective study, men who took collagen regular while participating successful an workout programme gained much musculus mass4 than those who only did nan workout program.*

Now, really agelong does it return to spot these results? Well, nan circumstantial clip framework for muscles varies, depending connected nan intended consequence studied. For enhanced musculus wide from collagen macromolecule (peptides and amino acids), investigation points to astir 3 months erstwhile mixed pinch guidance training.*

For example, 1 study that focused connected perimenopausal women recovered that nan participants knowledgeable a affirmative effect connected body creation and location musculus strength5; different study conducted successful older men besides observed benefits for their body creation and musculus mass6; finally, investigation successful recreationally progressive big men finds that collagen supplementation supports body composition7 arsenic good arsenic skeletal muscle8—all of these benefits fell wrong a three-month period.*

Beyond each of that, collagen supplements person besides been shown to amended betterment times—and this happens astatine a overmuch faster complaint than nan effect connected musculus wide and strength.* In fact, for a emblematic level of musculus soreness aft strenuous exercise, 1 study recovered that you whitethorn spot benefits by time two9.*

Let's repetition that: You whitethorn commencement experiencing improved betterment clip two days aft starting supplementation.*

Check retired our full guideline here to spot really agelong it takes for collagen to activity for muscles, skin, associated health, and more.*

What to look for successful a collagen supplement

Now that we've covered nan benefits, let's talk what benignant of supplement you should put successful and why.

First up: While you're browsing, ever look for hydrolyzed collagen peptides. "Collagen is simply a analyzable macromolecule made of 3 chains of amino acids, whereas hydrolyzed collagen is collagen that is surgery down into mini macromolecule chains, called collagen peptides, that are made of a fewer amino acids," Nour Zibdeh, M.S., RDN, CLT, antecedently explained to mbg.

See, collagen by itself is excessively ample of a compound to beryllium absorbed by nan body. But erstwhile surgery down into peptides, your assemblage is capable to easy digest and utilize it.* "Hydrolyzed collagen is predigested, truthful it does not spell done that first-pass digestion successful nan GI tract," board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., antecedently told mbg. "The collagen fragments tin beryllium absorbed arsenic is and move passim nan assemblage to exert their effects."*

Of course, pinch immoderate supplement, you person to beryllium judge you're taking nan correct dosage, arsenic you can't expect results if you don't ingest nan due magnitude for nan use you're after. If supporting muscular wellness is your main priority, studies show that 15 to 20 grams per time tin thief muscle mass6, muscle strength5, and soreness aft exercise9.*

If you're willing successful leveraging nan full-body benefits of collagen overall, research points to a 10- to 20-gram-per-day range.* No matter what, though, make judge your supplement contains a dosage rooted successful science, is grass-fed and pasture-raised, and features a clean, minimal excipient list. (Plus, make judge you spot vitamin C location successful nan lineup, arsenic nan antioxidant is simply a captious portion of nan collagen accumulation process.)*

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The takeaway

Collagen tin thief amended musculus mass—if this is news to you, you're not alone.* While collagen's beauty benefits person astir of nan hype (to beryllium fair, they're beautiful spectacular), we shouldn't disregard nan different ways collagen tin support your whole-body health.* Just remember: Combine your collagen supplement pinch resistance training for astatine slightest 3 months to support an betterment successful musculus mass, and ever look for high-quality hydrolyzed collagen peptides.*

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, aliases taking medications, consult pinch your expert earlier starting a supplement routine. It is ever optimal to consult pinch a wellness attraction supplier erstwhile considering what supplements are correct for you.

Source Lifestyle