Collagen for Athletes: What It Is, How Much and When to Take It

TL;DR: Collagen for athletes is a daily habit, not a pre-race trick: researchers typically use 10 to 15 g of collagen peptides or gelatin a day, often with vitamin C, taken around 30 to 60 minutes before training. Look for plain hydrolysed collagen peptides with the dose per serve on the label, and judge it on 8 to 12 weeks of daily use. Our Hydrolysed Collagen Peptides are 10 g per serve.

Collagen has gone from beauty aisle to kit bag.

Runners, cyclists, grapplers and rowers are all asking the same thing.

Is it worth taking, and if so, how?

What collagen is

Collagen is the main structural protein in tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone and skin.

Collagen supplements are made from animal hides, bones or fish skin, broken down into small peptides so they dissolve in water. That is what "hydrolysed" means.

Your action: on any tub, look for "hydrolysed collagen peptides" and a dose per serve.

What the research on collagen for athletes looks at

A 2017 study by Shaw and colleagues gave athletes gelatin with vitamin C before short bouts of skipping and measured higher markers of collagen production than placebo.

The Australian Institute of Sport places collagen support in Group B of its Sports Supplement Framework: promising, and deserving of further research.

That is an honest summary. Interesting, practical, still being studied.

Your action: treat collagen as part of a routine that includes strength work, not a replacement for it.

How much collagen, and when

• Amount: studies typically use 10 to 15 g a day.
• Timing: many protocols use 30 to 60 minutes before a session.
• Vitamin C: often taken alongside, because collagen formation depends on it.
• Consistency: daily, including rest days.

Your action: put your collagen next to the kettle and make it part of your pre-training coffee.

Collagen supplements for athletes: what to check

• One ingredient, or a clear list with doses.
• The source: bovine, marine or porcine.
• Grams of collagen per serve, not just per tub.
• No added sugar if you take it every day.

Our hydrolysed collagen peptides are one ingredient: bovine collagen peptides, 10 g per serve (one heaped tablespoon), 9 g of protein, 30 serves a tub. Collagen is a key structural protein found in skin, joints and connective tissue. This unflavoured, easily soluble powder is designed for daily use as part of a balanced diet.

Your action: compare cost per 10 g serve, not price per tub.

Collagen for older athletes

From the mid-thirties, connective tissue adapts more slowly and recovers more slowly.

For masters athletes that makes the daily habit more relevant, not less. Pair it with heavy-ish strength work, which loads tendons in a way endurance training does not.

If you want collagen together with glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM in one scoop, Complete Joint Care is our formula. Each 5 g serve provides 40 mg of vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal structure of cartilage and bones. It also provides zinc, which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

More on that route in joint supplements for athletes, and the full list in supplements for masters athletes.

Your action: choose plain collagen or a joint formula. You do not need both.

Is collagen a protein source?

Partly. It counts toward total protein, but it is low in leucine, the amino acid that matters most for building muscle. Do not count collagen as one of your main protein meals. See protein for older athletes.

Your action: keep collagen as an extra, on top of real protein meals.

If you are on medication, carrying an injury or have a medical condition, speak with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.

Grant Jenkins is an ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist and high-performance athletic development coach with almost 30 years of coaching behind him, including national academy and professional athletes. He is a co-founder of Propel Health Australia.

References

1. Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, Wang B, Baar K. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):136-143.
2. Australian Institute of Sport. Sports Supplement Framework, Group B: collagen support.