The Science Behind Collagen Protein Powders: How They Work

A healthy body is all the craze, and right now, collagen protein powders are gaining traction in both the fitness and beauty industries. Beauty-wise, we know collagen for our skin’s elasticity, but did you know? It’s also the most abundant protein in your body. Speaking of protein, we need this substance for overall body regulation and to help us repair cells, which is even more crucial as we start to grow older. For today’s article, we’ll talk about how collagen protein powders work and if you should try adopting them in your diet too.

What are collagen protein powders, and what are they made of?
Collagen protein powders are dietary supplements taken to increase muscle mass, improve skin conditions, prevent bone loss, and alleviate joint pain. It’s made from animal sources like marine collagen or even bovine, but there are certain brands that offer a vegan alternative. Collagen is easily absorbed by the body, but collagen protein powder is even easier to absorb because it has already been broken down into smaller peptides through the process of hydrolyzation, which is why it comes in its powdered form, which is easily mixed with our foods and beverages.

At the moment, there are many different types of collagen out there, but if you’re on the lookout for the best collagen protein powder in Australia, then marine collagen and bovine collagen are a popular choice.

What are the uses of collagen?
Collagen has many uses; if you ask the fitness gurus, they would suggest you take it to build more muscle since it’s crucial to build your muscles, which is ideal for weight management. When you consume it, the body further breaks it down into amino acids, which are absorbed into your bloodstream and distributed across your body. So far, there’s still an ongoing study of what collagen can do and the benefits it offers, but once broken down into amino acids, these are some of the things it can do:

Support tissue repair. Exercises cause a lot of burden and strain on our muscles and tissues, regardless if we’re doing lightweight or intense ones. With that said, consuming collagen helps support tissue repair, which is also ideal for older people.
Stimulate collagen synthesis. Despite being the most abundant protein in our bodies, we still need it to continuously perform body functions. Taking collagen supplements provides our bodies with building blocks to help produce more collagen.
Support joint health. As mentioned before, there’s a lot of strain we put on our bodies and even more so on our joints. As we grow older, they become stiffer and less flexible, but adding collagen protein powders to the foods and drinks we consume helps relieve joint pain and improve function.
Improve skin health and conditions. Collagen is an integral part of the skin structure; apart from reducing wrinkles and improving skin elasticity, it also promotes wound healing.

Are there any benefits to using collagen protein powders?
We don’t know the full extent of the benefits of collagen protein powders since research is ongoing, but what we know is that it looks promising. The aforementioned are just a few of its popular benefits, but right now, researchers are looking into the long-term effects of collagen protein powders and what the optimal dosage is per individual to reap its maximum benefits.