Quote: (04-15-2018 05:27 PM)SteezeySteve Wrote:
Collagen is one of those things that sounds good on paper but I have to chop it up to being placebo. beef Collagen is a type of protein. Protein gets broken down into individual amino acids. That just makes it an expensive source of amino acids. Your body does not absorb the whole collagen molecule.
You're correct in that collagen is simply a particular assortment of amino acids. However, not all amino acids are the same and you're probably not getting enough of those found in collagen:
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Collagen is comprised of 4 amino acids: glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and arginine. When the collagen protein is digested, these are the individual elements left over for uptake. But in order to produce collagen within the body, we need to have good levels of glycine, proline and lysine, along with a decent amount of vitamin C as a cofactor.
Of these three, lycine is an essential amino acid, meaning the body is unable to produce it intrinsically—it must be obtained from protein-rich foods like meat, fish, dairy and legumes. Glycine and proline, on the other hand, are considered “conditional” amino acids: the body can produce them to a small extent, but most people argue that this isn’t near enough for our daily collagen needs.
Quote: (04-15-2018 05:27 PM)SteezeySteve Wrote:
There is a reason the majority of collagen supplements are marketed for skin care/women and its never been pimped out to hard for putting on muscle or recovery.
Collagen molecules are larger than our skin pores, which is why topical supplements provide little benefit. From the same article above:
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As we age so, too, do the mechanisms behind collagen synthesis within the body. This means a steady decline in epidermal collagen—that same compound that makes up (or used to) 80% of the protein in your skin. And with falling collagen levels, one can expect to see a loss of smoothness, firmness and buoyancy in their skin.
Happily, several of the amino acid precursors to collagen synthesis in the body can be supplied via consumables—in particular hydrolyzed collagen (aka collagen peptides) and gelatin. A 2014 study, for example, demonstrated a 20% reduction in eye wrinkles from just 8 weeks of collagen peptide supplementation, with the anti-wrinkle effects extending at least a month after supplementation was discontinued.
Another study using a different hydrolyzed collagen formulation found that daily collagen supplementation over the course of 12 weeks led to a 76% reduction in skin dryness and a 13% reduction in wrinkles. Researchers were also able to show a notable increase in collagen within the skin dermis from the supplementation—a sure sign that the collagen is being distributed where we need it most.
Numerous posters here, including myself, have seen immediate and dramatic improvement in post-workout soreness, joint health, and injury recovery from as little as 20g of collagen per day.
I'm not saying it's a panacea, but you can get a pound of high-quality collagen for less than $20 and at 20g/day that'll last you about three weeks. No reason not to give it a try.