Collagen: the protein “cement” holding our bodies together. At this point, we’ve all heard about it. Supplementing with collagen has been trending hard the past few years, and it’s only increasing in popularity. So what’s all the hype, and is it really helpful? Read on for 4 big ways adding collagen to your diet can impact your health, recovery, and performance.
HAIR, SKIN AND NAIL HEALTH: The cool and unique thing about collagen protein versus your standard whey or casein protein is the difference in its molecular structure and composition of amino acids. While collagen alone is not a complete protein (it doesn’t have all the amino acids your body needs), some studies indicate that due to its structure your body may send the collagen out for your hair, skin and nails to use before the overflow spreads to the rest of your muscles. Collagen is also the foundation of all skin elasticity and our production decreases as we age. Supplementing helps keep our skin… supple. Not only that, but it also protects our skin by preventing absorption of toxins, pathogenic substances and cancerous cells. Of course, it’s still being studied, but we’re hopeful.
JOINT SUPPORT AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE HEALTH: Collagen has anti-inflammatory properties that are very helpful for mitigating joint pain and maintaining connective tissue health. All your bones, ligaments and tendons are made up of protein. Collagen supports these connective tissues and keeps them healthy and happy so you can keep moving without pain. Your connective tissues hold your skeleton together. They deserve a little R&R.
WORKOUT RECOVERY: Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, collagen is extremely conducive to recovery from your workouts. Not only does it give some TLC to those joints, ligaments and tendons that you may otherwise neglect in your recovery routine, but studies also indicate it may reduce muscle soreness overall so you can get back to it faster (not that you’d have waited anyway).
ORGAN & DIGESTIVE HEALTH: When you eat collagen protein, it works to improve your stomach lining and intestinal health. It keeps everything nice and tight so your digestion functions properly. If you’ve ever heard of (or had) a condition called “leaky gut” where larger food particles seep through your stomach lining, that’s exactly what collagen helps prevent or improve. Collagen protein is also part of all your smooth muscle tissues, including your heart, kidneys, and bladder. It’s holding everything together for you so you can keep your act together.
Whether or not you’re super active, collagen is an important protein to include in your daily diet. While it does naturally occur in bone broths and gelatin, it can be challenging to incorporate consistently. A collagen supplement helps, but make sure you choose a high quality, hydrolyzed collagen and that you’re actually ingesting it. You have to eat it for it to actually work! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at info@caffeineandkilos.com. Keep moving, Team CK.