Is Collagen a 2020 Craze?
You may have heard about the newcomer, protein supplement superstar collagen and now you may be wondering is this something you need to try? What’s all the craze about it? How does it compare to other protein powders, like whey and which one is better?
Similar to other supplements and foods in general, the answer is specific to you and your goals. And like most foods, variety may be the best fit for your health. Both are derived from different sources, serve different purposes and have slightly different amino acid profiles.
Let’s start with collagen – collagen or collagen peptides?
Collagen is composed of 3 chains to form a triple helix and comes from the bones, skin, and cartilage of animals or fish. It is tasteless, odorless and the easiest substance you may ever mix --making it very versatile. Collagen itself has no additives or preservatives and is completely dairy free – a bonus for those avoiding the inflammatory dairy food group and those lactose intolerant. Collagen makes up 90% of bone mass and 70% of your skin. There are different types of collagen – type I to type XXVIII– all of which are the major components of your nails, skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, gums, eyes, hair, teeth, and blood vessels with the top I-IV being the most studied.
-Type I – found in skin, tendons, corneas, 95% bone
-Type II – mostly in cartilage protecting your joints
-Type III – mainly in skin, blood vessels, aorta, 10% cartilage
-Type IV – primarily in skin and helps expedite wound healing
Collagen peptides are small bioactive peptides (a peptide is two or more amino acids, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins) created by breaking down the molecular bonds between individual collagen strands to peptides – also known as hydrolysis. The absorption rate of hydrolyzed collagen is approximately 90% and of the amino acids ingested from hydrolyzed collagen, you are primarily taking in glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and arginine. The glycine combines with cysteine to support production of your body’s most powerful antioxidant (think anti-aging when you read antioxidant) -- glutathione. Glycine also stimulates production of stomach acid leading to improved and proper digestion of all foods. The peptides are cold stable, more easily digestible than collagen and highly bioactive (think it will actively affect your health) form of collagen. I’m sure you’ve heard of bone broth (high in collagen) and its recommendation for gut healing – this is why. The arrival of these collagen peptides in your body also stimulates osteoblasts – you know those things responsible for building your bones! So you can see why collagen is recommend for repairing and rebuilding bones, tendons and joints! Collagen has been shown to be more 40% more satiating (keeps you fuller longer) than whey protein making it a preferred choice if you’re trying to manage your weight and appetite in addition to improving the appearance of your skin – from reducing fine lines and acne to improving elasticity and redness.
And then we have whey protein...concentrate and isolate. It’s been around the block for awhile, especially in the neighborhoods of body builders and fitness professionals. Whey protein comes from cow’s milk. It is a byproduct from the cheese making process and contains substantial amounts of the amino acids vital to carry out the many functions proteins have in your body. There are three main types – concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate. Of the three, whey is the most popular, least expensive and least processed. Produced by simple filtration and drying, whey protein contains 70-85% protein together with some carbohydrates in the form of lactose. It will provide the greatest health benefits should the bioactive products remain in their native, undenatured form. Whey protein concentrate undergoes further processing and purification to form isolate comprising 90% protein and very minimal amounts of fat and protein – making this the ideal choice among body builders. This additional processing tends to cause degradation (denaturing) of the biologically active protein to some extent. While this degradation affects its health benefits, it does not affect its muscle building properties. The manufacturing process eliminates most fat and lactose powder, making it tolerable for those with lactose intolerance. Lastly, whey hydrolysate is the most easily digested and absorbed of the three because it is pre-digested into its smaller peptide constituents. However, this predigestion and faster absorption is at the expense of the health encouraging properties of whey protein concentrate.
The biological components of whey including lactoferrin, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin glycomacropeptide, and immunoglobulins (you may be familiar with some of these as the same ingredients found in breast milk) have immune-enhancing properties. Plant sources of protein, like hemp, pea, rice and soy lack these immune boosting advantages that whey protein demonstrates.
Additionally, whey contains all 9 essential amino acids (essential meaning our body cannot manufacture them but must obtain them from their diet) making it a complete protein (like beef, poultry, fish) that is absorbed readily and also very bioactive. Because of this faster absorption rate than other proteins, it may increase muscle protein synthesis used to break a fasted state.
This leads us to the main difference between collagen and whey protein.
While whey contains all 9 essential amino acids, collagen only provides 8 of the 9. Furthermore, whey contains a higher level of your BCAA’s (branched chain amino acids) leucine, isoleucine and valine making it more ideal for building muscle.
So does this leave you crazy for collagen or wishing for whey? Still uncertain on which one is best for you?
No doubt there are numerous benefits for each …whey seems to have the upper hand in muscle building and immune enhancing ingredients where collagen holds the cards for improving skin, hair, bone/joints and recovery from injury. Unless you’re dairy free, there’s no reason why you can’t have both! In fact, variety is always the best choice when it comes to nutrition…why? Different vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc all work different when in synergy with others and that’s why it’s imperative to get them all in and to always rotate. If you don’t, you are setting yourself up for deficiencies!
If you’re like me and you avoid dairy, my personal recommendation is to choose collagen protein and supplement with an essential amino acid to ensure you are getting all essential amino acids to meet all your health and fitness goals!
Katie Nelson is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Registered Dietitian. Katie works with her clients in designing individualized nutrition & fitness programs to help you achieve optimal health, body composition & performance. She specialize in running specific, weight loss & optimal health/fitness in addition to nutrition for sports, preventative health, food allergies & body composition. Check out her Facebook page HERE.
