In most cases, taking supplements comes down to pre and post-exercise, but with collagen supplements, there might be a bit of twist to it. And this is something we often discuss with dietitians.
What do I mean?
Taking a collagen supplement could benefit everything from your skin elasticity to joints and spinal disks.
But there are better times to take it depending on what part of your body you want to target.
So we got together with a dietitian and nutritionist to find out a bit of the science behind it and let you know when should you take your collagens.
Is There Better Time Of Day To Take Collagen?
Yes, there are specific times of day that may work better to target the two main reasons for taking collagen.
For Health
The main health benefits of collagen are to help with joint health and repair as well as muscle building.
If you’ve had a particularly tough workout or workday, then the best time to take a collagen supplement might be in the evening.
Because collagen contains a lot of glycine [1], there is evidence that it may boost your body’s creatine production to help with muscle repair.
It may also help with sleep quality by prompting a better sleep cycle.
For Beauty
If you’re looking to give your skin some extra elasticity for a busy day, then the best time to take collagen would be with your morning coffee.
Making it part of your morning routine could provide your skin with important nutrients to remain healthy while being exposed to all the different environmental harms.
Something you might also consider is taking collagen peptide or one of the proven collagen powders in your morning coffee to combine a beauty and brain boost at the same time. Also, consider taking some vitamin C at the same time, as the two may work well to repair skin cells.
And if you want to maximize the benefits for your whole body, then consider taking a collagen protein supplement or a bone broth protein powder multiple times a day to spread out the amino acids for when they may be needed most.
Should You Take It On An Empty Stomach?
Yes, you should take collagen on an empty stomach. Your stomach takes a bit longer to break down and absorb proteins, so it is advised that you take your collagen without food [2].
The more stomach acid that is available to work on the collagen proteins, the faster you should be able to absorb it.
But, if you tend to have a sensitive stomach, then you may want to consider taking collagen peptides just before a meal.
Can You Take It With Other Supplements?
Yes, you can take collagen with other supplements, but you may want to be careful about protein overloading. Taking a large dose of collagen along with a post-workout protein shake could end up with your stomach acid struggling to keep up.
You can read more about this in a post named Whey protein vs collagen.
This could lead to stomach bloating and cramps in some cases, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.
Our advice would be to limit you collagen dose or spread it out over the day at first. Once your digestive system gets used to the collagen supplementation, then you should be fine to increase the dose.
Plan Your Intake
One thing our nutritionist said is that there really isn’t a bad time to be taking collagen powder or pills. Collagen can be taken at any time, but for maximum effect from a health and beauty perspective, spread out your dose between morning and evening.
Otherwise, work on the basis that the best time to take it for beauty effects is after you get up, and for joint health before you go to bed.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6153947/
- https://www.vitalproteins.com/blogs/stay-vital/when-should-i-take-collagen
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