The best collagen supplements to keep you young
Collagen, you have probably heard of it before, but do you know what it actually does and how beneficial it can be? Many times, people skip out on this option when the time comes to purchase some new supplements. They’re quick to purchase other supplements like protein powder and creatine, and won’t ever forget a good pre-workout, but when it comes to purchasing a collagen supplement, many times it isn’t even a thought.
However, this peptide provides a lot more benefits than you may think and when paired with a solid stack of other supplements, hitting your goals can become much easier. But which of these supplements are even worth purchasing and using? There are so many of them on the market and choosing one can be hard, but lucky for you we have compiled a list of the best collagen supplements for 2024
Best Collagen Supplements for 2024
- Best Collagen Supplement Overall: Nutricost Collagen
- Best Collagen Supplement for Bodybuilding: Swolverine Collagen Protein
- Best Collagen Supplement for Digestion: Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate
- Best Collagen Supplement for Women: Cira Glow Getter
What is Collagen?
Collagen is actually the most abundant protein in the body. It functions as one of the major building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, it is vital for your overall physical health and performance, especially for athletes who constantly put their bodies through repeated wear and tear.
The body contains 16 different types of collagen and each one performs its own unique function, but as a whole, this protein makes up the structure of those bones, skin, and tendons, is found in cartilage to cushion joints, and supports the structure of muscles, organs, and arteries. As an essential protein in the body, it would be a huge disservice to neglect the importance of collagen, especially if you are into weight training or any other form of strenuous physical activity.
So what are the best options for these supplements?
Best Collagen Supplement Overall
The best overall collagen supplement would include quality ingredients to yield good results, all while not breaking the bank.
Nutricost Collagen Hydrolysate
Nutricost Collagen is a great option for a supplement, as hydrolyzed collagen supplementation has been found to deliver bio-active peptides to the skin and connective tissues. Over time, consistent hydrolyzed collagen supplementation can even deliver visible reductions in skin wrinkles and sagging. Recent evidence exists suggesting hydrolyzed collagen may also aid in recovery for athletes, bone structure, and joint health. However, these effects are not nearly as pronounced and supported in comparison to skin health.
It is also made with bovine collagen, which is a rich source of both type I and type III of this protein that is abundant in connective tissues. These peptides have also been used with success to treat joint conditions and improve mobility in clinical trials.
All of these benefits, and it also comes in a great chocolatey flavor!
Pros
- Good ingredients
- Transparent Label
- Great reviews
Cons
- One flavor
Price: $24.95 for 35 servings
Best Collagen for Bodybuilding
Collagen supplements for bodybuilding can be a key supplement to really help you recover and see results. You are constantly putting your body through the ringer with your training, and being that it is the most abundant protein in the body and is very beneficial for things like joint cushioning, you can’t go wrong with one of these supplements for bodybuilding.
Swolverine Collagen Protein
Swolverine's Collagen Protein is made with pure grass-fed, pasture-raised hydrolyzed collagen peptides. Unflavored and virtually tasteless, you can add it to your coffee, smoothies, shakes, and even to your baking recipes to get an added boost of protein whenever you may need it.
Swolverine Collagen Protein is made with pure grass-fed, pasture-raised hydrolyzed collagen peptides. Unflavored and virtually tasteless, you can add it to your coffee, smoothies, shakes, and even to your baking recipes to get an added boost of protein whenever you may need it. Collagen can help replenish your body with the vital protein you need to build lean muscle mass, strength, and help support healthy joints and glowing skin.
Pros
- Unflavored so you can add it anywhere
- Good ingredients
Cons
- One flavor may not be enough for some
Price: $36.99 for 30 servings
Best Collagen for Digestion
While this protein is naturally in the body, sometimes taking a supplement can cause things like bloating, constipation, and other gut health issues. While these are not side effects that everyone will experience, having a collagen supplement that is good for digestion is not a bad idea.
Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate
Over time, consistent hydrolyzed collagen supplementation can even deliver visible reductions in skin wrinkles and sagging. Recent evidence exists suggesting hydrolyzed collagen may also aid in recovery for athletes, bone structure, and joint health.
Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate is making the list specifically for how well it can be digested. Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate is smooth on the stomach so you do not have to deal with any nasty side effects, and it tastes great on its own, but will also make for a good addition to a shake or smoothie if you’d like to throw it right in your shaker cup.
All of these benefits, and it also comes in a great chocolatey flavor!
Pros
- Good ingredients
- Transparent Label
- Great reviews
Cons
- One flavor
Price: $34.99 for 30 servings
Best Collagen for Women
It is no secret that women are different from men, and therefore have different needs. Even their needs regarding their supplementation are different.
Cira Glow Getter
Cira Nutrition Glow-Getter Collagen is the perfect collagen supplement for active women and female athletes. Packed with collagen and other great ingredients, this can help with hair, skin, and nail health while also improving gut health and strengthening joints.
Cira Nutrition Glow-Getter Collagen is a top tier supplement designed to support healthier skin, hair, and nails, while also working on improving gut health and strengthening joints so you look and feel that much better. With ingredients like hydrolyzed collagen and AstraGin, you know it is a good supplement!
Pros
- Great ingredients
- Great for healthier skin, hair, and nails, among other benefits
- Interesting and fun flavors
- From a reputable company in Cira Nutrition
Cons
- Only available directly from their website
- Does contain artificial flavors
Price: $29.99 for 30 servings
Losing Collagen Can be Detrimental
As stated above, collagen is something that really plays a bigger role than you would think. Appearance, health, and how you feel are all things effected directly by this very abundant protein. Now as you lose it, what can be a result of this?
For starters, your skin loses its luster, it can begin to wrinkle and thin, making fine lines become more prominent than ever. Another issue associated with the loss of this protein is hair health takes a dive, which can lead to hair thinning. Hair can split and break, but you can also begin to lose it. This is not something that really anyone wants as the changes in appearance can really take a toll on your confidence.
Another thing associated with the loss of collagen, and one of the most painful, would be the effect it has on the joints. Symptoms such as joint pain or stiff tendons and ligaments can occur, and this is definitely something you want to keep an eye on and combat as much as possible. Now this can have a heavy impact on your physical activity levels. Whether you are into bodybuilding, cardio, have a job that requires physical labor, or you just enjoy being active as a whole, joint pain and stiff tendons and ligaments are some things that can take you out of the game.
What Causes Collagen Loss
As you age it is certainly a given that you lose collagen, but age is not the only factor that causes the loss of this protein. There are multiple different reasons for losing it.
Factors that may contribute to lead to low levels or loss of collagen include:
- Hormonal changes which can be caused due to pregnancy, menopause, health conditions, and so on
- Oxidative stress, which results from metabolic processes and lifestyle choices, such as smoking and diet
- Too much sun exposure, as ultraviolet rays can cause collagen to break down in the skin
- Low levels of ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C
So how can you prevent the loss of this very essential protein?
Preventing Collagen Loss
While you may think you are simply aging and there is nothing you can do to change it, the real problem could be that you are losing this protein in the body, and there is certainly something you can do about it.
The simple answer to preventing the loss of this very abundant protein is just to live a healthy lifestyle, which would result in limiting sun exposure, eating healthy, avoiding smoking, all things like that. However this still may not be enough for everyone, which is where supplementation would come into play. A collagen supplement can give you the extra boost that you need. As stated before, there are so many of these supplements on the market to choose from, so choose wisely!
Cost Comparisons Comparisons
Finding the right supplement for your needs while also being affordable can be challenging. The fitness lifestyle is not always the cheapest. You have food to buy, then gym memberships, gym clothes, and supplements to budget for.
Typically, the more premium options will cost more money, so knowing how much it is per serving may help make your decision a little easier. However, these supplements are all within the same price range, but we’ve broken down our list so you can see the overall price and price per serving as you compare.
| Category | Product | Price |
| Best Collagen Supplement Overall | Nutricost Collagen | $24.95 |
| Best Collagen Supplement for Bodybuilding | Swolverine Collagen Protein | $36.99 |
| Best Collagen Supplement for Digestion | Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate | $34.99 |
| Best Collagen Supplement for Women | Cira Glow Getter | $29.99 |
Things to Consider When Buying
You may think to just look at the label on a supplement when purchasing, and as long as it has the ingredients you want, then you are good to go. However, there are a few things you should take into consideration when buying one of these supplements, so let’s dive into what they are.
Digestive and Gut Issues
If you have digestive and gut issues, you may want to take a look at options that would pertain to that. A good option for consumers that have issues with this would be Transparent Labs Collagen Hydrolysate.
What are Your Goals?
Another thing to look at is what your goals are. For example, if you are looking to just stay healthy and take a collagen supplement, then there are plenty of options. However, whenever it comes to bodybuilding, a collagen supplement more suited for this would be good to take into consideration. Swolverine Collagen Protein would be a good option for this!
How We Choose
You may be wondering how we even take products into consideration to make our lists. Choosing the right supplements can be difficult and with so many on the market, the choices do seem endless. We spend extended periods of time trying these supplements on our own; looking through ingredients, companies, reviews, everything, to make sure that what we put on the list is worthwhile.
We look at ingredients closely because many companies will put in ingredients you just don’t need. Quality of the brand and where they get ingredients from is also important because you deserve to have an honest company backing you up, and being able to know exactly what you are consuming. Of course, price matters and since supplements can add up and be a real hit on the wallet, we sought to bring you top tier products at a reasonable and affordable price.
With this list in particular, we sought to bring the best to you by combing through all the nonsense collagen supplements to bring you the best around.
Best Collagen Supplements FAQs
There are probably a couple questions you may have, so let’s take a look at them!
What is the Best Collagen Supplement?
Nutricost Collagen Peptides. It comes with a fully transparent label, solid ingredients, good reviews, and yields good results. You cannot go wrong with choosing this product.
Why Would I Even Need a Collagen Supplement?
These supplements are great not only for your overall health and appearance, but especially good for you when you are very into fitness! It is the most abundant protein in the body, good for cushioning the joints, and good for your overall appearance. So, there is no reason not to try one of these supplements!
Is It Even Safe?
Believe it or not, there are actually no documented health risks associated with taking collagen powder! However, some of these powders on the market are actually made with common food allergens, like shellfish or eggs, so it is always a good idea to read the nutrition label before purchasing, and double check it before consuming.
Best Collagen Supplements Wrap Up
Collagen supplements are often overlooked when purchasing new supplements, however it brings a load of benefits to the table that make it worth looking at. It is the most abundant protein in the body that helps with overall appearance, health, joints, and numerous other benefits.
With all of this being said, will you be trying any of these supplements on our list?
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
References
Collagen. The Nutrition Source. (2023, February 7). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from (Source)
Collagen: What it is, types, function & benefits. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2023, from (Source)
