Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body.
Because natural collagen production decreases with age, collagen supplements are popular among athletes and everyday individuals looking to preserve muscle mass, recover from workouts, improve the appearance of skin, and decrease joint pain, among other benefits.
But, what is the best time of day to take collagen?
Should you take collagen in the morning or at night?
Keep reading to find out when to take collagen to optimize your results.
When Is the Best Time to Take Collagen?
To date, there are no studies suggesting that there is a single best time of day to take collagen.
There can be benefits to taking collagen in the morning as well as benefits to taking collagen in the evening.
Generally, sports nutritionists recommend taking collagen supplements at the time of day that works best with your supplement routine, workout regimen, goals, and experiences with collagen side effects.
Benefits of Taking Collagen in the Morning
Taking collagen in the morning starts your day with a rich pool of the three amino acids necessary to manufacture collagen naturally.
Collagen is a protein, and studies have found that consuming a high-protein breakfast may improve satiety, which can help you control your appetite.
Some people also believe that taking collagen on an empty stomach may help degrade the protein and enhance absorption because you have more stomach acid.
However, collagen digestion and absorption has not been shown to be impaired when collagen is taken during or after a large meal.
Rather, foods high in vitamin C such as citrus fruits and berries may help support your body's ability to manufacture collagen from the constituent amino acids.
Therefore, if you want to have collagen first thing in the morning, consider having your collagen supplements with citrus or berries and/or choosing a collagen powder that includes vitamin C.
What are Some Collagen-/Rich Snacks?
Generally, a well-balanced diet with protein-rich foods will supply your body with the necessary amino acids to produce collagen naturally.
However, you can support natural collagen production by eating collagen-rich foods, foods that contain the amino acids in collagen, and foods high in vitamin C.
Vitamin C is one of the micronutrients that helps stimulate the production of collagen.
Here are some of the best foods to eat to support natural collagen production:
- Bone broth
- Chicken skin
- Fish with skin
- Sardines with bones
- Organ meats
- Foods high in vitamin C such as berries, citrus, bell peppers, cruciferous vegetables, and dark leafy greens
- Eggs (they are rich in proline, one of the key amino acids for collagen production)
- Nuts, seeds, and beans because they contain copper and zinc, two minerals that help support collagen production
You can also take a clean, high-quality supplement like our marine collagen peptides powder sourced from wild-caught cod.
Can I Take Collagen After a Workout?
You can absolutely take collagen after a workout.
Protein is an important macronutrient for refueling the body after exercise.
Collagen is a protein, so it can provide your muscles with the amino acids necessary to repair and rebuild muscle tissue.
However, collagen is an incomplete protein, which means that it lacks one or more of the nine essential amino acids.
Therefore, a collagen protein shake shouldn't be your only post-workout recovery snack.
You can combine collagen supplements with another protein powder that provides BCAAs and the other essential amino acids.
Good options are whey protein powder, casein, and a vegan protein powder that combines plant-based proteins from different sources such as pea protein and brown rice protein.
Carbohydrates also help replenish glycogen stores and may facilitate the muscle protein synthesis process.
The Benefits of Taking Collagen at Night
Taking collagen at night provides your body with amino acids to repair and rebuild muscle cells, skin cells, and connective tissues while you sleep.
Additionally, some research has found that having glycine-rich snacks at bedtime promotes better sleep quality.
Glycine is one of the three amino acids in collagen protein.
Should You Take Collagen Every Day?
Collagen supplements can be taken every day.
In fact, consistency with your collagen supplementation can improve the benefits that you see and help your body get used to digesting and absorbing collagen protein powder.
That said, make sure that you are also getting high-quality protein from foods so that you are providing your body with all of the essential amino acids.
How to Take Collagen for Best Results?
There isn't a single best way to take collagen supplements.
The best collagen supplements are pure in the sense that they do not include unnecessary fillers, artificial sweeteners, and other additives.
Some people find that the taste of unflavored collagen protein powder is unpalatable as it can be somewhat salty.
If you have trouble drinking collagen mixed into plain water, you can combine collagen powder into smoothies or protein shakes or use a blender bottle to shake it up with your favorite plant-based milk or regular milk.
More creative options for using collagen include adding collagen creamer to coffee, stirring collagen into overnight oats, and incorporating collagen into yogurt or cottage cheese with berries, nuts, and low-sugar granola.
Can you take collagen on an empty stomach?
You can take collagen supplements on an empty stomach.
However, it's not necessary to take collagen on an empty stomach. Furthermore, taking collagen with vitamin C may enhance absorption.
Can collagen be mixed with coffee?
You can mix collagen into hot coffee or cold brew coffee.
However, to prevent clumpiness and improve the smoothness of the texture, you should mix the collagen into the milk or creamer before adding it to the coffee.
Overall, there isn't a single best time of day to take collagen.
Experiment to see what works best with your diet, workout schedule, and primary goals.
Taking collagen in the morning may enhance satiety, taking collagen after a workout can help support muscle recovery, and taking collagen before bed may help you sleep better.
