Collagen supplements are sold almost exclusively in packaging designed for women. Pink tubs, beauty-focused messaging, influencers with perfect skin. It's easy to dismiss them as not for you.
That would be a mistake. The evidence for collagen supplementation — specifically for joint health, tendon repair, and exercise recovery — is actually solid, and the research is done on both sexes.
What collagen actually does
Collagen is not a muscle-building supplement. It's the structural protein that holds connective tissue together — tendons, ligaments, cartilage, fascia, skin dermis, bone matrix.
Your body makes its own collagen. The problem is that collagen synthesis declines from your mid-30s onwards, and the rate of decline accelerates with age. By 45-50, you're producing significantly less collagen than you were at 25. This isn't dramatic — it's gradual — but the downstream effects accumulate: joints that take longer to recover, tendons that are more vulnerable to overuse injury, skin that loses elasticity.
The joint and tendon evidence
The strongest evidence for collagen supplementation is in joint and tendon health — not skin.
Multiple RCTs have shown that hydrolysed collagen supplementation (10-15g daily) reduces joint pain in athletes with activity-related joint discomfort. The mechanism is reasonably well understood: collagen peptides accumulate in cartilage tissue and stimulate fibroblasts to produce more collagen.
The critical variable in the research is timing: collagen taken with vitamin C approximately 1 hour before exercise appears to significantly enhance collagen synthesis in tendon tissue during the exercise window. Collagen taken at other times shows smaller effects.
I started taking collagen after a persistent Achilles issue that wouldn't resolve despite rest and physio. I'm not claiming the collagen fixed it — the physio fixed it — but my recovery between sessions felt noticeably faster once I added it. The research on timing (1 hour pre-exercise with vitamin C) is what convinced me. I now take it every morning before my first training session.
What type of collagen to buy
Hydrolysed collagen (collagen peptides) — this is what the research uses. Hydrolysed means the collagen has been broken into smaller peptides that are more bioavailable. Don't buy whole collagen or gelatin expecting the same effect.
Type I and III — most relevant for skin, tendons, and ligaments. This is what bovine (beef) and marine (fish) collagen contains.
Type II — more relevant for cartilage and joint health. Found in chicken collagen supplements specifically.
Vitamin C — essential co-factor for collagen synthesis. The best collagen supplements include vitamin C, or you take it separately.
Timing matters. Take 15g of hydrolysed collagen with 50mg vitamin C, 45-60 minutes before your training session. This is the protocol used in the research that showed the strongest tendon synthesis effects.
UK products worth considering
Myprotein Hydrolysed Collagen — unflavoured, 15g serving size, competitively priced. Doesn't include vitamin C, so take separately.
Bulk Pure Hydrolysed Collagen — similar spec to Myprotein, often cheaper per serving when on offer.
Who should take collagen
If you're under 35 with no joint issues and eat a diet that includes some animal protein, collagen supplementation is low priority.
If you're over 35, have had any tendon or joint issues, or train regularly and want to maintain connective tissue integrity as you age, there's a reasonable evidence-based case for it.
It's not expensive, the safety profile is excellent, and the timing protocol is simple. For most men training over 40, I'd put it in the "worth trying" category alongside creatine and vitamin D — not transformative, but genuinely useful.
