If you’re taking collagen protein with the hopes that it will help you build or sustain muscle, I have some bad news…

Collagen is a popular supplement in the health and wellness industry these days, and while it has tons of benefits and I take it every single day, it falls short when it comes to building muscle.

Collagen Protein for Building Muscle

To get straight to the point, collagen protein isn’t suitable for muscle building because it doesn’t contain all nine essential amino acids that our bodies need to build and repair muscle.

Specifically, collagen is lacking the amino acid tryptophan, which is essential for muscle protein synthesis (this is the process by which our bodies build muscle) and this can’t happen without enough tryptophan.

The Benefits of Collagen Protein

Although it might not be the best option for building muscle, it still has some great benefits:

• Improving skin elasticity
• Promoting joint health
• Aiding in gut health
• Reducing inflammation
• Improving digestion
• Increasing metabolism

Yes, you can still get the positive benefits from the processing of protein on your metabolism (see the bit about the Thermic Effect of Food in the post here) and yes you can still count this toward your daily protein intake, but if you’re taking tons of collagen thinking it’s going to help you reach your physique goals or get any gains, you’re mistaken.

Protein for Building Muscle

If you are looking to build muscle, it’s best to focus on consuming complete protein sources that contain all nine essential amino acids like meats, fish, poultry, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, plant-based options like quinoa and soy, or other protein powders and supplements.