Can Men take Collagen?

A glowing complexion. Shiny, strong nails. And luscious hair resilient to breakages. When these are the commonly marketed benefits of collagen, it's understandable if men like you are reluctant to give collagen supplements a go. Well, guess what? Your skepticism is unwarranted. We'd even go as far as to say that it's causing you to miss out on some pretty amazing collagen benefits. But what, exactly? Find more details below.

Collagen is good for men 

To say that collagen is good for men would be a massive understatement—and you’ll find out why soon enough.

Yes, collagen is good for hair growth

Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is incredibly common, affecting up to 1 in every 2 men over 40 years old. The condition is caused by genetics (i.e., inherited) and circulating male sex hormones called androgens, particularly dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In men with inherited sensitivity or intolerance to DHT, the hair follicles shrink—causing the hair produced to thin and eventually cease altogether if left untreated. This results in baldness.

While there is currently no cure for male pattern baldness, there are various ways you could prevent and slow down the rate of hair thinning. Collagen supplementation is one of them. Thanks to its potent antioxidant properties, hydrolyzed collagen peptides help protect your hair follicles from oxidative damage, essentially mitigating the harm DHT does, keeping them as productive as possible at churning out new, healthy strands of hair. Beyond keeping your hair follicles in tip-top shape, collagen also promotes hair growth in several other ways—find out more in this article, “Does Collagen Help Hair Growth?” 

Collagen will slow aging

You may have little interest in attaining a radiant, "bouncy" complexion. But what about firmer, smoother skin? After all, wouldn't it be nice to look into the mirror and not have all those lines staring back at you? If yes, then anti-aging hydrolyzed collagen supplementation is what you're looking for.

Studies consistently highlight collagen peptides’ ability to stimulate the body’s natural production of collagen and elastin—firming and tightening up your face while, at the same time, “ironing out” the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. By the way: collagen powder may even help you keep some of the typical age-related gum and teeth issues (e.g., tooth decay and gum disease) at bay, too. Learn more in this article, “Does Collagen Help Your Teeth and Gums?”

Collagen will improve your joint strength 

Already feeling the effects of aging on your joints—and waking up with creaky, achy joints? This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, but here goes, collagen supplementation could help with that.

Research suggests that collagen peptides may accumulate in cartilage and stimulate your tissues to make collagen. But wait. Does that translate to real-life benefits? Yes, it does. And this 2008 study provides proof. Here, researchers found that athletes with activity-related joint pain treated with dietary supplement collagen hydrolysate experienced significant improvements in joint pain, mobility, and inflammation than those assigned to the placebo group. Psst: find out if that means collagen could cure your knee pain here.

Collagen will help with post-workout recovery

For anyone trying to stick to a regular workout routine, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMs) can be a real stumbling block—how are you supposed to get back to squatting when you still can’t feel your legs from yesterday’s training?

Well, there’s good news: hydrolyzed collagen, just like any other dietary protein source, can provide your muscles with the amino acids (i.e., building blocks of muscle tissues) they need to rebuild and repair themselves. That means you’ll feel less sore and recover quicker, allowing you to get back to your exercise routine ASAP.

Collagen will promote gut health

Everyone seems to be talking about gut health these days—why? There’s a good reason for that. The trillions of bacteria and other microbes that live in your gut play an important role in health, influencing your risk of developing obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and many conditions. So, it's safe to say that if you wish to improve your health, taking care of your gut health will be a priority. And collagen supplementation could help with that.

That’s because collagen contains the amino acid, L-glutamate, a significant fuel source for your intestinal cells. In addition, your gut lining (responsible for shielding "good" gut bacteria from harmful, foreign invaders) also uses proline and glycine—2 other amino acids found in collagen—for energy. All these, in turn, explain why individuals with digestive challenges have been found to have lower blood levels of certain collagen types. 

Collagen will give you more energy

The poorer your gut health, the poorer your nutrient absorption. So, by promoting your gut health, collagen supplementation will also boost your energy levels. Struggling to see the relationship?

Perhaps this example would help: your body needs magnesium (amongst other nutrients) to make energy. But if your gut health is poor, you could eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods or loads of magnesium supplements—and your body still wouldn’t be able to extract the nutrient effectively. What a waste!

Takeaway

Bottom line? Don’t be too quick to dismiss collagen as a “woman-only supplement”. Collagen could bring about many benefits (e.g., hair growth, joint strength, and gut health) for you, too. But you should still be careful about the supplement you pick; not all collagen supplements are created equal.

If you don't have the luxury of time to sift through everything available on the market just to find a safe, high-quality, and effective collagen powder, why not look at The Collagen Co? You can’t go wrong with our products.